The Papago Indians of the American Southwest say butterflies were created to gladden the hearts of children and chase away thoughts of aging and death. How the Butterflies Came to Be is one of twenty-four Native American tales included in Native American Animal Stories. The stories, coming from Mohawk, Hopi, Yaqui, Haida and other cultures, demonstrate the power of animals in Native American traditions.Parents, teachers and children will delight in lovingly told stories about "our relations, the animals." The stories come to life through magical illustrations by Mohawk artists John Kahionhes Fadden and David Fadden."The stories in this book present some of the basic perspectives that Native North American parents, aunts and uncles use to teach the young. They are phrased in terms that modern youngsters can understand and appreciate ... They enable us to understand that while birds and animals appear to be similar in thought processes to humans, that is simply the way we represent them in our stories. But other creatures do have thought processes, emotions, personal relationships...We must carefully ccord these other creatures the respect that they deserve and the right to live

This anthology includes eight traditional tales from all over the Indian subcontinent. Bright acrylic illustrations accompany stories of magical spirits in the mountains of the northeast, sneaky robbers and brave heroines in the heart of the Indus Valley, action and adventure in the far south, and much more!

Adaptation of Vālmīki's Rāmāyaṇa; for children.

A collection of Native American tales and myths focusing on the relationship between man and nature.

• A fish saves the world. • A horse flies across the sky. • A king discovers that his beloved wife is actually a frog. Hindu mythology is full of tales in which animals play important roles. Some animals are looked upon with fear and dread, while some are worshipped along with the gods. Some shape the fate of the world, others form everlasting bonds with humans. Where did the animals come from? From Vishnu’s avatars or Shiva’s asanas? How was a deer responsible for the events of the Ramayana? Why is Garuda the sworn enemy of the nagas? How did a mongoose teach Yudhishtira the true meaning of sacrifice? Devdutt Pattanaik answers all these questions and more in this exquisitely illustrated book, retelling numerous animal stories from ancient texts, with his trademark charm and wit.