Maya

by Mahak Jain, illustrated by Elly Mackay

tagged: death & dying, emotions & feelings, imagination & play

Description

The electricity in Maya’s house has gone out again. She is afraid of the dark — and her fear has been even worse since her father died. Now it feels as if the darkness will never go away.

Maya’s mother distracts her with a legend about the banyan tree, which saved the world from the first monsoon by drinking up the floodwaters, and growing tall and strong. Later that night, unsettled by the noises around her, Maya revisits the story in her imagination. She ventures deep into the banyan tree, where she discovers not darkness but life: snakes move gently, monkeys laugh, and elephants dance. Maya pushes her imagination even further to call up memories of her father, helping to soothe her fear and assuage her grief.

Elly MacKay mixes miniature-paper-theater art with spellbinding shadow puppetry to play with darkness and light, giving Maya’s real, fantasy, and story-within-a-story worlds unique treatment—and making Maya’s world come alive on the page.

About the Authors

Mahak Jain writes for young people and adults. Her picture book Maya (illustrated by Elly Mackay) was a Kirkus Best Book of the Year, a CBC Books Best Book of the Year, and winner of the 2017 South Asia Book Award. Mahak lives in Toronto, ON.

Elly Mackay lives in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, with her husband, Simon, and little ones, Lily and Koen. She received her bachelor of fine art from Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. She creates her illustrations by inking yupo paper and cutting it into layers that she sets up in a miniature theater, somewhat like a Victorian Paper Theater. She plays with the lights and filters to create atmosphere and then photographs the scenes. In addition to illustrating her own picture books and those of other authors, Elly recently illustrated new covers for the Anne of Green Gables series (Tundra).

Age:: 4 to 8
Grade:: p to 4

Awards

, Canadian Children's Book Centre's Best Books for Kids and Teens
, South Asia Book Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature selection, 2017
, Kirkus Best Picture Books of 2016

Editorial Reviews

"Nothing short of magical, breath-taking and inspiring... Highly, highly recommended and very very close to essential."

— Kinderlit

"Richly poetic...engaging...gorgeous... Papa once told Maya that "a story was like a bird," flying us to somewhere unknown and always changing us. And so it is with this book."

— Canadian Children's Book News

"...the idea that bad things can turn good is clear, and kids will sense Maya's ultimate healing."

— The National Reading Campaign

"Recommended."

— Canadian Review of Materials

"This story made me feel a little bit kind of happy and kind of sad. Some feelings that [Maya] had, I sometimes have. Sometimes I am sad too but still finding a way to be happy. She was scared and I get scared too. ...I love this book."

— Ayla, age 6, Kids Book Buzz

"An important and subtle story of love, loss, beauty, and joy."

— Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

"An atmospheric tale about loss, the power of story, and finding light in the darkness."

— School Library Journal

"Beautifully illustrated... Highlight[s] the discovery of beauty and strength in unlikely places."

— Quill & Quire

Buy this book at:

Annotations

Librarian review

Facing Fears

by [Rachel Marie]

Last night I read this book to both my 7 year old daughter and 10 year old son. Before bed, they left the story quietly imagining the stories in their own minds that help with their fears of unknown noises creaking into our new apartment, and wavering shadows in the corners and tipping boxes tumbling from open closets. As Maya is used to her father easing her fears and now finding she needs to find solace within herself, my children must imagine the true light inside an illusionary darkness. Our life is different from Maya's, but the fears that keep the darkness and creatures on the prowl are very real in any life - and this story teaches us that our perspective is whether we choose to believe in the fear, or in the power of light.

Librarian review

Maya

by [Top Grade]

Maya takes readers on a journey to other parts of the world and provides a geography lesson as well as insight into the ramifications of extreme weather patterns such as monsoons. The book also tells the human story of overcoming grief and the importance of familial love. Jain’s book presents two parallel narratives: the legend of the first monsoon, as well as the courageous adventures of a young girl, a banyan tree, tigers, peacocks, and monkeys.

Source: Association of Canadian Publishers. Diversity Collection Selection 2017.