‘My Little Book of Dashavatara’ Book Review: A Bright First Step into Vishnu’s Avatars

Book Title: My Little Book of Dashavatara
Author: Nalini Ramachandran
Publisher: Puffin India
Number of Pages: 28
ISBN: 9377301491
Date Published: Aug. 17, 2026

Book Review

Nalini Ramachandran’s “My Little Book of Dashavatara” introduces young children to Vishnu’s ten avatars through short, simple storytelling. The format is well suited to its board-book design: each avatar gets a brief, clear moment, so little readers can meet Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, and the others without feeling overloaded. Nalini keeps the language warm and uncomplicated, turning grand mythological ideas into something a toddler can look at, point to, and slowly understand. The book works best as a first introduction rather than a full retelling, which is both its strength and its limit.

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Rajesh Nagulakonda’s illustrations are the real delight here. They are full-coloured, bold, and friendly, with expressive faces and lively details that help children recognise each avatar visually. The pictures do much of the storytelling, giving parents easy openings to talk about animals, courage, protection, and change. At times, the text may feel too brief for curious older children who want to know why each avatar appeared, but for ages three and up, that simplicity feels intentional.

Overall, it is a sturdy, attractive board book that makes Hindu mythology feel welcoming rather than distant.

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About the Author

Nalini Ramachandran is an author and editor whose writing for young readers explores an exciting range of subjects and genres. Her work moves between history, mythology, folklore, horror, mystery, humour, and biography, introducing children to diverse stories and ideas. She began her writing journey for young audiences while working with Tinkle, India’s only children’s magazine dedicated entirely to comics.

Her short stories have appeared in anthologies such as Gifts of Teaching and Scary Tales. Among her published books are Detective Sahasasimha: The Case of the Disappearing Books, APJ Abdul Kalam: One Man, Many Missions, and Lore of the Land: Storytelling Traditions of India. Her graphic novel-biography on A.P.J. Abdul Kalam received the Best of Indian Children’s Writing: Contemporary Award 2019 in the Comics/Graphic Novels category.

In addition to writing, Nalini works as a children’s book editor and conducts creative writing and storytelling workshops. More about her work can be found at www.authornalini.com.