Rosenstock, Barb The Secret Kingdom: Nek Chand, a Changing
India, and a Hidden World of Art Illustrated by Claire A. Nivola PICTURE BOOK
Candlewick Press, 2018. $17. Content: G.
Nek grew up in the Punjab region as a child. He loved his home and its stories and would
try to recreate them with stones and twigs.
When the Punjab region was split into Pakistan and India, Nek’s family
had to flee to Chandigarh a modern Indian city.
Nek missed his homeland so he started to gather the trash from the
streets and he found a hidden spot where he started recreating the people and
stories he missed through art. Over the course of
fifteen years, Nek built twelve acres worth of recycled art and was eventually
discovered by government officials who tried to get rid of his art. People in the community stood with Nek and
protected his creations so his art can still be viewed today.
This is a true story about Nek Chand and his
amazing folk art. There are pictures of
his actual creations and an author’s note at the end that explains how there
are still people trying to rid India of Chand’s creations. I think this would be fun to use in an art
class and I love how he transferred his feelings and love for his home into
art.
EL (K-3), EL, MS – ADVISABLE. Reviewer, C. Peterson.
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