The Littlest Giant: The Story of Vamana

Description

An illustrated modern adaptation of the beloved Indian classic "Ten Avatars." King Bali is not a bad soul; he's just ambitious. He wants big things! As a consequence, he doesn't have friends. What he does have is an evil adviser named Shukra, who is even more ambitious than the king. When King Bali is visited by a tiny sage, Shukra is suspicious and warns the king to stay away. In this retelling of an ancient story from the Sanskrit histories, King Bali learns that big things can come in small packages - and that sometimes a small courtesy can bring big rewards. Illustrator Emma Moore applies luminescent colors and dynamic perspectives to her visualization of this tale of big and little, adapted from India's beloved "Ten Avatars." Author Joshua M. Greene's elegant and direct storytelling renders an otherwise esoteric subject accessible and relevant for contemporary young readers.

Joshua M. Greene has produced films for PBS and Disney, has served as vice president for New York's largest PR firm, and was appointed director of strategic planning for the United Nations Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders. He was also an adjunct professor at Hofstra University in New York. His previous works include the best-selling Here Comes the Sun: The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison; Justice at Dachau: The Trials of an American Prosecutor;Witness: Voices from the Holocaust; and Gita Wisdom: An Introduction to India's Essential Yoga Text. In 1970, he was initiated as Yogesvara Das by Bhakivedanta Swami Prabhupada and served for thirteen years in Prabhupada's society as director of French-language publications.

Kirkus Reviews review of "THE LITTLEST GIANT" will go live on the Kirkus Reviews site on Feb. 19th, 2014. The review will also be published in the March 1st edition of Kirkus Reviews. "Full-bleed, vividly colored illustrations, reminiscent of Indian religious posters, show Vamana with his traditional umbrella. The author s note mentions the original source, a Sanskrit text called the "Bhagavata Purana."..A wisdom tale that children of any background can understand. (Folk tale. 7-10).""