A picture book that brings together numbers, food and places all over India? Yes, please!Although I’m usually a stickler and don’t like near rhymes like fry and style or sea and puris, I found myself enjoying 1 2 3 Idlis in a Sambar Sea. Books that appeal to all our senses are always a treat, and this one does it perfectly. The illustrations by Tanya Sharma bring to life the sights, sounds and smells of all the places we visit. And the text by Ashwitha Jayakumar has us eating a jalebi on page 1 (though how is one jalebi enough for anyone?), then parathas, egg curry, bhel puri, aamras … Yum!More, the book is not just a culinary treat; it takes us on a journey across the length and breadth of the country. With kebabs and fish, biryani and chaas, we visit Amritsar, Chennai, Kolkata, Jaipur—a new place on every page. What a delightful book! Title1 2 3 Idlis in a Sambar … [Read more...]
If Elephants Could Talk
Temple elephants. I’ve always hated the fact that they exist. I remember during a dance tour once, when everyone lined up to be blessed by the elephant. I stayed away. And like Meenakshi in If Elephants Could Talk, I didn’t say a thing. I didn’t know how to form my words or what to say.Ever since Meenakshi’s mother died, she hasn’t spoken. People make fun of her, calling her moonga, as well as all kinds of other names. Yet, Meenu can’t find her words. She cannot respond to questions in class, and she cannot answer the bullies.Through it all, her Acha is a pillar of strength, as is her Anju chechi, all the way in Delhi. With their unwavering support, Meenu finally finds a way to express herself.If Elephants Could Talk touches upon two themes close to my heart—animals and dance. And perhaps that was why I was left with so many questions. How is Meenakshi’s dance teacher, her … [Read more...]
Left-Out Paru
Why is the word left associated with so many negative things? Gauche in French, sinistra in Italian, and of course, phrases in English like being left out, having two left feet … I could go on and on because there are just so many examples—dextrous, adroit, being right are all corollaries of the same thing.And this brings me to Left-Out Paru, written by Bijal Vachharajani and illustrated by Rajiv Eipe. The protagonist of the story, Paru, is left-handed, and she is bullied for it, most particularly by her bench mate Nina. Other classmates soon join in the bullying, calling Paru names like 'Scrammy Sinistral' (I didn’t know the word sinistral, by the way, and I was happy to learn it!). Paru gets angrier and angrier, until one day, she decides to put the argument to rest with an arm-wrestling match—left-handed Paru vs right-handed Nina.Left-Out Paru addresses so many ideas I … [Read more...]
Gossamer
What a gorgeous book! Gossamer by Lois Lowry is delicately woven, pulling at your heart strings as it takes you through a tapestry of dreams, sorrow, love and wonder.Littlest isn’t sure what she is. Is she a dog? But she doesn’t have a tail! Is she human? Her instructor Fastidious never answers her questions. Fastidious finds Littlest too curious, too full of chatter. And that's why everyone is happy when Thin Elderly begins to mentor Littlest instead, guiding her through her fluttery questions and relentless curiosity.Soon, Littlest discovers who she is--a giver of dreams. Lightly, with a gossamer touch, she runs her fingers over objects everywhere, gathering memories and stories. She weaves these together and then releases a dream, one that may make the sleeper smile and sigh. When the Sinisteeds come with their nightmares, Littlest and Thin Elderly must work harder than … [Read more...]
Beverly, Right Here
I never came across Kate DiCamillo’s work as a child. I haven’t read so many of her more famous books—not The Tale of Desperaux or Mercy Watson or any of those. I did read Because of Winn-Dixie with my book club, though, and we loved it!And now, I read Beverly, Right Here, another book that aches with tenderness and vulnerability.It takes a while to get into the story because Beverly, at the beginning, isn’t a likeable character. Life has taught her to shield herself from love because things you love go away. Like her dog Buddy.The story opens with her burying Buddy and deciding that there’s nothing left for her in her town. So she gets a ride—with someone she doesn’t like—and strides off into an unknown future with no plans and no money. And Beverly, right here, begins to discover herself.Determined not to commit to anything, Beverly refuses to think about anything … [Read more...]
