Tells the adventures of the magical monkey Hanuman, beloved in India as the devoted helper of Ram, hero of the Hindu epic tale the Ramayana

• Introduces Western children to one of the most playful and beloved characters of Hindu mythology

• Illustrated throughout with full-color paintings in the traditional Indian style

• For children ages 6-9

Son of the monkey princess Anjana and the wind god Pavan, Hanuman is born on Earth to be a helper for Ram, the hero of the Hindu epic the Ramayana. Hanuman is no ordinary monkey. He has the ability to leap higher than the sun and move faster than the wind. When the demon king Ravana kidnaps Ram’s wife, Sita, and carries her off to his island home, the army that goes to rescue her is left discouraged on the beach--stopped by the wide expanse of water between them and the island of Lanka. But magical Hanuman is able to jump over the ocean in one amazing bound. He finds the captive Sita and helps her to take heart and remain strong and confident that Ram will find a way to save her.

And indeed Ram does, but only with the devoted assistance of his mercurial monkey helper. Hanuman shrinks to the size of a fly; grows large enough to uproot a huge tree as though it were a turnip; soars through the sky, setting the city of Lanka on fire with the tip of his tail; and digs up an entire mountain in order to deliver its healing herbs to Ram’s stricken army. This beautifully illustrated retelling of Hanuman’s story makes accessible to Western children and their parents one of the most playful and beloved characters of the Hindu tradition.

Vatsala Sperling, Ph.D., fluent in a number of Indian languages and Sanskrit, learned these traditional stories at her mother’s feet. Before moving to the United States, she was the chief of Clinical Microbiological Services at the largest children’s hospital in India. She is the author of How Ganesh Got His Elephant Head, How Parvati Won the Heart of Shiva, and Ram the Demon Slayer and lives in Vermont with her husband and son. Sandeep Johari was raised by his uncle Harish Johari, who taught him classical Indian painting. He is the creative director in a graphic design studio in New Delhi, India.

"Like Vatsala Sperling's previous retellings of traditional Hindu stories, this new book is beautifully illustrated and has a photocopiable illustration for children to color themselves. There is also a useful note to parents and teachers. If your children liked the earlier books, they'll love this one."
Barbara Ardinger, The Blessed Bee, Spring 2007

"The beautiful illustrations glow with subtle shades and highlights. Created with watercolor and tempera paints using classical Indian painting techniques, the detailed paintings bring the story to life."
Lyda Whiting, Awareness Magazine, March-Apr 2007