This book is a refreshing change from the predictable format of much contemporary children’s non-fiction. What could easily have ended up as a sidebar in a book on India is instead a leisurely paced and informative photographic essay.

British Columbia-based textile artist and writer Dorothy Field documents the working life of a family of temple cloth printers in Ahmadabad (in the state of Gujarat). Vaghi and his family print cloths used to worship the Hindu Mother Goddess. Field describes the technical, economic, artistic, and spiritual aspects of the work. She looks at creativity within the rules of religious art, the eldest son’s talent at drawing, and how the woodblock technology is changing. Vaghi’s work-in-progress tells several stories of gods, demons, and enchanted animals; these stories are woven into the text. There is a sense of the strong integration of storytelling and religion in daily life – one of the book’s many strengths. However, a non-fiction account of religious experience should display some critical distance between the writer and the subject: to say that “many of the men enter a trance state in which they themselves become the Goddess and can speak for her” presents as fact to the reader what is true for only those involved.

The book’s design echoes its content: a running border and screened images add variety to the crisp black-and-white photos. Here is an example of a modest but effective two-colour book design. The stories are printed in the deep red used for the temple cloths. The striking duotone cover shows Vaghi’s finished product. There is a map at the front, but surprisingly, no mention in the text of the helpful glossary at the back. (Incidentally, the temple cloth printers are identified as low caste, but “caste” is not in the glossary.) Field’s writing style is direct and not at all condescending, making this book a first-rate look at the subject for adults, too. Try it with grade 5/6 students to enrich discussions on India, family life, religion, storytelling, young artists, traditional textiles, and changing technology.