The Thirsty Crow & The Crow and the Fox: Children's Folk Tales from India (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780692130100)

Folk tales are a means to impart knowledge and values of ancient cultures. Woven together from everyday occurrences and animal characters, these stories are told colorfully in an effort to educate little children in an appealing manner.

Like many from my generation, I heard these stories, growing up in India. The two stories narrated in the book are well known throughout the region.

"The Thirsty Crow" is about a clever crow that finds a resourceful way to drink water.

"The Crow and the Fox" is about a wise crow that outwits the fox, by not giving into flattery. There are two versions of this story. In the other version, giving into flattery, the crow opens her mouth to sing, when the "vadai" falls down, and the fox snatches it up and runs away. Since I prefer the prudent crow, I went with this version of the story.

I heard these stories in Tamil language because I grew up in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. By creating this book, what I have attempted, is to bring that oral tradition to print, by adding relevant illustrations and English narration.

I hope this show-and-tell book would not only entertain young children, but also educate the young minds as they start their voyage of human experience.

Note: A vadai, is a savory doughnut, which is a popular snack in Southern India.