Under the great plum tree

A kindhearted monkey and an elderly crocodile forge an unlikely bond.Miss Bandari is a monkey who's known for her bighearted kindness. One day, while sitting in a plum tree, she meets Mr. Magarmach, an elderly crocodile whose aging body makes it impossible for him to hunt. Hearing him groan with hunger, Miss Bandari throws Mr. Magarmach a sweet plum. Thus begins a friendship between the aged reptile and the sweet simian, who enjoys hearing her new friend's tales of adventure and bravery. One day, hoping to repay Miss Bandari's generosity, Mr. Magarmach invites her to lunch. Luckily, on the way, they run into Dame Hati the elephant, who warns Miss Bandari that King Crocodile lives in Mr. Magarmach's swamp and surely wants to have Miss Bandari for his own lunch! Thanks to Dame Hati's intervention, Miss Bandari invents a quick lie that saves her life but breaks her heart: After this betrayal, she doesn't know if she'll ever trust Mr. Magarmach again. In this innovative reimagining of a classic narrative from the Indian folktale collection known as the Panchatantra, Ahmed and Dalvand develop a cast of quirky, fascinating characters using simple language, innovative text placement, and lavish, intricately detailed illustrations. The exact plot uses the original folktale as a jumping-off point rather than a template, and the twists and turns, both visual and literary, will keep readers old and young engaged. An originally designed, gorgeously illustrated new vision of an old tale. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

There once lived a monkey in India with a big golden heart. Her name was Miss Bandari. All the animals in the jungle knew she had a heart of gold and that she was very kind. Excerpted from Under the Great Plum Tree by Sufiya Ahmed, Reza Dalvand All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.