Sacred River: The Ganges of India [Paperback]

Ted Lewin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 20, 2003 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

All rivers in India are sacred, and the Ganges most of all. Every year, more than one million Hindu pilgrims journey to Benares to renew themselves in its waters. Caldecott Honor medalist Ted Lewin joined the pilgrims at the river's edge for an experience he describes as one of the most unforgettable of his life. His luminous watercolors and simple, evocative text brilliantly capture the traditions, beliefs, and colorful pageantry of the devout and their ancient city.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Lewin (The Reindeer People) illuminates this picture book about the Ganges River with some of his finest artwork to date. Inspired by a visit to Benares, the sweeping, full-spread watercolors reflect a familiarity with the locale-its riverbanks teeming with colorfully dressed people, its majestic stone architecture, its changing light. So atmospheric is the art that the heaviness of the air becomes almost palpable, the noise easily imagined. The text, unfortunately, does not equal the illustrations' strength and ambience. A prefatory note explaining the importance the Hindu religion places on a pilgrimage to Benares supplies background, and brief descriptive captions on each spread identify aspects of Hindu traditions. But there is no story-nor, consequently, many footholds here for youngsters. Ages 6-10.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4?Lewin makes a pilgrimage to Benares, India, where millions of Hindus come each year to purify their souls. Panoramic watercolors capture the majesty of the architecture and the "...colorful clothing of the people" that "...makes a flower garden of the stone steps." The double-page paintings, which exhibit a masterful use of light and color, lend life to the stilted text and startle the eye with teeming activity. However, there are anomalies between text and illustration. For example, Lewin refers to "...gray smoke and piles of ash" that "...mark the burning ghats, the place of funeral pyres." Though stacks of wood are visible, the ash and smoke are not. Another passage refers to the "...dark stain of a high-water mark from past monsoon floods"?again indistinguishable. The arrival and departure of an old boatman frame the book's beginning and end, but it's not clear from his cargo or actions why he's there. In this spare work, Lewin has captured the visual impact of his journey; unfortunately, the marriage of art to text is less than rewarding.?Carolyn Noah, Central Mass. Regional Library System, Worcester, MA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (October 20, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618378391
• ISBN-13: 978-0618378395
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.8 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #883,878 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > Travel > Asia > Bangladesh
  • #38 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Religions > Fiction > Other

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