Storybook Styles

TOPIC.  I've decided that my topic for my storybook will center around Ravana's family with the goal of showcasing some of Ravana's family members, both good and bad.  I will use at least four stories including:  Kubera; Lord of Wealth, Kubhakarna; The Sleeping Giant, Vibhishana, and his son Indrajit.  I chose these based on their closeness of relationship to Ravana and the roles they played in the Ramayana and in the battle against Rama.  I chose two who seemed fairly good and two who were displayed as villainous.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
"Indrajit", by Donald A. Mackenzie, from Indian Myth and Legend (1913). Web Source: PDE Ramayana
"Vibhishana", by Donald A. Mackenzie, from Indian Myth and Legend (1913). Web Source: PDE Ramayana
Kubera: Lord of Wealth, by Amar Chitra Katha, Volume 839
Kumbhakarna, by Amar Chitra Katha, Volume 528

POSSIBLE STYLES

Court case style.  One of the ideas that I really like for tying all of these stories into one style is to put them in a way as if they were put on trial for having been involved with the kidnapping and containment of Princess Sita.  They would be judged on grounds such as the degree of their involvement, their intent, and their character.  I think this would be a good way to show who truly were the righteous and who were truly evil people.  I like this style because I think it would be a good way to show the difference between those that truly wished to go against Rama, and those whose duty was to follow Ravana.

War Memorial.  Another good way might be to have a war memorial where speakers speak about these people and the struggles they triumphed through in order to save Sita from Ravana and his cohorts.  Vibhishana himself might even speak as he was left to live forever and he could provide an eyewitness account to the Memorial.

Sons of Vishrava: a Celestial Genealogy.  This would be more of a anthology that would show the different offspring of their father Vishrava, and this would include Ravana, instead of Indrajit, and others as he had many children from his two wives.  This one would be fairly easy to do and would be structured in a ancestry.com sort of way.  I like this one because it would give more leeway on the information I could include on each character offering a well rounded amount of information that isn't just focused on the abduction of Sita.

Lanka, a City of Struggle.  Part of Kubera's story is of how he was chosen to rule Lanka first but it was taken from him by Ravana.  Then Ravana used his brother Kubhakarna to try and keep the city and he also sent his own son and heir to fight Rama in which case he was eventually killed.   Not only that, but Vibhishana tried to save Ravana and the city by providing wise advice but was tossed aside.  I like this because I could research more information on the city itself and find more information about how the city was actually ruled through time.

(Kubera: Lord of Wealth)