Raising a young god comes with myriad challenges.In this tale set in ancient India, a woman named Yashoda gives birth to a blue-skinned baby named Krishna. Yashoda and her husband, Nanda, raise the boy in their village among their fellow cowherders and their families. From the beginning, Krishna is mischievous, pulling the animals’ tails even before he learns to walk, stealing butter, and feeding stolen sweets to the local monkeys. Time after time, the village women ask Yashoda to discipline her naughty child, and time after time, Krishna proves too adorable and sweet to punish. When Krishna is 6, his father gives him the responsibility of helping to drive the cattle to the pasture. A bored Krishna entertains himself by playing a reed flute given to him by a monkey. When he returns home, the cows give very little milk, and the villagers are sure that Krishna is to blame. Finally, when another child says that Krishna is eating dirt, he opens his mouth and shows his mother the universe, revealing to her that he was actually a god all along. KIRKUS
