Wisdom Tales from Gita for Children – Enlightening and enchanting stories from the animal kingdom [Reviews]

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Title: Wisdom Tales from Gita for Children
Author: Deepak Bharwani
Illustrated by: Natalia Nikonova
Published by: Wonder House Books
Length: 216 pages
Type: Paperback
Age recommendation: 8 years and above

Various reviews have been shared in our kbc fb group. We have curated excerpts from some here:

Abha’s review:

“Rooted in the richness of Indian mythology, the author has skillfully adapted timeless wisdom into 20 jungle stories that are both easy for children to grasp and deeply meaningful for adults. The jungle setting isn’t just fun—it’s the perfect backdrop for exploring values like humility, resilience, courage, and empathy in a way that feels natural.

One of my favorites, When the Birds Touched the Sky, is told from the perspective of the four-legged versus the two-winged. It’s a gentle but powerful reminder that everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. In times of comfort, it’s easy to forget humility—but adversity often reveals unexpected heroes, even in those we once underestimated. I found myself thinking about this while at the hospital awaiting my father’s discharge. Listening to relatives boast about achievements, I quietly smiled, reminded of this story’s truth: life has a way of showing us we need one another and materialistic things are so transient.

Another standout, When Jugs Learned a Sweet Lesson, mirrors the cycle of setting goals, facing setbacks, and rising again. It beautifully captures the importance of allowing ourselves to process disappointment before finding the courage to try again. As adults, we know this all too well—yet it’s a lesson worth giving our children early.

While my own child is only 3 and facing challenges of her own scale, I can see how these stories would resonate deeply with children 7+ and even into adulthood. They’re short enough for bedtime reading but rich enough to spark conversations that stay with you.

This isn’t just a children’s book—it’s a family keepsake. If you want your home library to hold stories that grow with your child, this one belongs on your shelf.”

POOJA’S 8 YO DAUGHTER, ANANYA’S REVIEW:

“I started reading it with my mom. It has lots of stories inspired by the Bhagavad Gita. I didn’t know much about it before, but now I think it’s full of smart ideas!

The book has 20 stories with 8 major animal characters—Nara (lion), Pipa (parrot), Jugs (elephant), Saaka (snake), Zundo (hippo), Tantra (tortoise), Zoey (deer), and Kapa (monkey). Each story teaches something important, with a moral at the end.

My favorite story is when Nara saw danger everywhere and learned how to choose friends wisely. I also liked the one where Nara tries to scare everyone with his roar and thinks a single bee can’t do anything—but then a swarm of bees teach him a funny (and scary!) lesson about teamwork.

The pictures are super colorful and fun. They helped me understand the stories better. Some words were tricky, but my mom helped me read them. I like the pictures so much that I want to draw my own version of Nara in my drawing book!

This book taught me that it’s important to make wise choices, be kind, be honest, and think before you act. I think every kid should read it with their parents!”

Sowmya’s review:

‘Wisdom Tales from Gita for Children’ is an interesting anthology of stories which magically transport the readers to the fictional animal kingdom of Lalavan. In the lush forests of Lalavan, young animals learn useful life lessons as they embark on adventures.

The book has twenty stories, each one filled with playful characters. We are introduced to the young lion crown prince, Nara. He and his friends, Pipa(the Parrot), Jugs(the Elephant), Saaka(the Snake), Zundo(the Hippo), Tantra(the Tortoise), Zoey(the Deer) and Kapa(the Monkey) create a whimsical wild wonderland filled with laughter and adventure. The animals explore various facets of life whist learning and discovering new things about themselves.

The stories are entertaining and enlightening, in equal measure. Each story is enjoyable to read- easy to understand text, captivating colourful illustrations and it ends with a message from the author explaining the moral of the story alongwith the Gita verse. The stories will teach children (and adults) values of spirituality, resilience, honesty, integrity and humility.

One of my favourite stories was ‘When Jugs Made a New Friend ‘ in which we learn how important it is to stay true to ourselves and prioritise our needs first. Another story which stood out was ‘When Jugs Learned a Sweet Lesson’ which teaches us to focus on performing the duty and not worry about the outcome.

My 5 year old Siddhanth enjoyed listening to the story of how Nara, the lion cub is announced as the crown prince in a coronation ceremony. The vivid description and the illustrations really had him excited.
I’m eager for him to read the book a few years down the line and assimilate the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita.

On the flip side, I felt there were too many characters in the stories and it got slightly confusing to follow. A few stories were too long and the message could have been conveyed in a more crisp manner. In my opinion, there were more meaningful lines within the stories that could have been selected as the taglines which might have had more of an impact. Another thing which didn’t sit right with me was the part where Zundo, the young hippo is made to measure his waist and chastised for gaining inches over the summer break. In this age of body positivity and acceptance, this is something which could have been treated more sensitively.

The Bhagavad Gita is a timeless treasure trove of wisdom which has enlightened countless people. Author Deepak Bharwani has cherry-picked important lessons from the Gita and written playful stories to incorporate this message and relay it to youngsters.”

Excerpts of Preethi Joseph’s review:

“This wonderful Bhagwad Gita inspired book is a thought- provoking collection of 20 engaging stories set in the mystical forest of Lalavan. Each tale starts with a one-liner in the beginning, the main story, a recount followed by Gita verses with translation. The stories feature Narsimha as the king, Chenchu as the queen, Nara the crown prince and his friends as child-like protagonists who go on exciting adventures every day. The enchanting watercolour based illustrations beautifully complement the narrative, transporting readers to a magical and life-like setting that enhances our immersion in the book.

I gifted this book to my 10 year old niece who enjoyed it, savoring each story at her own pace. What she liked most about the book is the flexibility to read it and ability to introspect each story. According to her, this book allows the readers to absorb and reflect each tale at ones own pace, promoting a deeper understanding and appreciation.

Parents and educators can utilize these tales to teach valuable life lessons, promoting moral development, emotional intelligence and critical thinking. These tales impart timeless wisdom on essential life themes such as duty, equality, justice, patience, friendship, equal acceptance of failure/ success or happiness/ sadness etc hence making it highly relevant for the present generation of youngsters.

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Disclaimer: Sowmya, Abha, Pooja, Preethi and Prachi won this book as a prize in the kbcWisdomTales Contest from the publisher via kbc. Photo creds: Sowmya.