People from the Rathwa tribe in Gujarat create a ritual wall painting as a way of worshipping their gods Pithora and Pithori, depicted as horses. The creation of Pithora paintings is considered a form of worship, to keep away ill-luck and invite good fortune. To paint is to mirror - and honour - all that has been created in the universe. This sophisticated conception of the transformative power of art has been rendered into a deceptively simple children's tale by Rathwa artist Harsingh Hamir.

 

There are 28 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 2018 by Tara Books .

Harsingh Hamir is a young and contemporary Rathwa artist from Gujarat. Though traditionally the Rathwa artists paint a ritual wall mural called Pithora, several contemporary artists have taken new directions. Harsingh is one of them, and was happy to apply his talent and skills to new material: the book form. Gita Wolf is the founder of Tara Books, and has written nearly 25 books for children and adults. Considered one of the most original and creative voices in contemporary Indian publishing, she has pursued her interest in exploring and experimenting with the form of the book and its status as a revered cultural object. Several of her children's books have won major international awards, including the BolognaRagazzi New Horizons Award. 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.