I've been a fan of Green Humour aka Rohan Chakravarty for so long that I've been wanting to read Sea ice? Now you don't! ever since it was published. It was as delightful as I expected! I found myself reading page after page, alternating between laughter and despair even as I admired the depth and breadth of research that has gone into the creation of each comic.As Rosemary Mosco says in the foreword, what I love about Rohan's work is the way it connects the natural world with the humans who are part of it. His comics are fearless and hard-hitting in their commentary on politicians, influencers and businesspeople alike. While some comics are about species we all know, like a series of comics on tigers, many are about birds and beasts about which I know nothing, from the mistle thrush to the mangrove whistler. Clever punchlines and eye-catching art come together to make us think, … [Read more...]
The Halloween Adventure and Other Stories
The World of Butterfingers works so well in the comic format! I've read just one book from the popular series by Khyrunnisa A before--Smash It, Butterfingers!--and it was an enjoyable read. This one, illustrated by Abhijeet Kini, is fun and engaging, reminding me of the Tinkle comics I read as a child.The Halloween Adventure and Other Stories is a collection of three stories featuring Amar Kishen, aka Butterfingers. Butterfingers is clumsy, enterprising, and a whole lot of fun. In each of the three stories in the book, Butterfingers finds himself in a sticky situation, but manages not just to escape, but to make everything better.The comic book style works perfectly, drawing us into the hilarity of the world Butterfingers inhabits. While I did find some of the narration unnecessary, I loved how easy and readable the format was. The expressions on the characters' faces, as well … [Read more...]
Sad Animal Facts
Did you know that frogs can close their ears? Or that anything a duckling meets within ten minutes of being born becomes its parent? (That reminds me of The Wild Robot, though the bird in the story is a gosling, not a duckling. Even so.) Those two aren't sad animal facts, though, are they?In fact, many of the sad animal facts in the book aren't exactly sad. It's the endearing way in which Brooke Barker presents them that makes you feel that way. Quirky, informative, and wholly entertaining, I found myself struck by every page, a collection of animal facts presented in a wholly unique style.The cover itself prepares you for the style of the book. The fact presented is simple: Cats can't taste sweet things. But the cartoon and speech bubble are what make it charming, for you have a cartoon cat saying, 'tell me about ice cream again.'Similarly, the back cover informs us that … [Read more...]