Drawing from the City

Gr 3–8—Presented in an elongated, oversize format, this intriguing book follows the life of Teju Behan, who grew up in a poor family of a lower caste in rural India. When a drought forced the family to the city, Teju married Ganesh Jogi, who supported his family by singing in the streets. But just as that street singing tradition was dying out, Ganesh met an artist who encouraged him to draw. Ganesh proved to be talented and encouraged his wife to try her hand at it. Teju did, and it was as if she has been freed from all the constraints of her life. Her art allowed her to be whomever she wanted, to travel wherever she wished, and to lose herself endlessly in her vivid imagination. This story documents her life both before and after she discovered her talent and serves as an inspiration to women everywhere. Her beautiful ink drawings rely on the use of dots and lines and are remarkably full of movement and life. The text is printed in brown to offset the black of the inked drawings. This is a wonderful book for art students or for those interested in exploring other cultures through art.—Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA