The Little Book of Hindu Deities: From the Goddess of Wealth to the Sacred Cow [Mass Market Paperback]

Sanjay Patel (Author)

Book Description

Series: Little Book | Publication Date: October 31, 2006

In The Little Book of Hindu Deities, Pixar animator Sanjay Patel brings to life Hinduism’s most important gods and goddesses in fun, full-color illustrations, each accompanied by a short, lively profile. The stories of Hindu mythology cover everything from love and jealousy to petty grievances and epic battles, with characters ranging from monsters and demons to noble warriors and divine divas. Find out why Ganesha has an elephant’s head (his father cut it off!) and why Kali, the Goddess of Time, is known as “The Black One” (she’s a bit goth).

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Don't mess with Kali, cautions Patel on the opening page of this arresting, innovative, entertaining book. Who knew the Hindu pantheon could be so much fun? Patel, an animator at Pixar studios, breathes new life into old mythology, telling the exploits of various deities while drawing us in—literally—with his joyous and unexpected full-color illustrations. In the introduction, he notes that he has always been influenced by Japanese animation, and his renderings bear the mark of the wide-eyed, large-headed, simple style that he so admires. The book is awash in color, with vivid saffrons, purples, fuchsias and oranges adding a lushness to the tales he recounts. Although some of the design work is too trendy to last—to wit, the oversized green and yellow polka dots that decorate some interstitial pages—it is precisely that faddish nod to the au courant that will make the book popular with teens and 20-somethings, who are the core audience ("Next time you're angry with your parents, don't turn into a monster," Patel jokes after introducing us to Bhairava, a vengeful incarnation of Shiva). Both funny and informative, this is a fresh and breezy introduction to the Hindu gods. (Nov.)
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Review

Throw another ingredient in the American spirituality blender. Pop culture is veering into Hinduism. -- USA Today

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Plume (October 31, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452287758
• ISBN-13: 978-0452287754
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,130 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Hinduism

More About the Author

Sanjay Patel is an animator and storyboard artist for Pixar Animation Studios, where he has worked on features that include Monsters, Inc., A Bugs Life; Toy Story 2; and The Incredibles. He has also worked on The Simpsons for Fox and with legendary cartoonist John K., creator of Ren and Stimpy."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Cute deities, annoying production, August 23, 2008

By 

Darth Breather "DB" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Little Book of Hindu Deities: From the Goddess of Wealth to the Sacred Cow (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a handy compendium of Hindu deities, with the gods and goddesses made cute in a self-confessed Hello Kitty kind of way. The idea is sort of sweet, and I'd love to see Patel do other religious figures this way.

What was profoundly irritating was how difficult some of the pages were to read - white text on pastel-colored pages. The dark-colored pages were fine, but white on pink? White on yellow? What was Penguin thinking?

I hope they'll correct this in the next edition.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My husband reads it to my 2 year old - both love it!, March 22, 2007

By 

Shari DeCarlo "earth mother" (Cleveland, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Little Book of Hindu Deities: From the Goddess of Wealth to the Sacred Cow (Mass Market Paperback)

The visuals are captivating and engaging. There's a good dose of humour in there as well. My 2 year old loves to look at the pictures. My husband and I want to expose our children to all the different religious beliefs, mythologies and ideas we can. This is a great way to introduce the primary Hindu Deities to a house that hasn't had much exposure to them.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Full of humor, sweet and educational, December 27, 2006

By 

latenac "hopeless book addict" (Vermont) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Little Book of Hindu Deities: From the Goddess of Wealth to the Sacred Cow (Mass Market Paperback)

I bought this book when it was still being self-published. My daughter loves it. It's a great guide to Hindu deities. There's wonderful subtle humor in it and the drawings are wonderful. It's been a great addition to our library to teach our daughter about world religions.