The Elephant's Friend and Other Tales from Ancient India (review)

After last year's exploration of Ancient Egypt (BCCB 9/11), Williams now turns her comic-panel-style treatment to stories from ancient India. This illustrated volume includes eight animal folktales recounted in the author-illustrator's characteristic style, with the simple, direct narrative enhanced with with humor-laced dialogue, asides, and quips in speech balloons. The stories, which range from two to six pages, generally offer some type of lesson or moral ("The Talkative Tortoise" warns of the dangers of talking too much, "The Foolish Lion" recounts that wit is often more powerful than might), though in some stories the morals are more ambiguous (as in the titular "The Elephant's Head," where the conclusion is merely that friends don't like to be separated). The illustrations, employing a vibrant, hot-pink-dominated palette, are rendered in gouache and ink; Indian-style patterns texture backgrounds and borders. Elements of visual humor are scattered throughout, and readers will enjoy seeking out the finer funny details. For those not yet ready for Arni's Sita's Ramayana (BCCB 12/11) and other more sophisticated works, this will be an accessible introduction to Indian folklore. While promotional material indicates that the stories are drawn from Hitopadesha Tales, Jataka Tales, and Panchantra Tales, no source notes are included.