The Clockwala’s Clues

The Clockwala’s Clues has been shortlisted for the Neev Book Award 2021!

Jasmine and Sheba want to spend the holidays finding homes for stray puppies. But to do so, they have to first solve a series of puzzles set by Sheba’s father, Clockwala Uncle. Can they do this in time?

Illustrations by Suvidha Mistry

About the Series

The hOle books are a series of chapter books published by Duckbill Books (an imprint of Penguin Random House India). Jump into reading through a Duckbill hOle and discover delightful illustrated stories!

Reviews

Well-written, interestingly funny, intriguing enough for a kid – book review by Neil Binoy (Amazon)

A quick-paced book about a race against time, a hunt for the answer to the clockwala uncle’s clues, a desperate crusade to save Sheba from, the horror, time management class, so that she and her best friend Jasmine could save the stray puppies of Main Street. But will they be able to solve the archaic riddles and quests within the hour, or will they fail miserably? […] A great mini-detective-ish story by Varsha Seshan, great for aspiring little Sherlocks. Or Sheerlucks. A fun little titbit of a quick adventure sending two girls running around two separate family-owned shops. Incredibly entertaining, for something of its short size. 

Two 8-year olds crack clues in analog time – book review by Suparna (Amazon)

Loved how this was crafted and all the detailing that went into the story. The urgency to solve this little puzzle along with the two little girls, with a sprinkling of wit and humour make this a good, fun read (I’ll be giggling at “Clockwali aunty” for a while – how adorable it sounds and what a fun snapshot of a child’s mind working with language). The illustrations complemented the world-building beautifully, lots of old world clocks that tell both direction and time!

 Very sweet story – book review by Samiksha (Amazon)

This book was the right mix of suspense, adventure, friendship and innocence. I loved the simplicity of the story and its insight into the lives of children coming from families owning small businesses.

Watch a Reading of an Excerpt

http://https://youtu.be/76WFHgH6T4M

A Little More about the Book

While most of my stories are set in and around Pune, where I grew up, I never explicitly say this because I always tweak the setting to suit my story. The Clockwala’s Clues has the clearest references to Pune, though – it even has real places like West End and the staircase to the shoe shop ‘Top’! Tipu Gully, where most of the action is set, is based on a real by-lane too; I wonder if those familiar with Pune will identify it. Take a look at my journey with this story here.