Snake Charmer

By Ann Whitehead Nagda

Book Overview

A little boy in India longs to become a snake charmer. Vishnu dreams of being a snake charmer like his father. He already knows how to handle cobras and he is learning to play the special flute. He longs to go to the city to charm snakes while the tourists watch. But his father thinks that education is more important, so Vishnu must stay home. Life in the village is never dull, though. There are plenty of games and chores to keep everyone busy, and then there's school, which is taught outdoors. And every few weeks Vishnu's father-and the snakes-return home to visit. A striking introduction to life in India as seen through the eyes of one little boy.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805064990
• ISBN13: 9780805064995
• Release Date: May 2002
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
• Length: 1 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.3" x 10.3"
• Age Range: 5 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Kindergarten to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

beautifully done

This book is gorgeous. It tells the story of Vishnu, a boy whose father and grandfather are snake charmers. It's hard to say how much of the actual story is true, but the family clearly is... This book is particularly special in that it gives the reader a taste of village life with a level of quality that I've rarely seen. Many books try to share what someone's life is like, and some succeed. But, I think that few books about Indian families succeed to this degree. And... The book is laid out using colors, designs, and artwork that are distinctly Indian. The folks putting this book together knew what they were doing. It's a book that I'm proud to have in my personal library.