Do you like your name? Have you ever thought of changing it? I know lots of people who've changed their names--including my grandmother--but I've always loved mine. I love the letter 'V' and I love what my name means ... unlike Khadija in the story. Why couldn't her parents have chosen a simpler name? Like Priya or Hema, for instance.My Name Is Khadija is a humorous, enjoyable read. Mariyam Fatima's words make Khadija come alive to us, and Isha Nagar's illustrations are full of joy.Khadija's stubbornness, her childlike questions, and her determination to get the best deal are delightful. When her father tells her that Khadija was Prophet Muhammad's first wife, Khadija's response is perfect, exactly what I could imagine a child saying -- But I don't want to be anyone's wife.Right through the story, I found myself chuckling at the pictures, especially at the expressions on … [Read more...]
The Race for Rugda
The Race for Rugda by Lesley D. Biswas and Anupama Ajinkya Apte is a heartwarming story for young readers. In some ways, it's an old-fashioned tale, one that helps us believe goodness and kindness will always be rewarded. Yet, it conveys this message in the sweetest possible way without hitting us on the head with its moral!Savita's mother has been ill for a while. When she's finally regaining her appetite and her strength, all she wants is rugda--a mushroom that people in Savita's village forage for in the woods. Savita is determined to find the mushrooms for her mother, but when people need her help with other things, what can she do?As the story progresses, we hope that things will turn out for the best--and they do. Ultimately, we finish this delightful Hook Book with a smile, reassured that all is well with the world!TitleThe Race for RugdaAuthorIllustratorLesley D. … [Read more...]
Prabir’s New Flute
I love Asha Nehemiah's stories, and I love Rajiv Eipe's artwork. How could I not read a Hook Book created by the two of them?Prabir's New Flute is a lovely, gentle story about a gifted boy, whose music is part of every happy event in Munshipara. When his flute breaks, however, Prabir realises that only half the gift is within him. The other half is in the magic of his flute. And so begins his quest for the perfect flute, one that will help him create the best kind of music.What I loved most about this slim little book is the whimsical element of magic. It feels almost real, and wholly believable, even if it is--at least for the time being--out of our reach. Each flute Prabir fashions creates music that is similar to the surroundings in which the bamboo grew. As a child, I would particularly have loved the possibility of it being true! As an adult, I couldn't help thinking … [Read more...]
Manvinder’s Medu Vada
Manvinder's Medu Vada by Riddhi Maniar Doda and Vinayak Varma had me chuckling at each page! I could completely identify with Manvinder, who refuses to eat something that doesn't look like it's supposed to look! As a child, I had a problem with the same food--vadas. How could it be a real vada if it didn't have a hole? This, despite the fact that vadas (without holes) were made at home for special occasions, and I enjoyed them too!When Manvinder's family moves to Bengaluru, he eats a medu vada for the first time. It's delicious. Somehow, gobi parathas no longer look so tempting! And so, the family sets off on a mission to make medu vadas for him.With each page, Manvinder grows more and more upset. A medu vada is supposed to be round! With a hole in it! The page that had me laughing aloud was the one where he's fooled into eating a donut instead!I love the wholesomeness of … [Read more...]
The Wish Fish
Would you believe in a fish that could grant wishes? Namita wants to, but ...The Wish Fish by Lesley D. Biswas and Aratrika Choudhury is a charming story set in a small village in the middle of a big mangrove forest. Namita's father is a fisherman, and Namita loves to help her father pick the fish out of the net.One day, however, he catches a fish that no one has ever seen before. Not even those who have been around for decades!No one, that is, until Namita takes the fish to her friend, who tells her it is a magical fish that can grant wishes. Namita has so many wishes, though! As she worries about what to wish for, she begins to think: if a fish could grant wishes, would it not make a wish for itself and be free, instead of trapped in a rice handi?A lovely, colourful book that deals with compassion and kindness, The Wish Fish spoke to the child in me. I think (hope!) I … [Read more...]
Gawa’s Bag of Good Regards
Lots of adults I know hated the question What do you want to be when you grow up?I know I loved it as a child. I had so many dreams, and I loved talking about them. Sometimes, I delude myself into believing I always wanted to be a writer, but an old, old diary tells me that I once wanted to be a doctor and an artist!Gawa's Bag of Good Regards by Anushka Ravishankar and Canato Jimo is the story of a child who doesn't know what he wants to be. But he does know what he wants to do. Unlike everyone else in his class, he doesn't even want simply to say what the teacher wants to hear. He beams instead and says that he wants to carry a bag of good regards and distribute them.Reading Gawa's Bag of Good Regards as an adult is different, of course, from reading it with a child. If I read it with a child, I can't help wondering what kinds of conversations we would have. What do you … [Read more...]