So, when I first read Goodnight Ganesha to my elementary school boys as part of their bedtime routine, they were vicariously transported back to December 2019.
This was especially welcoming and heartwarming today, at a time when visiting grandparents in-person has been hard or impossible for so many grandchildren. Towards the end of the book when the children settle down to snuggle with their grandmother, the text acknowledges their gratitude for being able to spend time with grandparents. Grateful for the time we spent with grandparents Something they recounted with relish as we read along! Just like the children in the book, my boys have similar bedtime traditions they share with their grandparents. Thinking back, it was evident that cuddling, storytelling, playing, were all a part of the routine. The children were also interested in knowing about my bedtime traditions with my grandparents.
That snowballed a series of related discussions! The image from the Mahabharata was another example of an image that facilitated some multifaceted conversations related to the rather nuanced and complicated ancient Indian epic. The one that caught my attention was, how did peacocks get blue feathers? Admittedly, I did some internet research to learn more and understand the connection of peacocks and their feathers with the Ramayana and Indra. Some questions, other wonders, and some mere comments. Once again, drawing from personal experience, as we read and flipped through the pages of Goodnight Ganesha, I found that it facilitated several talking points for us. How did peacocks get blue feathers? Who’s Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva? Why is one of Ganesha’s tusks broken? I remember seeing a puja thali with flowers when… Again, something possibly quite relatable to the reader – both children and adults alike, who’ve probably listened to such stories as part of their bedtime ritual. To that end, the visual extends the text by offering a tangible insight into the possible types of stories, that include mythological tales, the children listen to before calling it a day. The accompanying visual is of a canonical image from the Mahabharata of Arjuna’s chariot with Krishna as his charioteer. For instance, in the book, as part of their bedtime routine, the children’s grandfather reads them stories. Her exquisite depictions provide a compelling visual extension of the written word.
Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. INALIENABLE: REFLECTIONS ON INDEPENDENCE & BELONGING.Voices Column: Desi Roots, Global Wings.
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