"Once upon a time, there was a man named Pattan. He lived with his wife, Kanni, on the banks of a mighty river that galloped down the Sahyadu Mountains."
Here in the lush countryside of India, Pattan and Kanni live in harmony with animals, insects and plants. One day, Pattan finds a beautiful yellow flower struggling to survive in the valley. He digs it up and brings it home to plant by his hut.
The flower blooms and bursts forth into a pumpkin. It grows and grows and grows until it is as big as the mountains. The very next day Pattan looks out of is hut and sees the dark clouds gathering. He sense that the rains are very heavy and just might build into a flood that could wash away his hut. What can they do? How can they protect the animals? How can they escape the great flood?
Told with a warm, respect for Mother Earth and all of her living things, this story has the familiar roots we know as Noah's Ark. Wonderful to see the variations from different cultures. A story to share.
32 pages 978-0763692742 Ages 4-8
Recommended by: Barb Langridge, abookandahug.com
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A vibrant variation on the traditional flood myth from the Irular tribe in Southern India.
When Pattan finds a yellow-flower vine wilting in his valley, he replants and cares for it, watching as a pumpkin appears and grows taller than the goats, taller than the elephants, as tall as the very mountains. When a terrible storm rages across the valley, Pattan wonders if perhaps his pumpkin can save the seeds and grains and saplings, the goats and birds and bison, and protect them all as the storm clouds burst and the waters rise. Frané Lessac’s brilliantly hued artwork is a feast for the eyes, while Chitra Soundar’s thoughtful retelling is a fascinating example of the kinds of stories told the world over — and the differences that make each version unique.--from the publisher
