Gandhi: The Peaceful Protester!

by James Buckley Jr, Cassie Anderson (Illustrator)

Overview

Mahatma Gandhi inspired a nation and generations of social reformers with his emphasis on kindness and nonviolence—discover how one man changed the lives of millions in this illustrated and kid-friendly biography.

This biography of Mahatma Gandhi is presented in a graphic novel format, making it accessible and entertaining for readers across a range of age groups. After being named president of the Indian National Congress in 1921, Gandhi was instrumental in gaining India’s independence from Great Britain by using nonviolent resistance—and in the process he inspired generations of civil rights leaders with his example. Gandhi: The Peaceful Protester! recounts this humble leader’s story, from his youth in western India through his years as a lawyer and political activist who practiced kindness and empathy toward everyone.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781645174097
Publisher:	Portable Press
Publication date:	10/12/2021
Series:	Show Me History!
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	691,566
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	GN620L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

James Buckley Jr. is a prolific author of nonfiction for young readers, with more than 150 books to his credit (and still typing!). He is the author of more than a dozen titles in The New York Times' best-selling "Who Was...?" biography series, including the Wright Brothers, Milton Hershey, Betsy Ross, Jules Verne, and Blackbeard. Buckley has written more than thirty DK Readers on a wide variety of topics, plus two recent long-form bios of Adolf Hitler and Bonnie and Clyde for Aladdin Books. For Spring 2019, he created the first book in a new series for Aladdin—a bio of astronaut Michael Collins. Buckley is the co-author of Time Inc./Liberty Street's "X-Why-Z" series and wrote and produced the Animal Planet Animal Atlas for Liberty Street. A former editor at Sports Illustrated and the National Football League, he lives in Santa Barbara, California, where he runs a successful book producing company.

Cassie Anderson is a freelance artist based in Portland, Oregon. She is the creator behind the webcomic-turned-graphic novel Extraordinary: The Story of An Ordinary Princess, as well as the artist and letterer on the Lifeformed series, a sci-fi YA comic about growing up and doing hard things set in an alien invasion. Both books are published by Dark Horse Comics. She also enjoys making journal and autobiographical comics about her life. When she's not drawing comics, Cassie can be found baking tasty treats or exploring the great outdoors.

Editorial Reviews

10/02/2021

Gr 3–5—Iconic U.S. symbols Sam (as in "Uncle Sam") and Libby (the Statue of Liberty)—both depicted as teenagers and, in Libby's case, with dark skin—guide readers through the major family events, public causes, and philosophy of Mohandas Gandhi from birth to assassination. Anderson depicts the last bloodlessly in her neatly drawn cartoon panels and similarly tones down explicit atrocities, but does effectively evoke the violent tenor of the racial and religious conflicts Gandhi confronted in India and South Africa (and, for that matter, Great Britain) by frequently showing both allies and adversaries of various races with their features twisted in rage. Still, the occasional high five, and even the running count she keeps of Gandhi's arrests lighten the tone. Similarly, though Buckley folds in numerous direct quotes, his narrative tends toward informality: "You can't touch an Untouchable, Mohandas!" "Why not, Mom? He's just a person like me." Readers will come away with clear notions of the relevant political and social divisions, just what "Satyagraha" ("Soul Force") meant to Gandhi, and the profound heroism he displayed in his dedication to nonviolent resistance. The useful back matter includes leads to more information, both about him and other modern leaders in nonviolent activism. VERDICT Young readers willing to aim high in their search for role models will be drawn to this approachable graphic tribute.—John Peters, Children's Literature Consultant, NY

School Library Journal

2021-07-27
In this graphic biography, Libby (the future Statue of Liberty, depicted as a young Black woman) and the future Uncle Sam (a young White man) narrate the life story of Mohandas K. Gandhi, India’s most famous freedom fighter.

The book begins with Gandhi’s birth in 1860s India, at the time under British rule. Young Gandhi’s highly religious mother instilled in him a dedication to Hinduism that would famously last his entire life. The book continues with a description of Gandhi’s wedding to Kasturba Makanji at the age of 13, his departure to England to study law, and his eventual move to South Africa. In South Africa, Gandhi developed the tactics that would make him famous in India, including the practices of satyagraha and ahimsa—truth seeking and nonviolence, respectively—and the founding of ashrams where he could live a life of simplicity. Following a survey of Gandhi’s leadership in the Indian independence movement, such as the founding of the noncooperation movement and the organization of salt marches, the book ends with Gandhi’s assassination and his influence on civil rights movements throughout modern history. While the book is thorough, it is entirely laudatory, never addressing Gandhi’s well-documented early anti-Blackness or his misogyny. Additionally, while the book mentions leaders Jawaharlal Nehru and Muhammad Ali Jinnah, it mentions no female or Dalit leaders, erasing the contributions of hundreds of freedom fighters who made Indian independence possible. Series companion Frida Kahlo: The Revolutionary Painter! publishes simultaneously.

An uncritical account. (Graphic biography. 10-15)

Kirkus Reviews