Reviews
Reviews
This isn’t your average trickster tale—it’s a lunar-lit joyride through the wobbly lines between reality and imagination.
It’s cheeky. It’s chaotic. It’s strangely profound.
And it’ll have you looking up at the night sky wondering, “What if Coyote’s still out there… and planning a third moon?”
"Delightful pictures with an unusual ending! 'The Trickster' with its simple words makes it an enjoyable read for early readers. The colours and details in the picture can easily transport the reader into the Native American lands. The twist in the end is interesting!"
Turning Pages
The Trickster (retold by Meenakshi Bharadwaj from a Native American tale) is a visual treat. Charbak Dipta’s artwork is stunning, and each page makes you linger, looking at all the details. The story itself is a humorous one, with a delightful twist at the end that leaves you wondering who the trickster really is. Is it the coyote who can use his magic stick to make wishes come true? Or is it someone else altogether?
The Trickster is a retelling of a Native American folktale by Meenakshi Bharadwaj and published by Katha. The coyote, perhaps the most iconic trickster in North American indigenous lore, takes centre stage here. This one has a god-complex: he craves attention for his tricks, wants people to fall for them, and yet hopes to remain unseen. But here’s the twist, people see through his tricks. This starts a chain of who-tricks-who in the story. The palpable tug between Coyote's pranks vs people's reluctance to fall for them and the eventual coming-to-terms makes for a perfect read, delving into the emotions of both the divine and the commoner.
Charbak Dipta's color palette is rich and his cross hatches add much texture. Set within the Cree Nation, the depiction of the people and the coyote lends the book a distinct visual voice, one that stands apart within Indian illustration aesthetics.
While the 'science vs fantasy' debate rages on, children (and grown-ups!) will always find room for a little make-believe, a sly trickster, a smidge of fantasy, and perhaps two moons.
The Trickster: One Time I Wanted Two Moons (Katha, 2025) is a tale that lingers, perhaps in the layers of our psyche. A fun folktale for children, at a deceptively simple level, the book then gently draws you in to consider layers of truth.
Retold with quiet resonance by Meenakshi Bharadwaj, and vividly illustrated by Charbak Dipta, this is a retelling of a Native American folktale. At first glance, it reads like a whimsical adventure of a coyote, who wants two moons — so that he can trick villagers into seeing two moons. He magically makes the second moon appear and first tries to trick one man, who runs to the village to spread the news of two moons. But, the man and the villagers, whilst seeing more than one moon, are also aware of the presence of the ‘trickster’.
Do they fool the trickster or does the trickster fool them? This is the play of the story that shimmers with something deeper, older, and archetypal.
