When it comes to unabashed love, the mango wins hands down. Possibly the only thing that comes close to beating the mango is stories about mangoes. In fact, most people have a favourite mango story – the time they plucked mangoes from a neighbour’s tree and got solidly thrashed, or when they fought with their siblings for a slice of the last mango, or that long-distance relative who would send across a basket of mangoes from their trees in the village. Children’s books largely reflect these anecdotal tales, ranging from mythology, fables, and folklore to stories of mango thieves and ghost guardians, and even a guide on the perfect way to pluck and eat mangoes. 

Mango Myths

When the child Hanuman saw the sun, did he really mistake it for a massive mango? Did he love the fruit so much that he actually leapt up to the sun and swallowed it in one gulp? We have mythological stories that tell us so. In fact, such is the lure of the mango that there is magic associated with it almost always. 

How the Mango Got its Magic by Sudha Murty and Priyanka Pachpande, dabbles in folklore and imagines how the fruit acquired its magical sweetness. An early chapter book with beautiful visuals, this one is a treat for 6 – 8‑year-olds.

In Mangoes, Mischief and Tales of Friendship: Stories from India by Chitra Soundar and Uma Krishnaswamy, Prince Veera and his best friend Suku are given the chance to preside over the court of King Bheema. What unfolds is a collection of eight delightful stories, inspired by Indian folktales, of the two boys matching wits against some of the kingdom’s greediest and wiliest subjects! 

Mango Memories

Sita Singh and Nabi H Ali​’s Mango Memories delves into the story of a young girl who is determined to have a mango memory of her own. For that she needs to bring down a mango from the fruit-laden tree in her backyard. How difficult is that going to be? Quite so, as the little girl finds out. Does disappointment make way for a lasting memory? This beautiful picture book weaves nostalgia with family traditions tied to the prized mango.

Another book that blends precious friendships with the fruit is The Sweetest Mango by Malavika Shetty and Ajanta Guhathakurta. This one is a simple story about two friends who share everything they have and cannot do without each other. However, one wonderfully ripe mango comes along to test their bond!

Mango Mischief 

Ever wondered why in most stories there is mischief associated with the mango? Turn the pages of the wordless picture book The Story of a Mango, written and illustrated by Debashish Deb, that shows two friends trying to pluck a mango from a tree to comical results. Then there is The Mango Birds by Deepa Agarwal and Subir Roy about a greedy man trying to steal all the mangoes from a wild mango tree. Happily, the mangoes sprout wings and turn into golden orioles! 

For older readers, there is Subhadra Sen Gupta and Tapas Guha​’s Kallu’s World 3: Mangu Mali and the Ambia Bhoot that weaves an intriguing tale of a ghost that guards a mango tree, forbidding children from climbing it and plucking its fruits. But the ghost isn’t prepared for an encounter with Kallu and his gang of friends, especially his sister, Munia.

Multifaceted Mango

While we relish our mangoes and lick the juice off our fingers and elbows, some books compel us to think of the mango tree in a different light. Mad Mango, written by AN Pednekar and illustrated by Manjula Padmanabhan, is about a mango tree that’s had enough of being rooted in one place and wants to explore the world. It walks off one fine day and forges new bonds in new places. 

A book that makes readers ponder and realise how much more there is to the tree than just its succulent fruit is Farah Loves Mangos by author-illustrator Sarthak Sinha. Farah spends the better part of the year dreaming about mangoes that arrive without fail every summer. What happens when the tree does not bear fruit one year? How does the young girl come to terms with this?

Mathemango!

When they are so popular, why not use mangoes as teaching aids? In the STEM book Many Mangoes to Share, Ramya Pai and Meghna Menon use mangoes to teach children multiplication and division and why these mathematical concepts are significant. 

Natasha Sharma and Shreya Sen​’s The Good Indian Child’s Guide to Eating Mangoes is a tongue-in-cheek take on the best ways to devour a mango, while offering trivia about mangoes, maths and personality development along the way. With its wacky illustrations, the book is a laugh riot all the way.

Mangoes, mischief and nostalgia make for a delectable mix in many children’s stories. While younger readers are spoiled for choice, older ones are often left wanting. What is possibly missing from this range of books are stories that reflect life – the unpredictability of what comes your way when you bite into a mango, be it the sweetness of a ripe fruit or the tartness of a raw one. Clearly, when it comes to mangoes, there is always more room for messy and slurpy stories on a children’s bookshelf!

Bibliography

1. How the Mango Got its Magic (Penguin)
2. Mangoes, Mischief and Tales of Friendship: Stories from India (Candlewick Press)
3. Mango Memories (Anne Schwartz Books)
4. The Sweetest Mango (Tulika Books)
5. The Story of a Mango (National Book Trust India)
6. The Mango Birds (National Book Trust India)
7. Kallu’s World 3: Mangu Mali and the Ambia Bhoot (Pratham Books)
8. Mad Mango (National Book Trust India)
9. Farah Loves Mangos (Flying Eye Books)
10. Many Mangoes to Share (Pratham Books)
11. The Good Indian Child’s Guide to Eating Mangoes (HarperCollins India)
12. Mangoes (Muskaan)
13. The Mango Tree (Pratham Books)
14. Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India (Ebury Press)
15. Magnifera Indica: A Biography of the Mango (Aleph)

Image: Holidays/​Storyweaver

About the Author

Harshikaa Udasi is a children’s author who loves spending time with children, books and book characters. She also runs Book Trotters Collaborative, building reading environments in schools.