Ganesha's Sweet Tooth

Very fun beautiful style. This book is an absolute delight! The art style is incredibly fun and vibrant, making every page a visual treat. The illustrations are not only beautiful but also dynamic, bringing the story to life in such a creative way. The storytelling is engaging and fresh, offering a unique take on a classic tale that both kids and adults can enjoy. It’s a perfect blend of humor, culture, and stunning artwork. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a visually captivating and entertaining read!

This story is interesting, and holds a childs attention. The graphic illustrations are all-ages mesmerizing. Not exactly cliff notes for the Bhagavad Gita, but it will impart some cultural wisdom along with the treacly sweet pictures. i love this book. if i were president, i'd issue an order that every household nursery have a copy in the library. check it out.

We got this for our daughter so she could have some exposure to Hindu stories. My husband is Hindu, and we love this book! I know some people here have issue with it not being accurate, but it’s not supposed to be a religious text - it’s a children’s book and the author very clearly states at the end that this story was just supposed to be “fun” and a way to introduce children to Hinduism. Obviously you can also read your children the Gita and such for the accurate narratives… some people take things meant to be lighthearted and fun way too seriously. The illustrations are gorgeous, too!

Ganesha is one of Hinduism's most lovable gods. According to the mythology, he does have quite a sweet tooth, though eating a "super jumbo jawbreaking laddo" was most definitely not included in the original. Mr. Patel stretches the ancient story, to follow young Ganesha as he breaks his "tooth", aka. tusk, on this jawbreaking laddo, which lands him the important role of writing down the epic tale of Mahabharata, with his broken tusk. I am impressed with the changes to the original story, because children can relate to this young god and his self-consciousness while missing a "tooth" - it's exactly what happens to young children when they start loosing their teeth. The art is attractive, though a little to minimalistic to my taste. I enjoyed the designs, but I am not sure if its the most effective designs for young children, as they may not notice all the easter eggs hidden in the images. The pacing is interesting, because the story that Mr. Patel chooses to tell, fits within the page count. I felt like the loose adaptation suffered a bit in explaining the Mahabharata. The story is very detailed and too complicated for the premise of this book, but the art linked to the Mahabharata was left without context. I can see this book being very popular with early elementary students.

Our daughter loves this book, and we love reading it. It is stunning visually, has a great storytelling style, and gives us an opportunity to discuss Hinduism with our child. I think this is a great addition to any library, especially to parents who want to expose children to a variety of myths, religions, and stories. Note: My husband practices Hinduism, and he was thrilled that I found a book that he could share with our child. He (and the author) both mention that this is not true to the actual story of how Ganesha broke his tusk, but it is still a great read. You can always compare and contrast this story to the original and give your child a great exercise in critical thinking (as a Literature teacher, I can't recommend doing those sorts of activities enough).

i suspected, but didn't know for sure, that this was a cultural legend until I read the note at the end of the book. I'm glad to have different cultures' stories in my son's library! Overall, I like the message of the story, but the way it's presented here is pretty uninspiring and likely doesn't do the original legend justice. But the illustrations-- some of my favorite I've ever seen! Bright, geometric, somewhat abstract. I'll forgive the uninspiring storytelling and read this book often just to admire the beautiful, unique illustrations!

Wonderfully illustrated and well told story!

I wish we had this book growing up. Being born in the States (or anywhere out of India) this is very helpful for both teaching little children and informal learning as adults. The pictures are fun and colorful, much like the cover. It goes through all the deities and a page or two about their story so children know who they are at a glance. The pictures are also historically accurate (although cartooned) that they can be recognized when going to the temple or when seeing paintings/photos. I've bought this book for all my nieces and nephews as well as one for me newborn daughter. Great baby shower gift for those that ask for a baby book in lieu of card. I highly highly recommend it.