The artwork in this book is stunning! With vivid colors and a unique style, I found myself drawn in first just to enjoy the gorgeous art! And then there is an adventurous story!
This is a delightful retelling of a folktale, set in India, about a palace elephant who befriends a homeless dog. The two become faithful friends when the dog follows the smell of food, and the elephant shares his supper.
The dog is later given away to a merchant, and the elephant grieves so much that the king becomes worried. The merchant is finally located in a nearby town, and the dog is returned, which makes them both happy again. There are Hindi words woven throughout the story, with a word guide at the beginning, for both pronunciation and making little readers / hearers alert to listen for them.
Behind the scenes, the story is also about yoga poses! At the end of the book there are drawings of poses with descriptive instructions that match the people and things in the story, like an elephant bend, a heartbroken pose, and downward facing dog. It would be fun to read the book with an active toddler or early learner, and do the poses as you read.
Highly recommend this unique find!