Meena Arora Nayak

In the royal bedroom, a king sleeps soundly while two tiny creatures-a louse and a bedbug-watch him from the folds of his soft sheets. Both want a taste of the king's blood, but each has a different plan for how to get it. Who will succeed, and who will be squashed by the royal staff? Meanwhile, in a faraway jungle, Lambakarna, a clever rabbit, must find a way to protect his tribe after a pack of wild elephants wreak havoc. Can Lambakarna concoct a plan to outwit the king of elephants and save his friends? These exciting tales are the perfect introduction to the magical world of the Panchatantra, perhaps the oldest surviving collection of Indian fables. Retold in easy-to-read prose and vibrantly illustrated, this collection will captivate young readers.

In a forest, a proud lion unleashes chaos, charging through the woods and leaving destruction in his wake. But when it's timeto stop the beast, only a shrewd hare can devise a plan to end the carnage. Meanwhile, a sparrow, a woodpecker, a bee, and afrog band together to seek revenge on a wild elephant who knocked down a tree and destroyed the sparrow's nest. Explore the enchanting world of the Panchatantra, one of the oldest surviving compilations of Indian folk tales, where clever animals and birds outwit those who are trying to harm them. Written in charming prose and playful verse, and brought to life with vibrant illustrations, the timeless tales in this collection are perfect for young readers.

Dive into the enchanting realm of the Panchatantra, a world inhabited by scheming animals and shape-shifting beasts, a terrified princess and a fleeing thief. In this delightful collection of ancient Indian fables, you'll meet an old crab who enlists the help of a greedy crane to escape a catastrophic collision of planets that threatens to destroy his home. Little does the crab know that the crafty bird has hatched a devious plan to keep its belly full. In a faraway kingdom, a lovelorn rakshasa visits a beautiful princess every night, leaving her trembling with fear. Soon, chaos unfolds, taking the baffled rakshasa on a wild chase through the land. Charmingly retold by bestselling author Meena Arora Nayak and brought to life with delightful illustrations, these timeless tales, packed with pithy wit and wisdom, unexpected twists and turns, and invaluable lessons about bravery and quick thinking in the face of adversity, will surely entertain a new generation of readers.

An enchanted flute in which a girl is hidden, a lofty tree on a hill in Shillong so tall that it connects heaven and earth, a bed that soars into the sky and takes its occupant anywhere their heart desires, the miraculous floating bridge that allows Lord Rama's army to cross the ocean to Lanka, peacock feathers that summon a handsome prince, delicious mangoes that cure ailments and disease-these and more magical objects from myth and legend are held within the pages of this book. Imaginatively retold by Meena Arora Nayak and beautifully illustrated by Priya Kuriyan, The Girl in the Magical Flute: Stories from Myths and Folk Tales of India gives classic folk tales and lore from India (and beyond) a contemporary flavour. Sourced from classical religious texts such as the Ramayana, the Quran, and the Bible, and from oral traditions across India, including those of the Ho, Munda, and Khasi tribes, the nineteen stories included in this collection will delight children of every age, persuasion, and sensibility.

In Adbhut: Marvellous Creatures of Indian Myth and Folklore Meena Arora Nayak presents a selection of fifty-five magical and monstrous creatures from the myths and folklore of India's various cultures. Divided into five sections this book portrays familiar and unfamiliar beings that fly across stormy skies swim in deep seas burrow through the earth tread softly on land and live between these realms sometimes even breathing fire. Adbhut hides within its pages creatures that are mysterious terrible and terrifying yet fascinating and irresistible. These fantastical beings include the Manipuri python guardian god Pakhangpa; Garuda the king of birds; the immortal Kurma the tortoise; Mahisa the Buffalo King; Leviathan the gigantic sea monster; Shamir the Judaic stone-cutting worm; the Zoroastrian cosmic dragon Azhi Dahaka; Nachash the crafty serpent in the Garden of Eden; the shining Islamic al-Buraq; and the Harappan chimera whose origins remain a mystery.