Ganesha’s Gifts makes the perfect book to gift! [Reviews]

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Book: Ganesha’s Gifts
Author: Rachna Chhabria
Illustrations: Shalini Soni Mazumdar
Publisher: Wonder House Books
Format: Board Book
No. of pages: 26
Recommended age: 2.5+ years

A book that beautifully mirrors birthday excitement and the sweet chaos that comes with it!

Abha has reviewed this book in detail in the kbc fb group here. Excerpts:

If you’re a toddler parent, you know the drill — one minute they’re obsessed with shiny buttons, the next it’s full-on meltdown mode because someone else got a slightly bigger scoop of ice cream. And if there’s an older sibling around? The imitation game in full swing!

That’s why we LOVED this delightful storybook about Lord Ganesha’s birthday — and waited until Little S’s own 3rd birthday to introduce it!  The timing was magical because the book beautifully mirrors that birthday excitement and the sweet chaos that comes with it.

In this beautifully illustrated tale, Ganesha and his brother Kartikeya each receive jackets as birthday gifts from their mom, Goddess Parvati. But when Ganesha notices his brother’s jacket has sparkly beads and his doesn’t… well, it all gets a bit dramatic.

He decides to jazz up his own jacket — by plucking the actual moon and stars from the sky! Suddenly the sky is barren and everyone from the common man to the Gods are concerned. They all try to entice him with his favorite toys and ladoos but Ganesha doesn’t budge. Till he sees his brother. What happens next and does the sky ever get back the shimmering stars or the beloved moon? This book brings giggles, showcases sweet sibling moments, and share a lovely little life lesson — all told in a way toddlers can totally relate to.

Why this book hits the spot for toddlers (and their grown-ups):
1. Birthdays = gifts = BIG feelings
2. Taking things without asking? Maybe not the best idea
3. The joy of being happy with what we have

It’s colorful, warm, and gently thoughtful — without ever sounding preachy. Honestly, it’s the kind of book you’ll enjoy reading with your child just as much as they’ll enjoy listening.

Captivating story and illustrations!!

Preethi Joseph has shared her review with inside pages in the kbc fb group here. Excerpts:

Ganesha’s Gifts is a captivating board book that has its basis in Indian mythology. The story revolves around the lovable and much revered elephant-headed God Ganesha in his childhood avatar where his naughty antics are also brought out.

What I loved most about the book is its ability to introduce Indian mythology to young readers in a relatable way. Young Ganesha is celebrating his birthday and excited about his gifts. He inadvertently takes something which does not belong to him, and there is chaos in heaven and earth. All the gods come to please him but the mischievous Ganesha is adamant and refuses to budge. Will the gods be able to appease Ganesha? How do they make Ganesha give it back? That’s the climax of the book. The story gives valuable lessons on sharing, empathy, kindness, sibling-rivalry, obedience and self-discovery.

This book not only introduces Lord Ganesha to children but many other gods like Brahma, Indra, Kubera, and others from Hindu mythology. It also subtly introduces tidbits related to Hindu worship. The writing style is simple and easy to follow, making it understandable and enjoyable for young children as well as older children and adults.

The illustrations of the gods, heaven & the heavenly musicians and dancers are quite vibrant and striking. It soars the vivid imaginations of young minds with its warm hues and radiant colours. My 3 year old was quite captivated by the eye-catching illustrations of the heavens and heavenly beings. Not only that, there’s a little mystery in what happens next and he was thrilled to find out how the problem caused by naughty Ganesha was solved. He’s now aware that there maybe unknown repercussions to every mischief.

A playful book everyone will love!

Kimeera has shared her review as well in the kbc fb group here.

This is a fun story that shows the childishness and innocence of Ganesha. It is his birthday and his mother has gifted him and his brother (the author says here that the brother is elder, while Ganesha is actually the elder one) a jacket each. When Ganesha sees that his brother’s jacket has more beads on it, he wants to put some on his own and make it better. So he pulls the moon and the stars from the sky and puts them on his jacket as embellishments. Everyone is distraught because there are no moon and stars in the sky.

The rest of the story is about how everyone tries to reason with Ganesha and make him return the moon and stars. What happens in the end? Does he return them to the sky? Read to find out!

I love how the author has mixed real life situations like comparison between siblings with the fantasy associated with Gods and their magical powers. The pictures add life to the story and carry the same aura of the mix of reality and fantasy.

Both my children liked the story because it’s so playful. Achintya liked how Ganesha plucked the stars and the moon and put them on his jacket! Anidampurva really connected with the whole concept of brothers getting gifts and doing things to be like the other!

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Disclaimer: Abha, Preethi and Kimeera are a part of the #kbcReviewerSquad and won this book as a prize in one of the WonderHouseWedenesdaysOnKBC contests from the publisher via kbc.