The Bird Who Was an Elephant [Hardcover]

Aleph Kamal (Author), Frane Lessac (Illustrator)

Book Description

A bird visits a colorful village in India, seeing a spice shop, a sacred cow, a snake charmer, and a palmist.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Hindu concept of reincarnation is the inspiration for this visually arresting book, in which a white bird is told he was an elephant in a former life. As the bird flits through the busy village streets, images of Indian culture filter through: crowded stalls in the marketplace, gaily colored clothing, the cacophony of sounds and, most of all, the smells--spices, incense, jasmine. Indian words ("namaste," "baksheesh," "rupee"), sprinkled throughout the text and explained at the end, add to the foreign flavor. Best known for her Caribbean-inspired artwork, Lessac's primitive style translates well to this setting; her colorful paintings and whimsical border designs radiate warmth and affection. While Kamal's story is a simple one, the harmonious blend of words and paintings offers readers a series of unique impressions of life in this exotic land. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

This cheerful picture book presents a day in the life of a bird who was an elephant long ago and has just returned to its small Hindu village in India. As it visits acquaintances and announces, "I'm back," readers are provided with a travelogue of colorful sights: women bathing in their saris, little shops like rows of closets, a cow with a painted forehead and horns wearing necklaces, and peacocks and monkeys wandering about freely. A visit to a palmist to ask about the bird's past and future lives provides an opportunity to explicate the concept of reincarnation. The full-page watercolors are entertaining, descriptive, and effective. They capture a sense of place and climate with an appropriately decorative, naive, yet sophisticated style. The borders around the pictures and accompanying text use faces, moons, statues, trains, snakes, and other details related to the main illustrations. Witty touches are included: the palmist's press clippings from recent travels, fish swimming among the bathers, lizards on the walls, portable radios blasting away in the street, posters of teeth in a dentist's office, and numerous religious images on calendars. This is a pleasant introduction to India for primary grades, and one that will stir memories for those who have traveled to this far-off land. --Marilyn Iarusso, New York Pub . Lib .
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (May 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0397324464
• ISBN-13: 978-0397324460
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,117,284 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning, September 27, 2008

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Backroads "Scatter-brained book fan" (Cache Valley, Utah) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Bird Who Was an Elephant (Hardcover)

A gorgeous viewl of India. It's a sweet, dreamy story of the adventure of, well, a bird, who travels through towns of India with sing-song narrative that still manages to capture incredible description and stunning paintings.