conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What could be a title for a book about Taj, Mahal, Mughal with the genre: Arts & Photography, Architecture?
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: A title for this book could be 'Taj Mahal'
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What is a description for a book titled Taj Mahal about Mogul, Taj, Mahal with the genre: Children's Books, Arts, Music & Photography?
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: The sixteenth-century love story behind the Taj Mahal, rather than the monument itself, is the focus of this gorgeous picture book. Cowritten by two seasoned children's-book authors, the heavily fictionalized narrative tells of the passionate first meeting, and ensuing devoted partnership, between Khurram, a Mogul prince, and his bride, Arjumand. Her death in childbirth leads the stricken widower, now emperor, to commission a lavish mausoleum "as perfect... as if heaven and earth were joined." Despite the Library of Congress cataloging the book as history, the extended context provided in the book's endnote challenges such cut-and-dried categorization; it turns out that the emperor actually had three wives and that "the love story... is based largely on legend." The latter ought to have been stated up front, but little will hinder readers from reveling in the artistic contributions of Bhushan, a Hyderabad native. In the tradition of Mogul miniatures, his ornate, elaborately framed paintings capture the culture of elegant luxury that reached its apogee in the story's celebrated structure. A bibliography "for historical facts in the text" is provided, but there are no specific source notes. Mattson, Jennifer