Meet the wiliest jackal in the forest. Too lazy to hunt for food, he decides to trick his friend the crane, and then proceeds to gobble up every animal he comes across - This story, with cumulative rhyme, is an adaptation of an oral trickster tale from Rajasthan in India. It is illustrated with finger painting by the talented Sunita, from the Meena tribe in Rajasthan. She adapts a traditional Meena art form called Mandana, which is traditionally painted by women on the walls and floors of their village homes. This is the first time that this style - rarely seen outside the confines of Meena villages - has been used in a children's book.

 

There are 40 pages in this book. This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+). This book was published 2013 by Tara Books .

Gita Wolf, co-author of numerous handmade children's books, including In the Dark, Sophocles' Antigone and The Tree Girl, also adapted Hensparrow Turns Purple from a classic Indian folktale. Gita Wolf A highly original and creative voice in contemporary Indian publishing, Gita Wolf is known for her interest in exploring and experimenting with the form of the book. She has written over twenty books for children and adults, many of which have been translated into multiple languages and recognized internationally. Sunita Originally from Datasooti village in Rajasthan, Sunita was taught to paint by her mother and elder sister. She now lives in the city of Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan with her husband and two children. Meena Art is one of the most ancient tribal art forms in India. Passed on from mother to daughter through the generations it is always the women of the Meena tribe who paint in white onto the brown mud walls and floors of the village.