BOOK REVIEW: "The Pleasant Rakshasa" by Sowmya Rajendran and Niveditha Subramaniam

Monsters are a theme that have inspired several children's books and movies.  "The Gruffalo", "Go Away Big Green Monster", "Where the Wild Things Are" are only a few of the popular ones.

Bearing semblance to the classic, "The Rainbow Fish", "The Pleasant Rakshasa" is about Karimuga, a 'rakshasa' (monster) like no other.  The other rakshasas think he's lucky because of his beautiful looks.  But Karimuga doesn't feel good about himself!  What's the use of being beautiful if others envy you and feel bad about themselves?

So Karimuga visits a wise, old tree for help in changing things.   When Karimuga goes back home, he is glad to see that the other rakshasas are no longer sad.  Each one has acquired one of his beautiful features.  Unfortunately, now Karimuga himself looks pale without his original beauty.  How does he feel?

Life is a compromise; one must give up something to gain something.  Karimuga loses his beauty, but what does he gain.  Read the book to find out!

The text flows well in simple language except for two words - "immortality" and "invincibility" that I was surprised to come across in a book categorized for 3+.  Quirky, colourful illustrations make the story enjoyable.  Overall, an enjoyable read with the wonderful message of empathy, friendship and sharing.

Recommended for ages 4+.

BOOK REVIEW: “Kanna Panna” by Zai Whitaker/Niloufer Wadia (Publ: Tulika Publishers)

What would you do if nobody 'understands' you?

This story brings to light the 'power' of the less-abled and reminds us that being ‘normal’ has its limitations.

Narrated in the first person, this story is about Kanna, a quiet boy who doesn’t speak much even though words play around in his mind.  But then something happens during his stay with his Aunty’s family.  Something that makes him a whole new person!

Kanna, his Uncle, Aunty and cousins get trapped in the deep, dark maze of cave temples due to a sudden power outage.  Everyone is terrified, except Kanna.  The darkness does not scare him for he is used to it – Kanna is blind!

I love this heartening story and the charming illustrations that go with it. Kanna is such a cute little boy that during my first read of the book, I wondered why the parents were constantly picking on him.  That he is blind gets revealed rather suddenly, making the reader view Kanna differently.  But what follows is truly inspiring!

A thought-provoking read for children 6+.  

BOOK REVIEW: “Ashwathy and the Boot of God” by Sowmya Rajendran (Publ: Puffin)

  

I was intrigued by the title of this book when I spotted it on display at the Starmark bookstore in Chennai.  A glance at the back cover and I was hitched.  And I'm happy to say that I enjoyed reading this book.

When 14-year old Ashwathy of Kuttipuram, Kerala, stumbles upon a boot with a little notebook inside it, she is surprised to meet God who tells her about a murder mystery she, Ashwathy, has been ‘chosen’ to solve.  To help her investigate, God puts her in touch with the murdered woman, Sreeja, who appears before Ashwathy in a dream to share her story. 

A cigarette stub, a strange husband, a quiet daughter, a diary. Ashwathy has some serious investigating to do.  She seeks help from her friends.  Together they form the unofficial FBI Branch of Kuttipuram, Kerala.  With God’s help, they disguise themselves as grown-ups (I especially enjoyed these parts!) to probe around for further clues to help them solve the mystery.

A typical lecturing mother, a supportive father, teachers’ expectations, teen crushes – add to the mystery to make this book enjoyable for all children 12+.  The only awkward character is the math teacher making Ashwathy, and the reader, feel uncomfortable in his presence.  We often get hints until the real story about him is unveiled. 

The FBI Branch of Kuttipuram do emerge winners.  In fact, Ashwathy even sets the math teacher right in her own way with some assistance from God.

I loved how God is portrayed in the story as a helpful, caring, light-hearted woman.  She makes jokes about breaking 108 coconuts as offering, brings tea and even asks for toddy!

A humourous and fast-paced read for ages 12+.  Some adults would relish too!

PICTURE BOOK REVIEW: "Mala's Silver Anklets" by Annie Besant, Nancy Raj

Look at the little girl on the cover and you can sense how mischievous and cute she is! 

Mala likes to sneak upon people - she upsets the cat, alarms her grandmother, frightens her little brother and scares the postman.  

One day, Mala's mother brings her a special gift - a pair of silver anklets!  Mala wears her new anklets and proudly walks around.  But soon she discovers a problem.  “Chik Chik Chum” the anklets make a sound everywhere she goes; when she tries to upset the cat, when she tries to alarm her grandmother, when she tries to frighten her little brother and when she tries to scare the postman.  Now the anklets tell everyone that she is coming!

Mala is disappointed.  What does she do?  Read the book to find out.

I was enamoured by the simplicity of the story and the perfect illustrations that show Mala to be what she is - clever, naughty and cute!

Another one of my favourites from Tulika Publishers, this book reminded me of my own dislike for silver anklets as a child.  Though it was not because of the same reason as Mala, I wore them only for very, very special occasions.

A delightful read-aloud for little ones 3+ with its sound effects - Booooo, Hisssss, Muahahaha, Heehaw when Mala scares everyone and a melodious Chik Chik Chum for the anklets.  

