Ram is a homeless boy who lives off food left at shrines and from the profits he makes playing gilli. But one day he bets the wrong boy and gets chased through the village. He loses a bag of precious coins and ends up following a man who found it. He ends up in the forest and there he discovers that the man, Nek, has been building statues out of junk. Soon the two become friends and Ram helps Nek with his statues and Nek tells Ram some of the stories behind the Indian holidays. But when outsiders threaten Nek's garden Ram has to figure out a way to either keep it a secret or help Nek's statues get the recognition they deserve.
This book is based somewhat on Nek Chand, a real artist from India. In addition, the tales that Nek tells are simplified versions of the original tales. The book as a whole is woven together well and will help children learn about another culture.
No comments:
Post a Comment