A young girl sets out to save her village from a devastating drought by searching for and finding the demon who has swallowed the rain seed. Mala has all of the elements that appeal to youngsters: music and dance, fairy godmothers, demons, scary landscapes, and a heroine who knows the answers to all of the questions and conquers the inevitable monster to save her family's village.

The richly coloured tapestry-like illustrations by Annouchka Gravel Galouchko tell the tale even without the text and provide an excellent opportunity for some imaginative and spontaneous story-telling, if children are not quite old enough to sit through an entire reading.

The most delightful feature of this book is the gentle feminist thrust that empowers Mala to challenge the demon and retrieve the rain seed, without diminishing the abilities of her brother, Mani. For those countless young girls who cannot see themselves beyond aspiring to be ballerinas or Mummies, this book will broaden their horizons in a very positive and encouraging way.