If you regularly read The Marginalian, you are familiar with the wonderful work of Indian independent publisher Tara Books, who for many years has been giving voice to marginalized art and literature through a commune of artists, writers, and designers collaborating on beautifully crafted books that honor the legacy and diverse styles of Indian folk art. Now comes The Great Race (public library) — an adaptation of an Indonesian folktale featuring Kanchil the trickster mouse deer, illustrated in the stunning Mata-ni-Pachedi style of ritual textile painting from the Gujarat region by artist Jagdish Chitara and written by Nathan Kumar Scott — a first-of-its-kind use of this traditional folk art in children’s storytelling.

The Great Race is the third in Scott’s Kanchil series, a follow-up to The Sacred Banana Leaf and Mangoes and Bananas, each equally exquisite in its own right and illustrated by a different Indian artist.

Images courtesy of Tara Books