Bestselling children's author Sudha Murty brings alive the fragrance of the flowering mango tree as she pays tribute to the king of fruits in her new chapter book, "How the Mango got its Magic".
The book, illustrated by Priyanka Pachpande, is part of the Penguin Random House India's (PRHI) 'Puffin' chapter book series. It is currently available for sale across offline and online stores.
"All of us like mangoes which come in summer. It's our national fruit! Every state has its own variation. The size may be similar, but the taste is fantastic... I often wondered how the summer mango got its sweetness and I wove this story for younger children hoping they enjoy it as much as they enjoy the magical mangoes," said Murty.
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Her previous books in the chapter book series include "How the Sea became Salty", "How the Onion Got its Layers" and "How the Earth Got its Beauty". The hearty tale is a story of a village where mangoes were ornamental fruits -- more sour than sweet -- and how the arrival of a guest and later a girl, who got free from a curse after being caught stealing mangoes, resulted in the fruit turning deliciously sweet.
It is dotted with captivating and charming illustrations by Pachpande. "The starting point for this book was the Mangoes! One of the most loved fruits with many memories associated with it for many people -- from picking the fruit, the fragrance of the flowering mango tree, the different varieties of Mango and the different ways of eating it!," explained the illustrator of the book and the chapter series.
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"Visually, the stark deep green of the leaves and the bright green or shining yellow of the raw/ripe mangoes was a starting point for the colors," she added. According to the publishers, Murty's latest book is an ode to our favourite summer fruit, and makes you wonder how the mango got its magical, delicious sweetness.
"From the tale of how the sea became salty to the pungent onion that makes our eyes water, Murty's selection of stories is always spot on, and a testament to India's rich folklore tradition. Nobody does it better when it comes to retelling these wondrous tales to a contemporary generation," said Sohini Mitra, publisher, children's division at PRHI.
(With PTI inputs)
