Beth Anderson, Children's Writer

“Have I not told you how anger is like electricity?…Anger can strike, like lightning, and split a living tree in two…Or it can be channeled, transformed. A switch can be flipped, and it can shed light like a lamp.”

In a country consumed by an infectious, destructive anger, this book is most timely. We need to all let the words of Grandfather Gandhi sink into our hearts and let the anger power constructive changes that will improve life for everyone.

Title: Grandfather Gandhi
Written by: Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus
Illustrated by: Evan Turk
Atheneum Books, 2014
Suitable for ages: ALL!
Themes/topics: anger, peace

Opening: The story opens with a letter from Bapu to Arun.
Then the action begins: We arrived at Sevagram, Grandfather’s service village, dusty and dirty. Father insisted we be taken straight to Grandfather’s hut.

 Brief synopsis (from barnesandnoble.com) Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson tells the story of how his grandfather taught him to turn darkness into light in this uniquely personal and vibrantly illustrated tale that carries a message of peace.
How could he—a Gandhi—be so easy to anger?
One thick, hot day, Arun Gandhi travels with his family to Grandfather Gandhi’s village.
Silence fills the air—but peace feels far away for young Arun. When an older boy pushes him on the soccer field, his anger fills him in a way that surely a true Gandhi could never imagine. Can Arun ever live up to the Mahatma? Will he ever make his grandfather proud?

Activites and Resources:
Conflict resolution discussions
Research: Find examples of people who have turned their anger into positive action.

Why I like this book:
I was analyzing this book for a class and felt it needed to be shared.
Because we need it.

Visit author Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Books for a plethora of picture books listed by title and topic/theme, each with teacher/parent resources.