Ramayana - Sanjay Patel

Written and illustrated by a veteran Pixar animator with an amazing eye for color and action, 'Ramayana' is the perfect blend of pop culture and art--a humorous and entertaining text that makes the story of the Ramayana (the most famous tale in Hindu mythology) accessible to the general reader. The Ramayana is the story of Rama, the blue prince, who is an avatar of the god Vishnu, sent to earth to battle a terrible demon, Ravana. At the begininning of the story, Rama's stepmother deceives his father into banishing Rama and his wife Sita from the kingdom for fourteen years. While in the forest, Ravana takes advantage of their vulnerability and kidnaps Sita and imprisons her in his palace on Sri Lanka. Rama goes on a quest to rescure her with the help of an army of monkeys and bears -- including Hanuman, the monkey king. A great battle ensues, which, after great losses on both sides, Rama wins in a duel by firing a shot from an enchanted bow. He then returns to his kingdom with Sita and reigns over an era of peace and prosperity.