The Broken Tusk: Stories of the Hindu God Ganesha

By Uma Krishnaswami

Book Overview

Everyone makes mistakes, but it is the lessons we learn that are important.

What better a character to introduce children to Hindu mythology than Ganesha, the god of new beginnings? Often impulsive, forever generous, the elephant-headed god with the fat belly makes mistakes but learns from them. He fills the world around him with laughter. These stories deliver up a pantheon of Hindu deities and support such concepts as nonviolence, respect for life, and the folly of vanity.

This collection of Hindu folktales for middle readers features stories about the Hindu god, Ganesha, who is easily recognized because of his elephant head. Author, Uma Krishnaswami introduces the stories by recalling her own introduction to Ganesha and goes on to offer a mythological context for the tales.

Included among these classic stories are "Ganesha's Head", "The Broken Tusk", and "Why Ganesha Never Married". Most of the stories come from Hindu legend; one comes from Mongolia, where Ganesha made his way into the Buddhist tradition. The simple pen-and-ink illustrations support the themes and a helpful pronunciation guide and glossary are also included.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0874838061
• ISBN13: 9780874838060
• Release Date: July 2006
• Publisher: August House Publishers
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.9" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 5 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Good intro

This a great introduction to Ganesha for kids. My daughter is five and she loved all the stories.

Fun and interesting for adults too

I bought this book for my niece and nephew, but before I gave it to them I read it too. It brought back the stories of Ganesha I had been told in childhood, and made me smile at them again. It may not have the pictures of "How Ganesha got his elephant head", which I bought for another child, but the it has more stories of this altogether charming lovable god.

Delightful book

The Broken Tusk tells seventeen different stories of Ganesha in easy reader format for second grade and up. The stories also lend themselves well to the read-aloud format for younger children. Many of my old favorites are here including the ones about how Ganesha got his elephant head and about how he made a "pradakshina" around his parents, into a trip around the world. Some might find the versions of certain stories here to be different from what they know. That is understandable considering how many of these have been passed along strictly through oral tradition. There are also some rarer stories here including one borrowed from Buddhist folklore.Krishnaswami has done a thorough professional job with this one. She has prefaced the book with a brief introduction to Hindu mythology and to the god Ganesha himself. Also complementing the stories are a glossary of terms, a list of characters (kids would appreciate that!), a list of other names for Ganesha, and a pronunciation guide.Krishnaswami finishes every story she narrates with a line or two that ties the legend to modern day reality. For example, after the story about Ganesha's head, Krishnaswami explains that in Indian (especially South Indian) temples today, sometimes elephants are fed and maintained reverentially. These acts, Krishnaswami explains, probably acknowledge the sacrifice made by the elephant in the original story. Small explanations like these place the stories in context, a service that I think is especially useful. The last word belongs to the wonderful old-world illustrations by Maniam Selven that complement the stories wonderfully.With this book, Krishnaswami demonstrates that she is not only a gifted storyteller, she is also a thorough one. The Broken Tusk will get an enthusiastic nod not only from the young reading set but also from their grateful parents. This book is as charming as the elephant god himself!

More Than Just a Children's Book

This book was written to be a children's book, but in fact it is probably the best collection of storytelling about the mythology of Ganesha that that I have ever found. The Hindu parthenon's mythology has always been passed along from generation to generation by tales of the Deity in it's various forms. This exquisite book has all the well-known tales of Ganesh as well as some obscure stories and some tales from other lands and religions. I don't have kids but do delight in the simple stories that bring the attributes of Ganesha into light in simple, vivid parables of joy. If you love Ganesh like I love Ganesh, then this is a 'must have.' If you are a storyteller, this is the book that will be a Ganesh guide. If you just want a book that you can read story's in occasionally just to smile and search for meaning in, again, here'tis. This is a delightful exposing of this beloved Deity into Western civilization in our time. GAM.

Excellent introduction to Ganesh and Indian mythology.

A well written and highly readable book for children and adults alike, "The Broken Tusk" allows children to get to know Indian mythological figures as they really are - with godlike qualities and human frailties. Gods, demons and humans all take on a certain lovableness in this book. The author has presented popular versions of Ganesh stories, without sermonizing about good and evil, leaving the reader to draw the obvious conclusions. Children who are interested in different cultures are sure to enjoy this one, especially young Americans of Indian descent. My 8 year old, a real nature lover, who is fascinated with the multifaceted aspects of Indian mythological figures and their oneness with animals and nature, found it an eminently attractive book to read and to own. Clean, clear illustrations which take on a life of their own also add to the charm of this book. A handsome addition to any library, I recommend it highly.