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Mehra, Namita Moolani

The Greatest River

40 pp. | HarperCollins/Harper | February, 2025 | Trade ISBN 9780063207455 $19.99
(2) K-3 Illustrated by Khoa Le. From an early age, Ananda has heard about the “magic” of India’s Ganga, a “holy river” worshipped as a goddess. “Ganga knows everything...She’s the greatest mother of all,” Mamma says. When her mother becomes ill, Ananda and her aunt travel to Ganga “to bathe in her healing waters, and pray for Mamma.” In the freezing water, they chant Mamma’s favorite prayer and light diyas that float down the river. By the end of the day, Ananda experiences a feeling of “absolute peace...the might of Ganga was with her...she walked away from this great mother to her own.” Le portrays the river with a large white sun poised over water, colored in beautiful pastel blues, oranges, and yellows. The serene digital il-lustrations, often including lotuses and other flowers in bloom, complement the emotional arc recounted in the gentle text. Back matter includes an author’s note detailing her own Ganga experience, a glossary, and cultural information about the Ganga (“also known in the Western world as the Ganges”).
Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

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