Bipathu and a Very Big Dream
Bipathu often has the same dream. A dream where she, her Ikka Saad, and Hrithik Roshan are playing football. But dreams don’t come true, do they? Especially not very big dreams like this one?As we read the story, we find out!Bipathu and a Very Big Dream is about dreams, reality, and everything in between. All kinds of special relationships blossom in the story, and the most precious one of all, to my mind, is the one between Bipathu and her neighbour, whom everyone calls Madama. Madama has strange notions about how the universe comes to help people, and much to her surprise, Bipathu realises that Madama isn’t entirely wrong. The universe takes multiple forms, though. Sometimes, it even takes the form of a wounded puppy, one that leads to the spark of another unusual relationship.From gender stereotypes to bullying and disability, Bipathu and a Very Big Dream addresses very … [Read more...]
Ammini Against the Storm
Ammini Against the Storm is a reflection of the world we live in, a world where the urban rich are immune to the raging storms that destroy the lives of the poor. Ammini’s parents work hard to send her to a private school so that she can rise above her circumstances and be something other than a farmer. Even as we learn about Ammini's family and their ambitions, we hear the wryness of the narrative voice. This is a system where the farmers, without whom we cannot survive, are on the bottom rung of the ladder, and the only way for them to survive is to climb. Through Ammini, we experience both anger and vulnerability. When everyone grows paddy, Ammini’s father gets a fraction of the expected price for his crop. Why shouldn’t he move to cash crops like everyone else? Why should he and the other farmers, rather than the rich elite, be responsible for maintaining the … [Read more...]
The Trickster
When Katha asked me whether I would be willing to review their upcoming release, The Trickster, I thought about it. I am not usually a fan of retellings. Additionally, I don't post negative reviews; I review only books I enjoy. I decided I would take the chance, though, and I am glad I did!The Trickster (retold by Meenakshi Bharadwaj from a Native American tale) is a visual treat. Charbak Dipta's artwork is stunning, and each page makes you linger, looking at all the details. The story itself is a humorous one, with a delightful twist at the end that leaves you wondering who the trickster really is. Is it the coyote who can use his magic stick to make wishes come true? Or is it someone else altogether?This simple, quirky story comes alive because of the illustrations. As someone who enjoys working with stories, I also liked the activities at the end of the book. There are so … [Read more...]
Sundarbans 2025
What have you heard about the Sundarbans? I've heard all kinds of things. Most of the tigers are man-eaters.People who step out hope not to see a tiger because if they do, they probably won't come back.Like any other water safari, you don't really see animals because you're in the water, and why would animals come out of the woods to see you?Most of what I knew was like that. A rudimentary search told me nothing about how to get to the Sundarbans. Following my school text book, I even wrote it Sunderbans because I didn't know that it got its name from the sundari tree. What are the safari timings? Where does one stay? How does one get there? Is the forest closed in the monsoon? Zilch.Thanks to a friend who's been there, though, we contacted a guide and got a little more clarity--eventually. We learned that the forest was open, and so, off we went to figure out how things work. … [Read more...]
Friends Behind Walls
Inu and Putti are not allowed to play with each other. But what can they possibly do when everyone else in Shanti Park seems to have been born at the age of 30? They have no one to play with except each other!Soon they discover that they actually like each other and want to be friends, so they need an answer to the Most Important Question: why are their families fighting?They go to one person after another, searching for answers (or answers-shanswers, as Putti's father would say). Mr Om Namaha, Dr Solanki and the Tekdichi Mhatari - who can answer their question?Friends Behind Walls is such a gorgeous book that I simply had to include it in my reading programme! Here's some of what we will do. Word Games Putti loves words and so do I. He breaks words up and comments on how nonsensical they are. Legend = lej+end, but it has nothing to do … [Read more...]