Ganesha's Sweet Tooth

    

    There is something very special about mythology.  Each myth, each legend, that has come down to us is the creative work not of just one brilliant storyteller but of generations of brilliant storytellers, each one refining the story, reforgining it, sometimes putting new little twists and sometimes completing reinventing the story as something entirely new.  Myths are the seeds from which all of our modern fiction springs--you cannot have Harry Potter (and certainly not Percy Jackson) without the foundation of Homer and Virgil.  

    Given the above, it won't surprise you that I firmly believe that children need an early and thorough introduction to mythology.  But sometimes that can be a bit hard.  I recently began introducing my own children to one of my most beloved books, a childhood introduction to Greek mythology, and found myself suddenly having to explain why Zeus had so many children with women who were not Hera, and why exactly centaurs were always trying to carry women off, and if Helen already had a husband what was she doing with Paris--all questions worthy of discussion, but not questions daddy was quite ready for on that night.

    Perhaps an on-ramp to the world of mythology is needed.  And Ganesha's Sweet Tooth provides that.  This book is not a swirling epic of gods and heroes, but it tells the simple story of how an elephant-headed god named Ganesh came to help Vyasa write one of the great epics of all time.  The story itself is light and easy for kids to enjoy:  Ganesha is a young god who loves sweets, has a best friend who is a mouse, and breaks off one of his tusks.  It's a charming story, a fun story, but still rooted deeply in Indian mythology--Ganesha did indeed break off one of his tusks and use it as a pen while recording Vyasa's great epic poem. 

    The story might be simple, but the book sings with energy--the art is almost electric, bringing each page to life with riots of colors, cascades of candy, and lots of good humor as well.  In one particularly charming illustration Ganesha's friend Mr. Mouse dons legal attire to negotiate the terms of Ganesha's contract with Vyasa--can Ganesha eat sweets while he works?  

    The great tales of gods and heroes remain in the background, but the seed is planted for enquiring minds to want to hear more.  And after reading this they will certainly want to hear more.