Traveling through the jungle in India to visit her daughter, an old woman named Grandma meets a fox, a bear, and a tiger in turn. She convinces them each she's far too skinny to eat. "See how bony I am? I'll be a lot juicier on my way back from my daughter's house." For the return journey, her daughter seals Grandma inside a giant gourd to keep her safe and gives her a push. She rolls through the jungle, encountering each animal once again. "I'm just a rolling gourd, singing my song. Won't you give me a push and help me along?" It almost works. But the fox finally figures out Grandma's inside. That's when Grandma's loyal dogs come to the rescue. A lively retelling of a traditional, humorous Bengali tale is distinguished by many fresh examples of onomatopoeia (dhip-dhip, khut-khut-khut, gar-gar, gar-gar), not to mention a strong, smart, clever main character. The vibrant illustrations are distinctively stylized. Steeped in warm, bright colors, they incorporate an array of decorative patterns into the backgrounds. (Ages 4-8)

Once upon a time, in a little village in India, there lived an old woman. Everyone in the village called her Grandma. One day, Grandma received a letter from her daughter, who lived on the other side of the jungle. "Please come and visit me," said the letter. "I haven't seen you in so long. I miss you."

And so, Grandma begins a perilous journey to the far side of the jungle. Can she use her keen wit to escape the jungle animals and make it safely home?

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's sharp, rhythmic retelling of this Bengali folktale is complimented perfectly by Susy Pilgrim Waters's brightly colored, captivating illustrations.
Grandma and the Great Gourd is a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2013