The Five Fingered Family

The Five Fingered Family truly seems to be a labor of love, and both the writer and illustrator have complemented each other well in giving us not only a story for teaching virtue but also a beautiful form of art that will soothe the eyes and hearts of young and old alike. Parents and teachers can use this wonderful tale to encourage teamwork among siblings, friends, and groups - a great way to demonstrate the benefits of working together!

Papa Angulee and his family make up the five whose power lies in working together like the fingers of a hand. When the homeless family encounters a very ugly troll who tries to capture them, he becomes afraid of their united strength and gives them a treasure in exchange for his life. Everything goes wrong when a greedy neighbor decides to try his family's luck with the troll -- and returns with a treasure beyond jewels! Shakta Kaur Khalsa's The Five Fingered Family is a compelling, entertaining, highly recommended story of family unity that is charmingly illustrated by Siri-Karter Khalsa in the style of a 16th century Mughal painting, rendered with an Indian sense of color reminiscent of Rajput 18th century miniatures.