Be the Change, A Grandfather Gandhi Story
Written by Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus and Illustrated
by Evan Turk
Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2016
Ages: 4-8
The author Arun Gandhi is a grandson of Mahatma Gandhi who
fought for Indian independence from Great Britain and represented a philosophy
of bringing about change through peaceful means. In “Be the Change,” Arun tells
a story of when he was a boy and lived in his grandfather’s Sevagram ashram or
service village.
At that time, 350 followers of his grandfather lived in the
village. Their purpose was to live simply and nonviolently. Everyone awoke at sunrise
and attended a morning prayer meeting. Then they worked all day in service for one
another. They washed clothes, planted vegetables, picked fruit, spun yarn, and did
any other tasks that needed to be done.
In this story, Arun learns why his grandfather taught his
followers not to waste. After Arun throws away a stub of a pencil, Grandfather
Bapuji makes him find it. He tells the boy that waste is a violent action
because when resources are low, people hoard. Those who are forced to do
without may eventually strike out. Then he has the child draw a tree of
violence with physical and passive violence as the branches. “Before you act,
think how it would affect others,” he says.
Under physical violence, Arun pastes cards saying, “pushing”
and “kicking.” On the passive violence side, he puts “bullying,” “eating more
than my share,” and “throwing away the pencil.” Arun realizes that his thoughts and actions are important,
not just to himself but to the world. Grandfather Gandhi puts his arm around
him and tells him, “Be the change you wish to see in the world, Arun.”
This story helps children to think about the importance of
their own thoughts and actions in promoting peace. It is also written well with
imagery and dialogue that move the story along. The beautiful, colorful
illustrations create mood and help to make the story a powerful one.
About the Authors and
Illustrator:
Arun Gandhi is
the fifth grandson of Mohandas K. Gandhi. A journalist for over 30 years for the
“India Times,” he now writes a blog for the “Washington Post.” His first
children’s book was “Grandfather Gandhi.” He serves as president of the Gandhi
Worldwide Education Institute and travels the world speaking to government
leaders, as well as university, high school and younger students about the
practices of peace and nonviolence. He lives in Rochester, NY. Visit him at
arungandhi.org.
Evan Turk is an
Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Honor winner, the author/illustrator of “The
Storyteller,” and the illustrator of “Grandfather Gandhi.” Evan is originally
from Colorado and loves being in nature, traveling, and learning about other
cultures through drawing. He is a graduate of Parsons and continues his studies
as a member of Dalvero Academy. Visit him at evanturk.com.
