Gandhi: His Life, His Struggles, His Words

by Elisabeth de Lambilly, Severine Cordier (Illustrator), Sa(c)Verine Cordier (Illustrator)

Overview

Speaking after Mahatma Gandhi's assassination, Albert Einstein remarked that in the future people would surely wonder that one such as Gandhi had walked among us. This is because Gandhi was an uncommon person in all respects. Outraged by human suffering, revolted by injustice, and guided by faith, Gandhi spent his life standing up for what he believed to be right. He did this with unfailing strength and equanimity, ready to give his life for the most humble in the belief that every human being should be allowed to live with dignity and freedom. Gandhi spoke up and out. He dissented and stood his ground, and through his actions he changed our world for the better. Gandhi's moral and spiritual courage have made him an excellent role model for each subsequent generation, and his example is as pressing today as ever.

This wonderfully engaging book consists of several parts: an eleven-page comic strip about Gandhi's life; a chronology; and twelve two-page chapters about different aspects of Gandhi's life, such as his early years, his life in London, Hinduism, nonviolence, and Indian independence. The book ends with a section of referenced quotes both from Gandhi and about him, followed by a list of recommended books and an index. In 2011 named a Skipping Stones Honor book.

Élisabeth de Lambilly received her degree in history. She is a prolific author, specializing in nonfiction books for children. She is the mother of three and lives in France.

Born in France in 1979, Séverine Cordier is now an award-winning illustrator. In 2004 her work was selected for exhibition at the Bologna Book Fair, and she also was awarded a prize for painting from the Institute of France. In 2009, she received the prestigious Chronos Prize.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781592700943
Publisher:	Enchanted Lion Books
Publication date:	10/19/2010
Series:	Great Spiritual Figures of Modern Times
Edition description:	Translatio
Pages:	72
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 9.70(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	10 - 13 Years

About the Author

Élisabeth de Lambilly received her degree in History. She is a prolific author, specializing in non-fiction books for children. She is the mother of three and lives in France. Born in France in 1979, today Séverine is an award-winning illustrator. In 2004, her work was selected for exhibition at the Bologna Book Fair, and that same year she was awarded the Institute of France prize for painting. In 2009, she was awarded the prestigious Chronos prize for her title Emma and her Two Grandmothers.

Editorial Reviews

This highly illustrated book on Gandhi seeks to tell young readers about his life and teachings by using numerous real photographs of Gandhi as well as a comics spread showing how he was kicked off a South African train for being Indian. Illustrated text tells the rest of his story. Gandhi's life and teachings are covered, as well as more general topics, such as India's treatment of the untouchables and the practices and rituals of Hinduism. The book ends with several pages of quotes by Gandhi and related quotes by others. Everything is easy to read and it covers a fair amount of ground, and the extra bits on India and Hinduism expand Gandhi's world for any readers who would be unfamiliar with it. Along with being a general biography, it also emphasizes the goals of nonviolence and shows how people, Gandhi and others, have used pacifist means to make changes in society. Ages 9–12. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

Translated from the original French edition, here is an interesting multi-genre approach to the life of a multifaceted man. Black and white captioned photographs with quotes from Gandhi are arranged throughout the book. A linear chronology provides additional information. A graphic format "biographical comic" precedes the chapters, offering a deftly drawn introduction to Gandhi's life in South Africa and offering context for the later struggles in India that comprise most of the book. Gregory Mardon's illustrations in the graphic narrative are lively and compelling. The chapters that comprise the body of the book address Gandhi's early years in Porbandar, his experiences in London as a student of law, injustices encountered in South Africa, the adoption of renunciation and selflessness as guiding principles, the evolution of the Satyagraha movement, non-violence and its applications in civil disobedience, and the Indian independence movement in its many stages, all the way to Gandhi's murder by a Hindu extremist who felt that in Gandhi's concerns for Muslims and their rights, he had betrayed Hindus. A couple of typographical errors mar text and picture captions. Other than that, the book is clearly and simply written, and in all makes this complicated history accessible to young readers. It concludes with several pages of quotes from Gandhi himself as well as from others speaking of him. These include Martin Luther King, Jr., the last British Viceroy of India Lord Mountbatten, and Albert Einstein. Back matter includes an index, bibliography, additional reading suggestions, and web resources. Reviewer: Uma Krishnaswami

Children's Literature - Uma Krishnaswami

Gr 5–8—Photos, illustrations, and a "biographical comic" that opens the book all play an integral part in relaying the life and work of Mahatma Gandhi. The book follows the trajectory of his life, from a suit-clad young lawyer who only came to embrace his Indian identity while living and working in London, to the simple man in a hand-made loincloth who preached peace and nonviolence only to be felled by an assassin's bullets. Readers who are looking for more particular facts about his family won't find it here. Instead, the spotlight is on Gandhi's work: using nonviolent protest as a model for battling oppression in all forms, engaging in hunger strikes, and enduring multiple jail sentences, all to call attention to the mistreatment of his people, and indeed all people who suffer. Students will find information for reports, as well as an inspiring story told with many images supplementing an engaging text.—Carol Fazioli, Gwynedd-Mercy College, Gwynedd Valley, PA

School Library Journal

This mixed-format profile of the Great Soul sandwiches a concise narrative account of his life—enhanced by plenty of photos and sketched illustrations, plus side boxes and a spread on Hindu theology and customs—between a look at formative experiences in his early career presented in graphic panels and closing spreads of short passages from his works arranged by major themes ("Civil Disobedience," "Love"). Urging readers to "listen to his words and consider whether some of his goals are also our own," de Lambilly follows Gandhi from birth to assassination, focusing especially on the development of his philosophy, his methods of nonviolent protest and the relentless courage with which he took on the forces of racial, national and religious prejudice. Though the author's fact checking could have been better—Pakistan was not "the world's first Muslim country," nor was her subject the "first person to use non-violence in politics"—Gandhi's inspiring example and message is conveyed here with eloquence and simplicity in an appealingly designed package. The resource list includes works for both adults and younger audiences. (index) (Biography. 11-13)

Kirkus Reviews