Sita: Daughter of the Earth: A Graphic Novel (Campfire Graphic Novels) [Paperback]

Saraswati Nagpal (Author), Manikandan (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: July 26, 2011 | Series: Campfire Graphic Novels

In an ancient age, when gods and goddesses walked with mortals...
...Sita is the kind-hearted and intelligent princess of the kingdom of Videha. Married to Rama, prince of Ayodhya, her journey in life takes her from exhilaration to anguish.
Along the way, she has to leave behind the luxury of royal comforts and live the simple, harsh life of a forest dweller, where danger is lurking in every shadow.
Ensnared in the evil plans of the wicked demon-king Ravana, Sita is abducted and hidden away in Lanka. Will Rama muster up a strong army to rescue Sita from the demon's clutches? Will Sita return to Ayodhya to become queen of the land... or is she destined to be mistrusted and live alone for the rest of her life?
Adapted from the ancient Indian epic, the Ramayana, this is a touching tale of love, honor, and sacrifice that reveals one woman's shining strength in an unforgiving world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Finalist for the 2012 Stan Lee Excelsior Award

For those familiar with the Ramayana and its considerable length, Nagpal's annotated graphic novel version is an engaging adaptation that carries readers swiftly through major plot points. The short glossary is a nice addition, although not essential for older readers, since the meanings of most unfamiliar words are cleverly embedded through contextualization by Nagpal. . .  The illustrations are vibrant and the text easy to read, both in terms of vocabulary and organization. Ideal for midlevel to early YA readers who enjoy fantasy, history, or epic tales. — School Library Journal

"A quiet poignancy counterpoints the fiery graphics of these pages, giving readers yet another perspective on an inexhaustibly retellable tale." -- Books for Keeps

“This is a touching tale of love, honour, and sacrifice that reveals one woman’s shining strength in an unforgiving world…I have absolutely no problem with highly recommending this book…The artwork is top quality and the colours so vibrant.”

– Terry Pavlet, Comic Bits Online


“Manikandan's art really shines when he is drawing the mythical…he really takes off when he draws the battles or characters like Hanumana, a sort of Monkey-King character.”

– John Tompkins, Sweet Union Toonists


"I highly recommend Campfire’s comics. They do what they are intended to do and do it in  a way that excites kids about classic literature."

— Chris Wilson, The Graphic Classroom (a resource for teachers and librarians)

About the Author

Born in 1980 in Dubai, Saraswati Nagpal was an early reader. She wrote plays, stories, and poetry through high school and college. A keen student of Indian classical dance and music, Saraswati has been teaching young children for five
years, and especially enjoys helping them weave their own stories through words, music, and movement. Her dream is to write many magical stories and she is working hard at it.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Campfire (July 26, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9380741251
• ISBN-13: 978-9380741253
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 0.2 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #633,124 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Since she can remember, Saraswati has been in love with words. As a child, she used to read books everywhere, anywhere and all the time. Her first published work, the graphic novel 'Sita, Daughter of the Earth' is the first Indian graphic novel to be shortlisted for the Stan Lee Excelsior Award (2012). She is working on more graphic novels for young adults, as well as on her first fantasy fiction novel.

Saraswati is also an educator who believes in a fun classroom and joyful learning. All the children she teaches and meets inspire her to re-tell old stories and make up magical new ones.

Other than writing, she adores dancing, animals and the colour purple.
She currently spends her time between mystical India and beautiful South Africa.

In Hindu or Vedic lore, Saraswati is the serene goddess of speech, art and wisdom. Saraswati is very glad to be named after her.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Middle School Teacher's Review February 12, 2012

By M. Kelly

Format:Paperback

I think I'm similar to my students in that if I'm going to learn about something new, I enjoy doing it via graphic novel. I was really excited to receive Sita: Daughter of the Earth, which tells about characters from Hindu mythology. This graphic novel is Saraswati Nagpal's retelling of the Ramayana, focusing on Sita, Rama's wife.

Sita's mother is the goddess Bhudevi, but she is adopted by a king. Beautiful and intelligent, she has a happy life until it is time to marry. After hearing of the brave exploits of the warrior prince Rama, she decides to issue a challenge to claim her as a bride. The palace holds a great bow, which was magically built to be impossible for a mortal man to life. No surprise--the hero Rama breaks the bow, beginning their lives together.

Like any epic heroine, Sita faces many trials. Nagpal's story has a feminist slant; Sita is courageous and loyal, plus she speaks up for herself and others. At the end of the book, she makes a choice that shows that she is a truly principled heroine.

Manikandan's illustrations are lush and gorgeously detailed. Readers will pore over the gods and goddesses whose beauty will incite imaginations. Sita: Daughter of the Earth is an engrossing graphic novel and an excellent introduction to the Ramayana.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Graphic Retelling of the Ramayana September 1, 2011

By Nicola Manning TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

Reason for Reading: I love mythology and I love graphic novels. Hindu mythology is new to me.

This is a graphic retelling of the "Ramayana", which from my best research I gather is an epic poetic text that is vital to Hinduism. Thus being epic, it is very detailed and a complicated story involving all sorts of adventures and crises, telling the story of the life of Rama, part god, part human and heir of the kingdom and that of his wife Sita, adopted daughter of a king but real daughter of a goddess. The story involves all the classic elements of mythology. Gods interfering with mortal life, a quest, a promise to keep, heroes fighting demons but most of all this myth is a romance, a love story above all else. This is also unique in that it is probably one of the most early feminist stories, where a woman gives her undying gratitude to the man she loves and who loves her back but as she realizes only second to his kingdom and she finally decides that is just not good enough, when only one of them is willing to give their life for the other.

I really enjoyed the tale. It is a great example of human virtues and gives an example of a character who manages to reach perfection in each virtue. Thus giving the religion's followers both people and ideals to live up to in real life. As Hindu mythology is new to me I did find it a bit confusing at first, figuring out who was battling who, and of course the strange, hard to pronounce names were unfamiliar to a first timer. I believe there is a final moral to the tale and that would be for men to trust and respect their wives or they may no longer have them around to distrust anymore. On the other hand, the myth is certainly a romance, something not found much in the type of mythology I myself am attracted to the most. A decent, unique read, especially for those fans of fantasy romance.

5.0 out of 5 stars Sita November 24, 2012

By Pat

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I had no contact with the book as it was sent directly to nephew's inmate facility. However, he said it arrived quickly and in excellent condition. He is interested in all mythology volumes and excited to have this in his collection. The first thing he said after receiving it was, "Wow! Just wow! Absolutely love this book".