Rama and the Demon King by Jessica Souhami
| Rama and the Demon King by Jessica Souhami | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: An elegant retelling of the ancient Hindu folk tale of Lord Rama. A real pleasure to read. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 36 | Date: August 2015 |
| Publisher: Frances Lincoln's Children's Books | |
| ISBN: 978-1847806604 | |
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Rama was a brave and good prince, the king's favourite son. He loved his wife, Sita and his best friend was his brother Lakshman. Everyone loved him, except for one person. His stepmother was jealous and she was determined to get rid of Rama. Long ago she had saved the king's life and he had promised to grant her any wish. She asked that he send Rama into the forest for fourteen years and although the king was horrified he had to keep his promise. Rama was sent into the forest, but he did not go alone, as Sita and Lakshman went with him and for a while all was well. They fought off the demons who first appeared and then built a house and led a simple life among the forest animals.
But then Ravana, the ten-headed king of all the demons, abducted Sita.
It's a three-thousand year old story, but there are good reasons why it's stood the test of time. It has an admirable hero, with truth and goodness on his side. There are demons to be killed and a rescue to be made - and a baddie with ten heads doesn't do the story any harm at all! Jessica Souhami's retelling of the story is elegant and clear, using simple, uncomplicated language and her images are perfect and really bring the story to life. They're based on the Indian tradition of shadow-puppertry and they're exuberant.
I've known the story for many years but I still found myself wanting to know what happened next! It was a delightful treat and I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
There is also a dual language, Punjabi/English version of this book.
Adult readers looking for more information about the journey of Lord Rama might enjoy An Indian Odyssey by Martin Buckley. For more folk tales we can recommend The Orchard Book of Magical Tales by Margaret Mayo and Brahma Dreaming: Legends from Hindu Mythology by John Jackson and Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini. Slightly older children will enjoy Beowulf by Michael Morpurgo.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Rama and the Demon King by Jessica Souhami at Amazon.com.
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