Do you find language learning fun? I'm not sure if I ever did. It was something that happened automatically, or didn't happen at all, and I've written about it before in the context of International Mother Language Day. But what if language learning can be fun, or even "romba fun", as ingey angey leads us to believe? How delightful that would be!ingey angey is a rhyming book that introduces Tamil words in a thoroughly enjoyable manner. What I would have loved along with the board book was an audio book, especially as words like kannakutty aren't spelt in a way that reads naturally. Later on, we have the word kanna, which makes the pronunciation of the earlier word even more confusing.Despite the few tiny quarrels with the book, I love the concept, the execution, and the artwork. I would love to see board books like this for every language! ingey angey is a book that … [Read more...]
1 2 3 Idlis in a Sambar Sea
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...]
Learning to Be
Learning to Be is an interesting series of nonfiction board books, each of which tells the story of an inspiring woman who made a difference. Stories about women are important because so many have been written out of history. Presenting their stories in the form of board books is a unique concept and a striking one. We don't usually find words like 'commitment' and 'perseverance' in a board book! Yet, when these books with their vivid illustrations are read aloud to young children, I'm sure they will be impactful. I wonder, however, if these stories would have been easier to understand in simple prose, considering the target age-group. Rhyme allowed these stories to be brief and quick-paced, but I also found that rhyme restricted the word choice in several places. Women in … [Read more...]
The Great Big Lion
I work with young writers all the time. Sure, not with children as young as Chryseis Knight when she wrote The Great Big Lion, but seven and eight-year-olds often send me stories and poems to read. Sometimes, especially with slightly older children - about the age of 11 or 12 - I am amazed at the scope of their ideas and world building. When it comes to younger ones, I love how uninhibited they are. At my writers' club, for instance, I am constantly struck by the fact that children aren't daunted by the idea of writing a poem or a story in ten minutes! The Great Big Lion reminded me of all these stories in so many ways. It's a simple, sweet story about two children and an animal.Tom and Lily hunt everywhere for their friend, a great big lion. This simple idea forms the framework of an appealing story for young children. I love the colours on the pages where the lion roars. I liked each … [Read more...]