Nadia Salomon

In all of the illustrated books I've read, none can compare to the art of Poonam Mistry. The rhythmic text of Nadia Salomon pays tribute both to the Indian culture, but also is a rich addition to the goodnight tales throughout the world.

While visiting their grandparents in India, two children are taught the family stories of long ago, observing the rituals in the puja room, and the deeply precious elements that they learn and will take home with them to perhaps share someday with their own children and grandchildren.

This book is a testimony to the love between children and their grandparents and a longing to learn the deeply rooted religious beliefs added to a beautiful night of processing not only the love, but the rich textures that are an integral part of their ancestry.

This is a must read, and illustrations that are so stunning they deeply resonate with the person holding the book. This is truly an incredible book. In communication with Abigail Adams, member of our 75 challenge group, and employee of Librarything, I learned of this book, and addition stories illustrated by Poonam Mistry. It didn't take long to search for, and purchase more books by this supremely talented artist.

A BIG thanks to Abigail. Throughout the years, I've often remarked to her that she and I cross reading paths in our joy of children's literature. I am very glad that I found this book, and many others throughout both her threads and her reviews!

Five Stars are not enough to rate this loving, very special book.… (mehr)

Two young children visit their grandparents in India in this gorgeous bedtime book, bidding goodnight to the objects and rituals around them, and to their loving elders. In rhyming text, the narrative highlights both the religious elements of the family's lives—the portrait of Ganesha on the wall; the statues of Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu on the mantle; the prayers offered in the puja room—and the loving ties that bind the children to their grandparents.

Pairing an engaging text in rhyme with absolutely gorgeous artwork, Goodnight Ganesha is a bedtime book worth spending time with. It marks the debut of author Nadia Salomon, and is all the more impressive for that. I loved the callback to the classic Goodnight Moon here, with the goodnight refrain, in which the narrative bids goodnight to a series of objects, peoples and ideas. The text itself read well, and although I did feel there were one or two awkward moments, they didn't detract significantly from the reading experience overall. The illustrator, Poonam Mistry, is one I know from the work she did on Chitra Soundar's You're Safe With Me, You're Snug with Me and You're Strong with Me. It was the artwork, in fact, that led me to track this title down, and I was certainly not disappointed that I did! Intricate, ornate, and absolutely beautiful, these images are stunning.

Highly recommended to anyone looking for gorgeously-illustrated bedtime books, picture-books with an Indian and/or Hindu cultural background, or stories featuring grandparents and grandchildren.… (mehr)