Chandra is a much-loved child named for the moon. In a year when the monsoon rains flood her village, her parents are carried away in the waters. Her aunt and uncle take her in, but the love and warmth are gone from her life. Her only comfort is her mother’s wooden flute but her aunt and uncle tire of hearing it and toss it into the river. Not long after, Chandra is tending the cows and hears the flute. “It sang of hope and plenty.” Food appears, and for the first time since her parents’ death Chandra isn’t hungry. When her aunt and uncle find out she’s not sharing the magic food, she is cast out in the midst of another flood. But the flute sounds again, leading her into the arms of a loving couple who lost their son the year before and ask her to be their daughter. Rachna Gilmore’s original tale includes love, tragedy, cruelty, and a beautifully happy ending. The broad strokes of plot and character match the folkloric feel of this satisfying story. (Ages 4–8)

Written by Governor General Award-winning author Rachna Gilmore and illustrated by Pula Biswas, one of India's most well-known illustrators, The Flute tells the story of a little girl who gets caught up in a swollen river overflowing its banks and nearly drowns. Tragically, her mother and father are swept away in the flood and the little girl is raised by a cruel and uncaring aunt and uncle, but manages to find solace in her mother's magic flute. Memorably illustrated, The Flute tells an exquisite story of resilience and hope.