The London Jungle Book

Gr 3–6—In 2002, Shyam, a member of the Gond people who are indigenous to the forests of central India, spent two months in London painting the walls of a new Indian restaurant. As told to and translated by his publishers, this deeply personal "travel diary" is replete with the artist's colorful, folkloric paintings representative of his culture. Never having been on a plane before, let alone visited a distant land, Shyam records his impressions and experiences flying to and living and working in the British capital. His accounts are enhanced by paintings typical of Gond art, whose bold colors, though limited in palette, and icons contribute to the book's attractive appearance, as the rich illustrations are strikingly set against stark white pages. The book is visually appealing, but the target audience is unclear. Though children may find browsing interest in the strong colors and quirky animal symbols, the book was not written expressly for children, who won't be particularly drawn to the author/illustrator's experiences or outlook. The publishers' lengthy afterword, discussing Gond art and how the book came to be, is informative. An additional purchase that will be of special interest in Southeast Asian communities and, perhaps, in art units in which elementary-grade students can explore using symbols to represent their own environments.—Carol Goldman, Queens Library, NY