I just finished reading book 3 of the Little Shambu series, and it's just as enjoyable as the others! We meet all the familiar characters--Little Shambu and family, the dog Dum Dum, Little Shambu's neighbour Shanti, the class bully JJ--as well as several new characters with names that made me chuckle. The drama teacher, for instance, is called Miss Mithi Sharbat, but more fun are the biology teacher Professor Y. Russ and the P.E. teacher, Stan D'tease!Just like the other collections of stories, Dum Dum to the Rescue & Yet More Adventures of Little Shambu comprises believable tales of an urban boy's encounters with animals. A monkey enters Little Shambu's house, Mama Shambu keeps a fox and chickens, and JJ plays a prank that involves four tame mice. Of course, Dum Dum is part of several adventures too. At the very end of the book is a lovely little backstory showing us how … [Read more...]
In the Bear’s Den & More Adventures of Little Shambu
Life is never humdrum with Little Shambu around, and I loved this next set of adventures too! I remember reading about how the non-violence policy of Shikari Shambu ensured that he never fired a single shot. In fact, he is more a forest ranger than a hunter, and these stories about Little Shambu set the stage for a Shikari Shambu who loves animals. From saving the life of a harmless snake to meeting an officer who rescues bears, these tales featuring Little Shambu are a lovely way to introduce environment activism in young children.At the same time, the stories don’t shy away from mirroring reality, whether it is in the context of an elephant at a temple in Kerala or a rattlesnake that needs to be returned to its natural habitat. I enjoyed also how gently the idea of livelihood versus animal rights was expressed through stories like “Shooting with a Bear”. But as with Strangus … [Read more...]
Strangus Derangus and Other Adventures of Little Shambu
Much of my childhood was spent surrounded by Enid Blytons and Roald Dahls, Dick King-Smiths and Allen Frewin Joneses. But Tinkle stayed a favourite. I never got drawn to Chandamama or even Amar Chitra Katha mythology the way I was drawn to Tinkle. My grandfather subscribed to the magazine, and every so often, he would find a sheet of white card paper and bind several issues together to make a nice fat Tinkle volume, which we treasured.The problem with returning to beloved childhood tales, however, is that so often, they're nowhere near as lovely as you remember them to be. Enid Blyton is preachy. The Animal Ark books I loved so much have very little story. I haven't gone back to Suppandi, Shikari Shambu, Tantri the Mantri or Naseeruddin Hodja because I am afraid I will find them silly. That's the reason I postponed reading Little Shambu too. But I just did, and all the stories in … [Read more...]