Elephant Prince: The Story of Ganesh

by Amy Novesky, Belgin K. Wedman (Illustrations)

Elephant-headed and big-bellied, mischievous and sweet, the god Ganesh is one of the most familiar faces in the world. But why does he have the head of an elephant? Set in the Himalayas in a time of gods and goddesses, Elephant Prince tells the story of a remarkable bond between a mother and her son, a remorseful god, a generous elephant and the boy who became Ganesh. Belgin K. Wedman's jewel-toned illustrations, reminiscent of classical Indian miniatures, complement this poetic story of one of the most beloved gods of all.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, India, Cultural, Asia, Religion

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 10, 2004

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mother regales her son with the tale of a Prince with an Elephant's head. How did the young prince become half elephant?
Read and find out.
A juvenilized version of the Hindu deity of Good Fortune, Ganesh, origin story is presented here in a similar fashion to that of a Greek myth or any old international folktale.
A strong princess, Parvarti, falls for the blue God, Shiva, and promises of love and a future are made.
Read to discover the rest of their story and that of the Elephant Prince, Ganesh.

Amy Novesky is a popular Youth Storyteller in the Juvenilized Picture Book world, and the illustrations by Turkish-born illustrator Belgin K. Wedman add authenticity.

An interesting note for any adult, educator, or parent or cultural reader, the author and illustrator's notes add two interesting points when you read the book.
If you do know your Mythology, this origin story may not play out if you are more familiar with the "original" version of the story, though whose to say this story isn't true either?
Lastly, Illustrator Wedman has gone to great lengths to show off the cultural beauty in the art, so much so that there is even gold leaf used in the illustrations.

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute retelling of the story of Ganesh, accompanied by illustrations. This book is probably for children but it does a great job at explaining how the elephant prince came to be through the story of the bashful god. I’d only heard the story of Ganesh through shiva being surprised about the intruder in his home and slicing the child’s head off.
Really excited to read more about the Hindu gods

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This child-friendly retelling of the birth of Ganesh story was a fantastic way to begin to introduce my kids to the culture and beliefs within India. I have long been fond of yoga as a form of exercise and meditation. I have been in rooms with many statues and pictures of Ganesh. But, until I read this book with my kids, didn't myself even know the origins of this mythical elephant man.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Hindu story of how Ganesh came to have the head of an elephant.

Some things I found very interesting in this story:

*Parvati, the mother of Ganesh, was a goddess and a princess.
*Shiva, the god who built the world and Parvat's husband, was blue. In fact, many of the male gods were blue.
*There are two versions of this story. The more popular version was probably too scary for a children's story. In that version, Shiva chops off Ganesh's head. Of course he doesn't realize that Ganesh is his son. He is just angry to find a stranger in his house, but still...a bit harsh. In this retelling, another god accidently turns Ganesh's head to ash. The illustration of this event is great. Just a cloud of smoke weaving up to the air where the kid's head when normally be.
*Ganesh is one of the most beloved Hindu gods. He blesses, protects, and grants wishes.

The illustrations in this book are absolutely gorgeous. I really enjoyed it and definitely feel better educated!

[Cristina Di Matteo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Il Principe Elefante. La storia di Ganesh è un albo illustrato per bambini che affascina e ci trasporta in terre lontane, tra usi e costumi che sanno trasmettere tutta la loro bellezza. La favola indiana per eccellenza: una storia affascinante, dai tratti colorati, per grandi e piccini alla ricerca di qualcosa di diverso. Un libro che ripropone la storia Indù del Dio Ganesha e di come ebbe la testa di elefante, anche se la storia narrata non è quella popolare. I testi sacri, infatti, propongo diverse versioni sulla nascita di Ganesha. https://ilmondodichri.com/il-principe...

[Vannessa Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Elephant Prince The Story of Gaivanesh is a story about Parvati and Shiva. Growing up Parvati’s mother and grandmother told her stories about far away places that Parvati dreamed of visiting. Shiva was a boy she met who had actually visited faraway places. They fall in love and marry. Shiva’s work kept him away from home which left Parvati alone. After awhile Parvati gives birth to a son and he becomes the Elephant Prince.

The colorful well drawn illustrations helped tell the story.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

If Ganesh’s origin story is unknown to you like it was to our household be ready to explain to your 5 year old why the baby’s head was obliterated on page 6. 😬 All in all it is a good book and the illustrations are pretty.

[Richa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a page-turner for any pre-schooler or a child.
Please see the detailed review at below link:

https://bookreviewsbyricha.blogspot.c...

[Tower Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

P

[Ashley Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A version of Ganesh's origin story that is child-friendly! A lovely read with beautiful artwork.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations for a story I was unfamiliar with. This would be a lovely story to read aloud.

[Mother Goose Librarian]

Traditional Hindu tale.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunningly gorgeous artwork. The retelling seemed fine to me, but my children found the story itself extremely disturbing and begged me to never read it again so I sold our copy.

[Barbara Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating story! The Belgin K Wedman's illustrations are great.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations were quite good but I preferred How Ganesh Got His Elephant Head over this version of the Hindu tale.

[Sonam_ranani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Novesky, A., & Wedman, B. K. (2004). The Elephant Prince: The Story of Ganesh. San Rafael, Calif.: Mandala.

Subgroup: Beliefs/gods
Genre: Myth
Topics: Indian culture, Indian gods, Ganesh, Goddess Parvati, Lord Shiva, Lord Shani, God Vishnu
Synopsis: This mythical book is about the story of how Lord Ganesh got the head of an elephant. Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva had a son (Lord Ganesh) and Parvati is eager to show Lord Shani her son. As joyful as she is, her joy soon turns into horror because whatever Lord Shani looks at, turns into ash. God Vishnu appears and promises Goddess Parvati to give her son life and as a result, a nearby elephant offers his life to save her son.

[Jennifer Borduin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Illustrations are GORGEOUS. Even my 2 1/2 year old daughter finds the pictures captivating. While I don't know for certain the accuracy of the fable, the story is told in a child friendly, pleasant way that engages the listener and shows them the historic beliefs of an old religion.

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

this wasn't how my dad told me the story. but the pictures or so beautiful. one of maitri's favs.

[Maeve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting story about Ganesh's birth. Also, has great illustrations. This would be cool for an "Around the World" storytime.

[MargaretAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Hindu fairytale - Alana was drawn to the rich watercolor illustrations. I personally was not familiar with the story of the Hindu gods Parvati, Shiva and Shani so I found it interesting.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful!

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A retelling of the Hindu story of Ganesh. Beautiful artwork. My daughter and I both enjoyed this book.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations and a new telling of Ganesha's birth that I had never heard!

[Magila · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5