Mukerji, Dhan Gopal << moo kur JEE, dawn goh PAHL >> (1890-1936), was an American children’s author who was born in India. Mukerji became known for his books that portray animal life and present Hindu folklore, poetry, and philosophy for young readers. Mukerji won the 1929 Newbery Medal for Gay-Neck: The Story of a Pigeon (1928). The medal is awarded annually to the best children’s book written by an American.
Gay-Neck tells about the adventures of a carrier pigeon who is trained in Calcutta (now Kolkata), India, and accompanies his young Indian master into battle in Europe during World War I (1914-1918). Critics praised the book for its sensitive portrayal of the bond between the bird and the young man, a hunter named Ghond. Mukerji continued the story of Gay-Neck’s young owner in Ghond, the Hunter (1928).
Mukerji’s first children’s book was Kari, the Elephant (1922). The story takes place in the Indian jungle, an area the author knew well from his childhood. The book reflects Mukerji’s belief that human beings should live in harmony with nature. Hari, the Jungle Lad (1924) tells about an Indian boy who accompanies his father on several hunting trips. Mukerji’s other children’s books include Hindu Fables for Little Children (1929), The Chief of the Herd (1929), The Master Monkey (1932), and Fierce-Face: The Story of a Tiger (1936). Mukerji also wrote several books for adults about Indian culture, history, and society.
Mukerji was born on July 6, 1890, in a village near Calcutta, India. He became a Hindu priest at the age of 14 and traveled for two years as a beggar. He left the priesthood after another year to begin academic studies. He attended the University of Calcutta in 1908 before moving to Japan. He studied at the University of Tokyo in 1909 and then immigrated to the United States in 1910.
Mukerji received a graduate degree from Stanford University in 1914. He described his life in India and the United States to the age of 25 in his autobiography, Caste and Outcast (1923). Mukerji suffered from mental illness at several times during his life and died by suicide in New York City on July 14, 1936.
