while I enjoyed the story and its illustrations, I would have liked to have read more about how those changes came to be and how much progress has been against the caste system in today's world. As India's first Law Minister, he helped write the laws in the Constitution that would spell change for others. Schooling in the United States further awakened him to the unfairness of the caste system, and once he returned home, he worked to change things, writing, speaking, and attracting followers. But when he attended school, the other children and most teachers ostracized him because of his caste. The last child in a family of fourteen children, Bhim was a curious child, eager to learn. In this brief biography, readers will learn about Bhimrao Ambedkar who dared to ask why about the caste system in India. However, a quick review of history often reveals that nothing changes unless some brave soul does ask those hard questions such as why something has to be a certain way. It often seems that many individuals merely accept their fate or societal rules without questioning them. He also studies law in London and, upon his return, fights for the basic human rights of his people.Īll in all, Bhimrao Ambedkar: The Boy Who Asked Why is a wonderful biography of a little known Indian social reformer – Bhimrao Ambedkar. Despite the numerous obstacles placed in his path, Bhim studies hard and wins a scholarship to a school in the United States.

Bhim is considered an 'Untouchable', which means that they cannot eat with people from higher castes, drink from the same wells, swim in the same ponds, or even be touched. Even as a child, Bhim is aware that the world he lives in is like a ladder and that he – like the other people in his caste, occupies the lowest rung.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Gade's brushy watercolors brim with energy and even humor. Backmatter includes a timeline and endnotes. Rajendran's text of culturally familiar images seems aimed primarily at an Indian audience living in India, and North American audiences unfamiliar with the context will need some help. Rajendran's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. This import traces the life and work of the social reformer Bhimrao 'Bhim' Ambedkar as he fought for the rights of lower-caste people in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.īhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was an Indian jurist, economist, politician and social reformer, who inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement and campaigned against social discrimination towards the untouchables (Dalits). Bhimrao Ambedkar: The Boy Who Asked Why is a children's picture book written by Sowmya Rajendran and illustrated by Satwik Gade.

Bhimrao Ambedkar by Sowmya Rajendran