The rat temple
August 26th, 2021
In her latest kidlit title Valley of the Rats (Cormorant 13.95), for ages 9 to 12, Mahtab Narsimhan tells the story of book nerd Krish who goes with his father to Ladakh, India. They get lost in a bamboo forest teeming with black rats and germs, which Krish hates. They end up in the hidden village, Imdur that has the custom of worshipping rats. By mistake, they break a sacred rule and the Imdura threaten to keep the two there forever. Based on the real “rat temple” Karni Mata in Rajashthan, India, Narsimhan’s story explores themes of family, phobias and understanding other cultures. Illustrations by Lee Edward Födi.9781770866287
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