Nonfiction: Grandfather Gandhi

Title: Grandfather Gandhi 

Author: Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus
Illustrator: Evan Turk 

Genre: Nonfiction    

Major Awards: New Illustrator Honor, Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, 2015 Texas Bluebonnet List

The New York Public Library 100 Books for Reading and Sharing, Huffington Post’s “Best Picture Books of 2014” Honorable Mention
Age Group:  8-11 years old

Grandfather Gandhi was written by Arun Gandhi, Gandhi's grandson about life on his grandfather's village and the life-changing lesson his grandfather instilled in him. Arun and his family had just moved to live with his grandfather Gandhi in his village. All Arun ever wanted was to make his grandfather proud and live up to the Gandhi name. Although while in the village, Arun was having trouble fitting in. He didn't really like the food they ate and didn't like sharing his grandfather with the 350 followers that lived in the village. During morning prayer at 4:00 a.m. everyone seemed at peace, but he was fidgety. He didn't speak the language well. No one understood his movie references. Arun always saw his grandfather, but never got to spend much time with him since he was always working. One day Arun finally got some alone time with his grandfather, and his grandfather invited him for a walk. While on the walk, his grandfather asked him questions and Arun revealed to his grandfather that he was having a tough time in the village, and stopped short of saying how he didn't feel like and Gandhi and peace didn't come easily to him. His grandfather Gandhi told him to give it time before being swept away to go back to work.  Arun continued to struggle and one day while playing soccer one of the other kids tripped him and he fell to the floor bleeding and infuriated because he believed it was done to him on purpose. He picked up a rock with the intention of throwing it at the boy who had tripped him, when he stopped, dropped the rock, and ran to his grandfather. He told his grandfather everything that happened, and his grandfather told him not to be ashamed that everyone gets angry, even him.  In the end, Gandhi taught Arun an important lesson,  that anger itself is like electricity. Either the electricity can become lightning, striking and splitting a living tree in two, or it can be channeled into light to illuminate the darkness. From that one interaction with his grandfather, Gandhi Arun chose from that day forward to live his life as a light in the world. 


Grandfather Gandhi is an incredibly moving book that would make an excellent addition to any and all 3rd-5th-grade classroom libraries. This book can be used as an interdisciplinary text to use in Social Studies class when discussing Gandhi and civil nonviolent protest. Its unique illustration types with the use of watercolor, paper collage, tea, tin foil yarn, and fabric could lend to a wonderful art project where the students create their own artist rendering utilizing these same materials. Likewise, this book could just be a wonderful read for the students to read independently or as a class. The book can spark an excellent conversation about positivism and channeling our emotions into something insightful. Specifically, the last lesson about being a light in the world is such a powerful lesson that I think all students and even teachers can benefit from. At times the world can be an ugly place and we have to try and find that little piece of beautiful; be that light, and through us others will follow suit and do the same.