The making of...The Pelicans and The Sea

The Panchatantra (200 BCE - 300 CE) is an ancient Indian collection of interrelated animal fables in Sanskrit verse and prose. These stories are arranged within a ‘frame story’, meaning each individual tale contributes to a wider narrative. The Panchatantra is considered to have influenced later European books, such as Boccaccio and The Grimm Brothers. These stories are filk tales, passed down through centuries and generations, so no two versions are exactly alike. For this collection, Sabina developed her own version of her three favourite tales.

The Pelicans and The Sea design was based on a Panchatantra story named ‘The Bird Pair And The Sea’. Read Sabina’s re-telling below:

The pelicans seek a safe place to lay their precious eggs, and carefully choose the seashore as their new nest and home. Angry at their audacity, the sea sends a large wave to wash the eggs away. The birds are aghast with worry and appeal pleadingly to Garuda, the Hindu bird king, to ensure their safe return. Garuda brokers a deal with Lord Vishnu, and the eggs are swiftly returned to the birds.

THE PELICANS AND THE SEA ILLUSTRATION IN PROGRESS