Be the Change: A Grandfather Gandhi Story

by Arun Gandhi (Author) Evan Turk (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

In this breathtaking companion to the award-winning Grandfather Gandhi, Arun Gandhi, with Bethany Hegedus, tells a poignant, personal story of the damage of wastefulness, gorgeuously illustrated by Evan Turk.

At Grandfather Gandhi's service village, each day is filled, from sunrise to sunset, with work that is done for the good of all. The villagers vow to live simply and non-violently. Arun Gandhi tries very hard to follow these vows, but he struggles with one of the most important rules: not to waste.

How can throwing away a worn-down pencil hurt anyone? How can wastefulness lead to violence? With the help of his grandfather, Arun learns how every wasteful act, no matter how small, affects others. And in time he comes to understand the truth of his grandfather's words: "Be the change you wish to see in the world."

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Publishers Weekly

The team behind 2014's Grandfather Gandhi returns with a second real-life story drawn from Arun Gandhi's time at the Sevagram ashram with his grandfather, Mahatma Gandhi. After Arun tosses away a pencil nub in defiance of the ashram's vow not to waste, it leads to an in-depth exploration of the connections between waste and violence. The story culminates with the "Be the change" phrase widely attributed to Gandhi, though actually coined by Arun to represent his grandfather's ideals. As in the previous books, Turk's mixed-media images create a vibrant, dazzlingly imagined backdrop for the weighty philosophical discussions at play. Ages 4-8. Authors' agent: Alexandra Penfold, Upstart Crow Literary. Illustrator's agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Aug.)

Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Starred Review

Gr 2-6--Following Grandfather Gandhi, this title finds young Arun at his grandfather's ashram, or "service village." Slightly older now, the boy is working to adhere to the 11 vows of ashram living. Not wasting is the most difficult for him, and he has trouble understanding how this vow relates to nonviolence. Three incidents combine to help Arun learn the lesson. He accompanies his grandfather (Bapuji) on a trip and listens as he tells a crowd, "When nonviolence is accepted as the law of life, it must pervade the whole being and not be applied to isolated acts." On the way home, Arun tosses away a pencil stub. When Bapuji finds out, he sends Arun back in the dark to retrieve it, saying, "It is not the pencil, but you, that is important," meaning that Arun's grandfather loves him enough to hold him accountable. The third way that Grandfather teaches Arun is by helping him make a "tree of violence," a chart on the wall that shows how seemingly small actions or thoughts can lead to larger events. The illustrations, especially the visualization of Arun's tree, help children understand the weighty concepts. As he adds to it each day, it grows beyond the physical walls, dwarfing Bapuji and Arun and demonstrating that each decision takes a person on a particular path. The dramatic collage illustrations include dimensional elements to create the illusion of texture. The full-bleed spreads immerse readers and take them on the journey with Arun. Constantly shifting perspective moves from small to large and close to far, reiterating the theme of a small action having larger consequences. Another repeated motif is the use of frames within larger images to demonstrate connectedness. VERDICT This handsome book asks a lot of young readers but carries important messages delivered in a personal and relatable manner.--Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"Gandhi and Hegedus' relatively lengthy text is alternately direct and lyrical. . . . Turk's striking mixed-media illustrations . . . complement the complexity of the ideas being explored and illuminate the subdued action of the text."— "Kirkus Reviews"
Arun Gandhi
Arun Gandhi, born in 1934, is the fifth grandson of Mohandas K. Gandhi, also known as Mahatma Gandhi. He was a journalist for more than thirty years for the Times of India and has written for The Washington Post. His first of two books for children was Grandfather Gandhi. Currently, Arun serves as president of the Gandhi Worldwide Education Institute and travels the world speaking to governmental leaders, as well as to university and high school students about the practices of peace and nonviolence. He lives in Rochester, New York. Visit him at ArunGandhi.org.

Bethany Hegedus is the author of Between Us Baxters and Truth with a Capital T, as well as the coauthor of Grandfather Gandhi. She owns The Writing Barn, a writing workshop and retreat center in Austin, Texas. She teaches widely and speaks across the country. Visit her online at BethanyHegedus.com.

Evan Turk is an Ezra Jack Keats Award-winning illustrator, author, and animator. He is the author-illustrator of The Storyteller, Heartbeat, You Are Home: An Ode to the National Parks, A Thousand Glass Flowers, and Hello, Moon and the illustrator of Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters, which was a New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book; The People's Painter; Grandfather Gandhi; and its companion Be the Change. Originally from Colorado, Evan now lives in southern California with his husband and two cats. He is a graduate of Parsons School of Design. Visit him at EvanTurk.com.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781481442657
Lexile Measure
610
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date
August 30, 2016
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF007000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | General
JNF038020 - Juvenile Nonfiction | People & Places | Asia
JNF019030 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Family | Multigenerational
Library of Congress categories
India
Gandhi
Gandhi, Arun
Pacifists
Statesmen

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