I remember the first time I visited Tadoba. Our guide, Vishwas, told us that being a forest guide is much like being a detective. You have to listen, look for detail, pay attention, and follow the clues. And the ruddy mongoose in the story–a naturalist and a sleuth–does just that.
As with Sea ice? Now you don’t!, the depth and breadth of research took my breath away. Page after page, I was awestruck by everything Rohan Chakravarty and his sleuth Naturalist Ruddy draw our attention to. Birds, spiders, ants, lizards–everything catches Ruddy’s eye, and everything becomes a marvellous mystery for us to uncover. Parts of the book invite the reader to engage in an investigation with Ruddy, revealing gems of information in the best possible way.
As an educator, I’m constantly on the lookout for texts that make nonfiction writing fun. I’ve worked with Sad Animal Facts and How Do Meerkats Order Pizza?. We’ve looked at The First of Everything and Uncle Oscar’s Chairs. And already, last week, I introduced a group of educators to ‘Carri-On’, Ruddy. Using comics in class never fails, and when a book combines colour and fun with an impeccable eye for detail, we have a text that we can use over and over again. Brilliant wordplay comes together with silly and playful humour making us chuckle even as we turn the page and learn something new.
‘Carri-on’, Ruddy is a book for keeps. It’s one you keep returning to, discovering something new to laugh at or admire each time you open it.
| Title | ‘Carri-On’, Ruddy |
| Author | Rohan Chakravarty |
| Tags | Comics, Nature, Nonfiction |
| Ages | 10+ |
| Rating (out of 5) | 5 |
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