Rama and the Demon King [Hardcover]

DK Publishing (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 1997 | Age Level: 5 and up

Beloved by his people, the good and brave prince Rama was hated by his jealous stepmother, who tricked the King into banishing his son to the forest for fourteen years. Along with his beautiful wife Sita and his loyal brother Lakshaman. Rama triumphed over the demons that dwelled there and tried to live a quiet, simple life among the forest animals. But it was not to last. For far away, the ten-headed king of all the demons vowed to get his own revenge... One of the most honored stories of the Hindi people, this tale has been told for thousands of years. Illustrated now with bright, bold artwork, based upon Indian paintings and adapted form Jessica Souhami's own shadow puppets, it will once again spellbind a new generation of young listeners and readers.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3. The tale of Prince Rama is both complex (filling 24,000 couplets in the Ramayana) and simple (good triumphs over evil). Souhami preserves the central ingredients: the characters and the plot outline. At the request of his jealous stepmother, Rama is exiled by his father, the king, for 14 years. His wife, Sita, and his brother, Lakshman, accompany him on his demon-killing adventures in the forest. They live happily until Ravana, the 10-headed demon king, employs a ruse to steal Sita. Hanuman, the monkey leader, and his monkey army help rescue her and the prince kills Ravana. Rama becomes king, forgiving his stepmother, and all ends well. The illustrations, clear, flat blocks of color against a white background, look like tissue-paper cutouts. Indian artistic conventions (profile heads and lower bodies, straight-on torsos) and decorative motifs add an exotic flavor. Sherbet-bright tints and a lively, uncluttered layout increase the appeal of this ancient but engaging tale.?Patricia Lothrop-Green, St. George's School, Newport, RI
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Souhami (The Leopard's Drum, 1996, etc.) creates bold illustrations that have the look of cut-paper collage for this retelling of a Hindu tale from The Ramayana. Brave and good prince Rama should be happy--he's the king's favorite son, his wife is dear, his brother is his best friend, and everybody loves him--except his jealous stepmother. She arranges for Rama's exile to the dangerous, demon-ridden forest for 14 years. Wife and brother accompany Rama thence, and together the three establish peace and live a simple life. Enter Ravana, the ten-headed king of demons, who flies to India in his magic chariot to avenge his slain demons only to be instantly smitten with Rama's wife, Sita, whom he steals. The brothers search for Sita, enlisting the aid of Hanuman, the leader of the monkey army. In subsequent warfare the demons are defeated; Rama slays Ravana, is reunited with Sita, and returns to India, only to find that his father has died of grief. Rama is made king, ruling so wisely that the land becomes fruitful and free of evil. What sets this folktale apart from many others is the author's theatrical sense of timing; Souhami cues storytellers as to the inflections and pauses for suspense that will make this a story- hour favorite. (Picture book/folklore. 5-9) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: DK CHILDREN (September 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789424509
• ISBN-13: 978-0789424501
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,000,206 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #51 in Books > Children's Books > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Asian

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I can't believe they have a book like this!, January 29, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Rama and the Demon King (Hardcover)

Whether you are familiar with the Ramayana or not, this is a wonderful introduction to the main plot and characters. My 4-yr old daughter likes this story and actually has grown to love it more. It is very difficult to create a kid-friendly version that is nonviolent but also educational. Jessica Souhami does a wonderful job. I hope such a book will come out regarding the Mahabharta.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cute, different - but stays true to the basic story, May 16, 2011

By 

Chender (Palo Alto, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rama and the Demon King: An Ancient Tale from India (Paperback)

The Ramayana is both a very basic story of truth and loyalty, as well a a complicated narrative on relationships, good/evil and everything in-between.

For young children, however, this book strikes a nice balance of sticking to the main tenets of the story and moral outcome. The illustrations are bright, and unique.

My son is learning to read, but is mostly interested at this time because the pictures are plentiful and easy to follow.

I would recommend for a child as early at 2.5 to 3 years old.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars good job! Any others?, April 26, 2010

By 

MSGPD "pinay butterfly" (Cincinnati OH USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rama and the Demon King: An Ancient Tale from India (Gujarati-English Bilingual Edition) (Paperback)

Great book. Bought it for my two and a half year old. Aside from it having demons (which kind of scares him) he loves it. Bapu & Dadima can read it to him in Gujarati and Mommy & Puppa can read it to him in English. Wish there were more age appropriate Gujurati/English books out there. Colorful illustrations and quality printing (not like so many other books printed over seas)