#426 - The Adventures of Sirdar : The Chief of the Herd
by Dhan Gopal Mukherji
“The Adventures of Sirdar : The Chief of the Herd” by Dhan Gopal Mukherji. Published by Talking Cub, the children’s imprint of Speaking Tiger. A timeless classic of an elephant herd in the jungles of India led by an extraordinary chief.
The book is a republication of the book “Chief of the Herd” from 1927. Sirdar is a young elephant who finds himself chosen to be the leader of his herd quite unexpectedly when he steers the herd to safety in a time of crisis. He has led a brief life in captivity and knows the ways of man who is the only enemy of elephants. Man kills elephants for their ivory or just for the sake of sport. If not for man, the elephants are mostly free and fearless. Sirdar saves his herd on several occasions from dangers such as fires, traps of hunters, droughts, floods and many others.
Sirdar is noble, kind, brave and selfless. He has all the qualities of a great leader. Together he and his best friend Kumar rescue a tame elephant called Radha from human captivity. When both desire to make her their mate, the rules of the elephant herd need to be followed. They will have to fight with each other and the winner gets to stay in the herd. Sirdar wins and begins life with Radha. They have a son called Bahadur and a daughter. Sirdar leads his herd very well till a day comes when he has to face the greatest test of his leadership so far. The ordeal involves gravest dangers for both his family as well as the herd. Will he be able to rise to the occasion this time as well? Will he be able to save the lives of those who look up to him? Read the book to travel with Sirdar and his herd while getting to experience the magic of the jungle.
My nine year old and I loved reading this amazing book. We found it magical and got pulled into the world of Sirdar and his herd of hathis (elephants). Sirdar as a character is going to be memorable for us. Though the language is a bit old styled in some places, the story managed to engage my son and he enjoyed getting to know more about the hathis and other animals. The author’s love for animals, forests and nature in general is reflected in his writing and the result is a timeless classic so relevant even after almost a century. The magic that he creates with this story is something to be cherished. Dhan Gopal Mukherji was one of the first Indian writers to make a mark in the west and the only writer from India to have won the prestigious Newbery Medal for his writing for children. He was considered by many to be in the same league as or even better than Rudyard Kipling. It was a treat for us to have come across his writing thanks to this book.
Recommended Age
The book is apt for children aged 9 and above.
Reasons to Read
For a charming tale that will transport the child to the heart of Indian jungles and experience its magic through the story of the elephant herd.
Where to buy from?
The publishers Talking Cub here.
Disclaimer - We received this book from the publisher, Talking Cub, for review. Thank you to Tanu, from Talking Cub, for sending across the book!