Gandhi - Hardcover

Demi

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0689841493 ISBN 13: 9780689841491

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2001

Synopsis

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, known by his followers as Mahatma -- or great soul -- was born in India in 1869 and grew up to become one of the most influential and well-respected political and social leaders the world has ever known.
An adamant idealist and a courageous thinker, Gandhi identified himself with the struggles of the common people. He became the sole voice of the downtrodden and the exploited and believed fervently in the notion that "hatred can only be overcome by love." He vowed to instigate social and political change through nonviolent means and succeeded in changing India's prejudicial caste system and winning India's independence from British rule.
Gandhi's teachings inspired Martin Luther King's nonviolent civil rights movement in the United States and Nelson Mandela's anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. Gandhi's philosophies of nonviolence and peaceful protest continue to inspire people around the world.
In beautiful language and exquisite illustrations inspired by Gandhi's own belief in the simplicity and truth of life, Demi captures the spirit that was Mahatma Gandhi and pays homage to this great man.

About this title

About the Author

Demi is the award-winning creator of numerous books for children, including The Empty Pot; Buddha; The Dalai Lama; The Legend of Saint Nicholas; Gandhi, which was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book and received an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award; and Muhammad, which was named a Kirkus Reviews Editors’ Choice selection, a Booklist Editors’ Choice selection, one of the Booklist Top Ten Religion Books for Youth, and a Book Links “Lasting Connections” selection, and was cited in a Publishers Weekly starred review as a “timely, exceptionally handsome biography [that] serves as an excellent introduction to Islam.” Demi lives in Carnation, Washington.

Reviews

Gr 2-5-As she did in Buddha (1995) and The Dalai Lama (1998, both Holt), Demi depicts a life with significant spiritual and humanitarian dimensions. She focuses on the social and political goals of Gandhi's actions, but only after she presents the somewhat unlikely material out of which he fashioned a heroic version of himself. Insecure and unsuccessful, the young Gandhi also experienced prejudice firsthand. His central precepts, such as satyagraha ("the force of love"), are clearly products of his own life. The worldwide influence of the man is balanced with the tragic failure of peace in India. Demi's signature art-the fine lines, saturated colors, touches of gold-fits her subject. A rich carpet pattern effectively serves as backdrop for several figures, especially for a white-robed Gandhi. Some scenes are busy, crowded, and bright, but simplicity is the keynote in others. A bold perspectival depiction of a steam train at night, with the tiny (marginalized) figure of Gandhi, ejected for asserting his rights, is powerful both in design and as a symbol of the forces of imperialism and racism. The message of this book-that peaceful love triumphs over violent hatred-is alone worth its purchase price. Demi's iconic illustrations and clear prose accord her subject's idealism the beauty and power it deserves.

Patricia Lothrop-Green, St. George's School, Newport,

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

The highlight of this portrait of Gandhi is Demi's (Buddha) artwork, featuring gold borders and accents, splashes of brilliant color and small-scale images. With their fine balance of simplicity and elegance, the paintings gracefully reflect their subject. Readers aware of Gandhi's lasting influence may be surprised to learn that he was a small, shy boy and a weak student who barely graduated from high school and failed classes in college. Demi traces his transformation, as a law student in London, into an English gentleman and his years practicing law in South Africa, where he first encountered racism. At that point he became "determined to root out the disease of prejudice" this would plant the seeds for his life's work. Returning to India, he used nonviolent tactics to fight against its rigid caste system and oppressive British rule. The formal prose occasionally becomes awkward and a bit overblown (e.g., "Gandhi and his followers worked to accept the good and bad in life, to meet challenges with humility and calm, and to bring harmony to the world"). But the author's passion for her subject comes through ("It is my own great hope that we will all try to live our lives in Gandhi's honor in truth, peace, and love," she writes in an endnote) and may well inspire readers to learn more about this extraordinary leader. Ages 7-10.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 3-6, younger for reading aloud. Beginning with Gandhi's failure as a student in India, this well-written biography traces Gandhi's life, from his first rallies against prejudice in South Africa to his remarkable victory over colonialism in India, rounding out the image with mention of his inability to unite India and Pakistan. With extraordinarily detailed illustrations, decorated with gold leaf; and accessible, flowing text, veteran artist-author Demi reveals how a simple man who spun his own cloth became one of history's most important political and spiritual leaders. Children will be left with several lasting images of Gandhi, but none so moving as the depiction of the 14 items Gandhi possessed when he died. Demi twice refers to the Bhagavad Gita as "India's holy book" (it is not the holy book of India, as many Muslims will attest), but this is still a powerful portrait of a remarkable life, a story-time treasure about one of the twentieth century's true heroes. John Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0689841493
• ISBN 13: 9780689841491
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Demi
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40