A Pair of Twins

K-Gr 3—Sundari, daughter of the mahout (elephant keeper) who serves the Raja, and Lakshmi, an elephant calf, were born on the same day. Sundari prefers to be with her "twin" instead of practicing the temple dance with other girls, while Lakshmi grows into an impressive replacement for her father, the ancient bull elephant, Drona. However, "being a mahout [is] a man's job," reserved for Sundari's brother, Vikram. But Vikram hopes to join the palace band as the lead drummer. When old Drona and his rider cannot lead an important procession, Vikram's father expects his son to be the substitute, but when Vikram confesses he's unable to control Lakshmi, "All hell [breaks] loose," and Chief Muniyappa having to be restrained from beating up his "silly band-boy of a son." In the end, history is made as Sundari and Lakshmi become the first females ever to ride with the Goddess on the first night of Dussehra. From the striking cover illustration to the final image, the artwork is outstanding. Swirling scarves, elephant trunks, and intricate designs beg for careful examination. As a result, children will want to know more about Rajas and Maharanis, howdahs and mahouts, and the Bharatnatyam dance, easily accessible on YouTube. Introduce students to international storytelling, decorated with vibrant illustrations, and then pair this title with artist Sanjay Patel's Ganesha's Sweet Tooth (Chronicle, 2012) for another modern interpretation in the style of Indian folklore.—Toby Rajput, National Louis University, Skokie, IL