Princess of India: An Ancient Tale

by Aaron Shepard, Vera Rosenberry (Illustrator)

Beauty and intelligence were the princess Savitri's, and eyes that shone like the sun. So splendid was she that people thought her a goddess. When at last she found a man worthy to wed her, no one could sway her from her heart's path -- not even the god of death.

This lovely retelling, now in a 30th Anniversary Edition, presents a classic tale of devotion, courage, wit, and will from India's national epic, the Mahabharata. (Original picture book " A Tale of Ancient India.")

TEACHERS AND LIBRARIANS -- A READER'S THEATER SCRIPT OF THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE IN AARON'S BOOK "FOLKTALES ON STAGE," OR FREE ON AARON'S WEB SITE.

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Aaron Shepard is the award-winning author of "The Baker's Dozen," "The Sea King's Daughter," the Skyhook World Classics series, and many more children's books. Once a professional storyteller, Aaron specializes in lively retellings of folktales and other traditional literature, which have won him honors from the American Library Association, the New York Public Library, the Bank Street College of Education, the National Council for the Social Studies, and the American Folklore Society.

Vera Rosenberry has written and/or illustrated over 30 children's books, including eight "Vera" books about her own childhood experiences. She was especially eager to work on this book as her husband is from India and grew up with tales from the Mahabharata. Also, she has always been fascinated by Indian miniature paintings--especially those of the Akbar period, which were produced as illustrations but, with their beautiful colors and intricate detail, stand on their own as works of art.

44 pages, Hardcover

Published May 15, 2020

About the author

Aaron Shepard is the author of many books, stories, and scripts for young people, as well as professional books and resources for writers and educators. He has also worked professionally in both storytelling and reader's theater, as a performer, director, and teacher trainer. Aaron's lively and meticulous retellings of folktales and other traditional literature have found homes with more than a dozen children's book publishers, large and small, and with the world's top children's literary magazines, winning him honors from the American Library Association, the New York Public Library, the Bank Street College of Education, the National Council for the Social Studies, and the American Folklore Society. His extensive Web site, visited by thousands of teachers and librarians each week, is known internationally as a prime resource for folktales, storytelling, and reader's theater, while his stories and scripts have been featured in textbooks from publishers worldwide, including Scholastic, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, SRA, The College Board, Pearson Education, National Geographic, Oxford University Press, Barron's, Hodder Education, and McGraw-Hill.

Reviews

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Princess Savitri chooses Satyavan for a husband. Her father doesn’t want to agree as he knows the fate of Satyavan. He will die in a year. But the princess refuses to choose another. No matter how long or short his life is, she wishes to share her life only with him.

For a year, they live happily. Then, Yama, god of death, comes to claim Savitri’s husband. But Savitri doesn’t give up that easily as she claims her duty is to be with her husband. She persistently follows Yama as he cares away her husband.

Yama grants Savitri three wishes, one at a time, in hopes the princes will go away, but none of the wishes can grant a life for her husband.

The princess is smart, courageous, and firm. She makes very smart three wishes that change her life and her family.

This is a very short tale, yet very powerful in its message. It brings a remarkably independent woman, who dares to oppose even a god.

Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Richard Derus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: The ancient tale of one of bravest, cleverest heroines of all time.

Beauty and intelligence were the princess Savitri's, and eyes that shone like the sun. So splendid was she that people thought her a goddess. When at last she found a man worthy to wed her, no one could sway her from her heart's path—not even the god of death.

This lovely retelling, now in a 30th Anniversary Edition, presents a classic tale of devotion, courage, wit, and will from India's national epic, the Mahabharata. (Original picture book title: "Savitri: A Tale of Ancient India.")

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Lovely, simplified but not dumbed-down kid-friendly retelling of a small part of the Mahabharata: the life of Princess Savitri.

Savitri herself

A woman whose entire will is bent to achieving a goal can overcome her father's resistance, can even defeat the God of Death...her power is formidable. So how does she use it?

To keep her husband from being taken from her.


he seems nice

There are relatively few ideas in this book, except focus, clarity, and a cool head will help you achieve your goals:


focus even when facing a god

After adventures are had, you can keep your prize:



Is it beautiful? yes; do I like its gender politics? not a lot. All this effort and all she gets is a man? There's lots of those. It felt to me as though I was being overcritical all the way through. I'm pleased the pricess saves the boy, but this doesn't make me think we ought to put this on the minds of second-graders somehow.

But that's some stunning artwork! You'll get happy smiles from the art-lovin' youth and parents.

[Mary Bronson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was a beautiful story about an ancient tale of a famous Princess of India. I like how it was told for children to understand, learn, and see another mythology come to life.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an ancient folk tale tells about a princess who marries a man she is warned not to marry because his death is imminent. When the husband dies the princess tricks the spirit of death to give her husband his life back. I appreciate that this is a cultural folk tale and tells a story that has been passed down for generations, but I'm not sure if, as a grade 3 teacher, I would purchase this book for my class, mainly due to the focus on death. Many folk and fairy tales have grim elements to them, but usually in the more kid friendly versions the character dies and everyone moves on, Cinderella has her evil step mother (not great but not focused on death), Snow White wakes up etc. the Grimms versions are much more gruesome but we don't often have those books in early years classrooms. This one isn't gruesome, I'm just not sure how some of my students might react to the princess following the spirit trying to convince him to bring life back her husband, her hand going through her dead husband and there being a noose around his neck. I would just caution parents and teachers to read the book prior to purchasing or recommending it to be sure that the specific reader is comfortable with the content. Other than that, I think it is a great opportunity to learn about ancient folk tales from other cultures. The images show traditional clothing and there is information at the beginning and end of the story that help teach readers about the meaning behind the traditions and stories of this culture as well as pronunciation of the character's names.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so adorable! I don't have many school-aged children in my life, but I have such an appreciation for children's literature and books and when I saw the title on this one, I just had to request for it! I was not disappointed!

The artwork ended up being beautiful in ways I couldn't comprehend when just looking at the cover photo. Its very reminiscent of ancient Indian art and was complimentary to the story being told. In regards to that story, it was beautiful. I'm always looking for introductions into other cultures and stories and this provided that perfectly. It was a wonderful introduction into the mythology and lore of India. I will definitely recommend this title to parents looking for this genre of children's books.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful retelling of a classic tale of Mahabharata. It is endearing with Savitri's devotion to her husband, the love she has for her father-in-law, her courage, determination to keep her husband with her, her religious beliefs and faith. She is unstoppable and amazing.

The illustrations are beautiful. The only thing I would have liked is a little more details after her father prays for her. I would have liked to hear about their devotion and respect for one another. It doesn't detract, it's more of a wish it would have included.

Thank you Hidden Gems for the ARC.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley (thank you Skyhook Press). All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this and liked the illustrations. Might pick up a physical copy.

[Sudeshna Banerjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Hidden Gems for sending me an ARC copy to review this book.

As an Indian I have heard this story many times from my Grandfather and Mother but this is the first time I am reading an illustrated version of this book. It is a very short and quick read with some beautiful illustrations which have been done by Aron Shepard. It has been written in a very easy to understand way and anybody who is interested in Indian mythology with some illustrations will definitely love reading this book.