The Little Book of Hindu Deities
From the Goddess of Wealth to the Sacred Cow
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4.8 • 9 Ratings
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Pixar animator and Academy Award–nominated director Sanjay Patel (Sanjay’s Super Team) brings to life Hinduism’s most important gods and goddesses—and one sacred stone—in fun, full-color illustrations, each accompanied by a short, lively profile.
The Little Book of Hindu Deities is chock-full of monsters, demons, noble warriors, and divine divas. Find out why Ganesha has an elephant’s head (his father cut his off!); why Kali, the goddess of time, is known as the “Black One” (she’s a bit goth); and what “Hare Krishna” really means.
“Throw another ingredient in the American spirituality blender. Pop culture is veering into Hinduism.”—USA Today
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Don't mess with Kali, cautions Patel on the opening page of this arresting, innovative, entertaining book. Who knew the Hindu pantheon could be so much fun? Patel, an animator at Pixar studios, breathes new life into old mythology, telling the exploits of various deities while drawing us in literally with his joyous and unexpected full-color illustrations. In the introduction, he notes that he has always been influenced by Japanese animation, and his renderings bear the mark of the wide-eyed, large-headed, simple style that he so admires. The book is awash in color, with vivid saffrons, purples, fuchsias and oranges adding a lushness to the tales he recounts. Although some of the design work is too trendy to last to wit, the oversized green and yellow polka dots that decorate some interstitial pages it is precisely that faddish nod to the au courant that will make the book popular with teens and 20-somethings, who are the core audience ("Next time you're angry with your parents, don't turn into a monster," Patel jokes after introducing us to Bhairava, a vengeful incarnation of Shiva). Both funny and informative, this is a fresh and breezy introduction to the Hindu gods.
Customer Reviews
Beautiful, Cute Intro to Hindu Deities
I am visiting India for work soon and I've been trying to get a basic understanding of the Hindu deities for fun and to educate my experiences. This book is both beautiful but also an easy intro to the stories and concepts related to each deity. Patel writes his descriptions with a lighthearted humor that I appreciate. I cannot rate it for accuracy, since I'm not an expert, but it enjoyed it and found it helpful.