Grandfather Gandhi by Arun Gandhi (review)

In this picture-book memoir, Arun Gandhi recalls his family’s arrival at the ashram of the Mahatma, and the mixed emotions with which he approached his world-famous grandfather. The elder Gandhi seems to be either extraordinarily busy in public or closely guarded in solitude, and he’s certainly not easily accessible to the sensitive Arun. Moreover, Arun’s transition to life in the ashram, with its language challenges, chores, and unfamiliar games (soccer) leave him frustrated and angry—traits he believes are a discredit to the family name. The relationship between the two develops gently over time, with the elder Gandhi offering some reassurance that anger runs in the family and some sensible tips on making temper productive, and Arun growing into harmony with his grandfather and his way of life. The story is told simply and unsentimentally, and the embedded moral never feels heavy-handed. Turk’s mixed-media painting and collage illustrations are a stunning extension of Arun’s story, creatively incorporating the fibers and threads his grandfather has spun on his spinning wheel. Black thread coils around Arun as he sulks over his lessons or takes his frustration out on a pencil stub; white threads fly off Gandhi’s wheel and bind together the revolving cast of family and neighbors who bring the Mahatma’s message of peace to life. Deep, inky shadows are equally well deployed, as isolated Arun is first a tiny figure overwhelmed by his grandfather’s shadow but later casts his own shadow beside his grandfather’s as they walk side by side. Recent picture books such as McGinty’s Gandhi: March to the Sea (BCCB 6/13) focus on the Mahatma’s accomplishments; this opens a window onto his compassion and wisdom.