The Thirsty Crow & The Crow and the Fox: Children's Folk Tales from India

Folk tales are a means to impart knowledge and values of ancient cultures. Woven together from everyday occurrences and animal characters these stories are told colorfully in an effort to educate little children in an appealing manner.Like many from my generation I heard these stories growing up in India. The two stories narrated in the book are well known throughout the region.The Thirsty Crow is about a clever crow that finds a resourceful way to drink water.The Crow and the Fox is about a wise crow that outwits the fox by not giving into flattery. There are two versions of this story. In the other version giving into flattery the crow opens her mouth to sing when the vadai falls down and the fox snatches it up and runs away. Since I prefer the prudent crow I went with this version of the story.I heard these stories in Tamil language because I grew up in the state of Tamil Nadu India. By creating this book what I have attempted is to bring that oral tradition to print by adding relevant illustrations and English narration.I hope this show-and-tell book would not only entertain young children but also educate the young minds as they start their voyage of human experience.Note: A vadai is a savory doughnut which is a popular snack in Southern India.