Guru Nanak The First Sikh Guru

In this biography, exquisitely illustrated in the Indian miniature painting tradition, young readers learn about Guru Nanak’s life, his spiritual journeys in which he spread his divine message from the Himalayas to present-day Sri Lanka to Mecca, and his teachings as expressed through his daily life and his poetry. Born into a humble Hindu family, Nanak was an extraordinary child who from a very young age questioned the rituals of religion and the ways of the world around him. He grew up to be a great spiritual teacher and revolutionary for his times. His attempt to define a universal humanity resulted in Sikhism – a religion that embraces everyone. Singh's version of the guru’s life is based on the janam sakhis (birth stories) as well as the Sikh scriptures.

Rina Singh was born in India and came to Canada thirty years ago. She is a poet, artist and the author of several children’s books, including The Foolish Men of Agra (Key Porter), Trickster Tales (Scholastic) and A Forest of Stories (Barefoot Books, UK and US), which has been translated into four languages. In addition to her writing, she teaches art and drama to children. She lives in Toronto, ON. Andrée Pouliot is a visual artist who has exhibited her paintings in Canada, the US, the UK and India. She is also the founder and creative director of Soma Blockprints, an Indian export company specializing in woodblock printed fabrics. She is passionate about India and has studied Indian classical dance, mythology, textile arts, miniature painting and Hinduism. She lived in Delhi for many years, and her association with the Sikh religion there gave her inspiration for the illustrations in this book. She lives in Ottawa, ON and Jaipur, India.