Storybook Favorites

The first project I looked at was Karma for Kids.  I chose it because I liked the alliterative title and because I was interested in what approach the author would take to explain Karma to kids.  The author does a good job of explaining Karma through the character in the narrative.  Each of the characters were realistic and although the story was divided into sections, each part led right into the next without being disjointed.

I chose the The Magic Map project for its title -- another alliteration and I really like maps.  I like the concept of a treasure hunt.  The setting changes as one clue leads to the next, each section introducing a new character.  I also thought that the map itself gave the story a mystical and ancient feeling, and the motif enhanced the sense of mystery.  Unfortunately, the language seemed clunky; each sentence did not flow into the next.  Additionally, although I enjoyed the mix of the ancient and modern world, the GPS coordinates, a modern invention, on an ancient map seemed unrealistic and tore me out of the story.  Finally, the "cliffhanger" at the end just seemed like a lazy conclusion that left the story with no resolution.  While the execution could be improved, I really enjoyed the underlying concepts.

The final story I read was Onboard the Spaceship Pushpaka.  As a science-fiction story about space travel, this was one that I had to read.  My first impression is that the author did a good job finding quality images.  I also thought that the concept of traveling between different moons helped section the narrative into parts.

For the storybook project, it is useful to divide the story into distinct scenes while still using common motifs and themes to bind the story together.  While it is important to retell Indian epics, it must be done in a way so that it does not feel out of place.  Karma for Kids and Onboard the Spaceship Pushpaka both use one character to retell the Indian story while The Magic Map tells the stories through multiple characters and the story itself.  I liked how the character in The Magic Map participated in the story instead of just listening to a retelling.  These three tales are completely different and show just how many options there are for writing a storybook project.

Map of India from Magic Map Storybook

Original Source: Wikimedia Commons