The ‘Amma Tell Me’ SeriesThe ‘Amma Tell Me’ Series is a charming and informative series of children’s books that introduces the major Hindu festivals and figures to young readers in a fun and non-preachy way. Written in rhyme with vivid, captivating illustrations, the books are perfect for families wanting to share stories from Hindu mythology with their children or for educators looking for resource on Indian festivals and culture for their students. The series has ten books on the festivals of Holi, Diwali, and on the Hindu gods Krishna, Hanuman and Ganesha. The book is for children in the 3 to 9 years age group.

Come let’s hear the magical story,

Of Holi in all it's vibrant glory.

As told to Klaka, an eager little boy

By his Amma, with dollops of joy.

Amma, Tell Me About Holi !

Brilliant firecrackers lighting up the night,

Diyas twinkling like stars - what a sight!

This is Diwali, in all its glory

As told to little Klaka, a magical story.

Amma, Tell Me About Diwali !

The festival of Janamashtami -

Celebrates the birth of Krishna,

An avatar of Lord Vishnu,

Born to rid the world of evil Kansa.

Amma, Tell Me About Krishna !Part 1 of the Krishna Trilogy

When Kansa learnt of Krishna's escape,

His rage knew no bound.

He summoned all his demons

And ordered, “I want that boy found!”

Amma, Tell Me How Krishna Fought the Demons !Part 2 of the Krishna Trilogy

Amma, Tell Me About Ganesha !

This is the story of how one by one,

Krishna bravely fought them all –

How Putana, Trinavarta, Vatasura and Bakasura

All met their fall!

We celebrate Ganesha’s birthday

With so much fun and lots of fanfare

His idols are offered to the rolling seas

With ardent prayer and tender care.

Lord Ganesha, loved by one and all

Is the divine son of Shiva and Parvati

And this is the story of how he and

His jumbo elephant head came to be!

First, a tale of colours and childhood fun:

Naughty Krishna and Radha, his loved one.

Next, an evil king who thought he was God,

His son Prahalad refused to accept the fraud.

First the celebration of Prince Rama and his

homecoming,

His victory over Ravana, the evil demon King.

Next a story of Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth

Who rewards her true devotees with fortune

and health.

The story of his magical escape from prison,

Across the flooded river Yamuna.

Helped by a snake called Shesh Naag,

His arrival at the home of Nand and Yashoda!

Another story of Krishna’s adventures,

Fighting Kaliya, a demon in snake form,

And lifting a mountain on just one finger,

As a shield from an angry god’s thunder-

storm.

Amma, Tell Me How Krishna Defeated Kansa !Part 3 of the Krishna Trilogy

And finally, the story of how evil Kansa

Tried to kill Krishna, with methods so grim.

But be they an elephant or ace wrestlers,

No one succeeded in harming him!

Amma, Tell Me About Hanuman !Part 1 of the Hanuman Trilogy

Amma, Tell Me How Hanuman Crossed the Ocean !Part 2 of the Hanuman Trilogy

The first book in a series on Hanuman,

The god that Amma likes best.

The trouble he got into as a baby,

Trying to gobble up the sun for breakfast.

Born in the being of the Wind god,

Blessed with mighty Shiva’s divinity,

The story of the hard lesson that he learned:

That great power comes with great responsibility.

In this new and epic story,

Hanuman leaps across a mighty ocean,

With his forgotten powers regained,

And with his strength, wit and devotion.

The story of how he charmed a mountain,

Defeated a dragon and crushed a snake.

How he fought the powerful guard of Lanka,

On his great mission for Rama’s sake!

Amma, Tell Me About Hanuman’s Adventures in Lanka !Part 3 of the Hanuman TrilogyHere’s the story of how Hanuman reached

A golden city in search of Sita, lady of his

liege.

How he faced off with the mighty Ravana

And held his capital Lanka to a fiery siege.

See how he uprooted an entire hill;

Flew like the wind to save Lakshmana from death;

How Rama’s loyal devotee showed us

What lies in his heart, the reason for his breath.

Amma, Tell Me About Ramayana !The story of Rama, the righteous prince,

Written ages ago by the poet Valmiki.

This is Ramayana - an ancient, epic poem,

As told by Amma to Klaka and Kiki.

Beloved prince of Ayodhya, next in line to be king;

Banished to the forest at his stepmonther’s behest.

Fought the demon Ravana to rescue his wife

Helped by an army of monkeys in his quest.

Bhakti Mathur lives in Hong Kong with her husband, their two sons and their two dogs. She is a banker by profession. Bhakti started the ‘Amma Tell Me’ Series in 2011 as a way to introduce her two young sons to Indian festivals and mythology. Bhakti is a committed writer ambassador for Room to Read, a global non-profit which offers holistic literacy and girls’education programs. An avid reader, a long-distance runner and a yoga enthusiast, when not working or running after her boys, she is happiest curled up with a book in her hand and a hot cup of chai.

Follow Bhakti: Facebook @ facebook.com/Ammatellme | Twitter @ twitter.com/bhaktimathur

www.bhaktimathur.com