#541 - Priya the Jungle Dancer

by Sathya Achia and illustrated by Janan Abir

“Priya the Jungle Dancer” by Sathya Achia and illustrated by Janan Abir. Published by AdiDev Press. A delightful story of a family spread across continents bonding together and keeping their traditions alive.

Little Priya is all excited about her upcoming dance performance at school. Her Thatha and Thaye (grandparents) live in a village at the edge of a jungle in Kodagu in South India. They have been teaching her a traditional dance for the performance through video calls over the last few weeks. Priya has been nervous if she can manage to remember all the steps properly and perform them well.

Thatha and Thaye keep reminding her that she is a jungle dancer who is fierce, grounded and determined. They remind her that the dance is a form of offering thanks to the river Goddess and to call for the rains to nourish their fields. As they practice one last time, the connection gets broken and Priya is not able to get through to them. How is Priya going to manage now? Can she find the inspiration and don the role of a jungle dancer? Will she be able to perform her traditional dance? Read the magical book to find out and savour a heartwarming story.

The book is an ode to the beautiful bond between children and their grandparents. The story is also a means of showcasing how the traditions and culture are passed on across generations. It was lovely for me and my ten year old to get to know about the Ummathat dance from the Kodava culture. The dance is performed by a group of women to offer gratitude to the river Goddess Kaveri. Given that they worship nature, many of the Kodava celebrations are centred around elements of nature. What adds to the charm of the book is that the story has been inspired by the childhood experiences of the author herself. She has used the bonding that she shared with her own Thatha and Thaye and the traditions that they followed and passed on to the family. This gives the book such an authentic touch.

The illustrations are fabulous and I loved how the photographs from the author’s childhood have been used in them. The attention to detail, particularly the traditional costume, is just amazing. The characters and their bonding is very  endearing. The way in which the grandparents motivate Priya to bring out the dancer in her and tell her to remember the steps by explaining how each of those are similar to things in nature is heartening. The last couple of pages have information about the Kodava culture and a note from the author about how the bonding with her grandparents inspired the book. Thanks to the book we came to know about this folk dance and read up more about it online. It was interesting to know that Rani Machaiah has been awarded the Padma Shri for making it her life’s mission to promoting this and other Kodava folk dances since last 60 odd years.

Recommended Age

The book is apt for children aged 5 and above.

Where to buy from?

The publishers AdiDev Press here.

Disclaimer - We received these books from the publisher, Adidev Press, for review. Thank you to Archana and team Adidev Press, for sending across the books!