The Little Book of Hindu Deities: From the Goddess of Wealth to the Sacred Cow (Paperback)

by Sanjay Patel (Author)
Key Phrases: Lord Vishnu, Bhagavad Gita

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

• 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: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #15,281 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #2 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age > Goddesses
  #12 in	Books > Arts & Photography > History & Criticism > Themes
  #26 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Hinduism

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 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)

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.

8 of 8 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

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.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Witty, Playful Take on Hinduism, January 12, 2007

By	Virginia Allain "(retired librarian)" (Poinciana, FL) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

This was described to me as "a younger, hipper take on Hinduism." You get fifty deities, demigods, avatars, mythical planets and epic characters. The art is eye-catching and happy looking. A page is devoted to each deity with a picture and easy text. It can be used to keep Asian-American kids in touch with their culture or to introduce anyone to what Hinduism is.