BOOK REVIEW: "Petu Pumpkin Tooth Troubles" by Arundhati Venkatesh

Winner of the 2015 Crystal Kite Award

The second book in the Petu Pumpkin series...


Petu Pumpkin's friends form a Gap Club.  But Pushkin (Petu's real name) is ineligible to be a member for he doesn't have a 'gap' in his teeth.  If only he could lose a tooth, then he could be part of the Gap Club too.

Meanwhile, one of the Gap Club members, Jatin, challenges the proud fourth-graders to a football match because they call the Gap Club members "babies". Unfortunately, the Gap Club only has a plastic ball to practice with.  They desperately need a football.

Clever Pushkin makes a pact.  "If you let me join the Gap Club now, I'll ask the tooth fairy for a football when my tooth falls."

The offer is too tempting for the Gap Club to resist.  They are full of ideas and try different ways to make Pushkin's tooth fall - suggesting hard things to eat, tying a thread around his front tooth and pulling it and even aiming their plastic ball at his jaw!  But nothing works.

Then Pushkin remembers his Thatha (Grandpa) being worried about losing his few teeth when Paati (Grandma) offered him hard snacks like murukku and chikki.  Pushkin eats a mound of them and succeeds in making his front tooth loose.

The tooth eventually falls.  But Pushkin's request to the tooth fairy for a football is not granted.  Two, not one, baby teeth are needed to earn a football from the tooth fairy!

Pushkin must loose a second tooth.  With a second front tooth already dangling, he has no problem losing it with some assistance from his friends.

The football is finally granted and the club members begin their practice!

During the match, the fourth-graders take an immediate lead.  But when Pushkin takes over as referee, does the fate of the Gap Club change?  Will the snickering fourth-graders continue calling them "babies"?  To find out, read the book.

I liked the first book in the series - Petu Pumpkin: Tiffin Thief, but found this one more humourous.  Pushkin and his friends seem to get better at outdoing their rivals!  Some scenes such as Pushkin watching his loose tooth in the school toilet mirror while eating his lunch and whistle-hating dogs going after Pushkin and his friends, are particularly humourous.

Although meant for younger readers, this book does have some hard words like "sympathised" and "extricated" and phrases such as "tails between their legs".  But what's the use of a book if it doesn't add to your vocabulary and knowledge of the language?

Overall, an enjoyable read for kids 7+.

BOOK REVIEW: "Meddling Mooli and the Blue-legged Alien" by Asha Nehemiah

I was at Higginbothams, Chennai, browsing the children's section for books by Indian writers when I stumbled upon this amusing read.  The author's name drew my attention to this book.  In the past I have read a couple of other good reads by her - "Mrs. Woolly's Funny Sweaters" and "The Mystery of the Secret Hair Oil Formula".  Asha Nehemiah has written several other wonderful books that I look forward to laying my hands on.  But for now here is her first book from the Meddling Mooli series.

Mooli (Murali) and Soups (Supriya) are best friends.  They follow a website called WAYOUTS (World's As Yet Original Untried Tricks and Stunts) and try to do some tricks of their own.  But this means chaos and trouble for the grown-ups!  Mooli's mother's kitchen is a mess, her list is gone and so is her electric beater.  How can she be filmed making her special cookies without her things?

To win a prize on WAYOUTS, Mooli and Soups make a list of possible 'original' tricks.  One such trick is for a blindfolded Mooli to shoot a suction arrow on a spinning globe while calling out the name of the country it would land on.  But can anyone be successful without failing a few times?  

The arrows land everywhere, but on the globe - on Mrs.Mehta's dog, on a tree, a vacant balcony and even Mr.Reddy's forehead!  Worst of all, Mr.Reddy thinks the flowers from his garden are being stolen by Mooli and Soups! 

In their bid to prove themselves innocent, the two give Mr.Reddy a demo of how bad Mooli's aim is.  But instead Mooli's arrow makes it to the globe on the exact country he called out, much to their own surprise!  

Now all the kids must do is write to WAYOUTS about their success, along with a testimony from a witness.  And their only witness is Mr. Reddy!  But considering he still thinks they are the flower thieves, will he agree to give them a witness letter?

Will Mooli and Soups win a prize on WAYOUTS?  What do the Best Garden Competition, a video camera, a blue-legged alien, a toy remote-controlled airplane have anything to do with the rest of the story?  You can find out only if you read the book!!  

This book is appropriate for 7+.  

I liked this book because it is easy to read and has apt illustrations that go with the hilarious situations the characters find themselves in.  The story not only entertains, but also encourages children to try out new things, be responsible, accept disappointments and not give up.

BOOK REVIEW: "Poachers in Paradise" by Shamim Padamsee

The second book in The Adventures of the Flying Magic Jharokha series, Poachers in Paradise is Vayu and Deeya’s second adventure to find the second (out of three) keys to free their Uncle Jadoo from an evil djinn (spirit).

To help fulfill their mission, Jhoky, the magic flying window, takes the children to Kashmir where they befriend a Kashmiri girl, Zoon and her dog, Chimpu.

Poachers are out hunting for the native Kashmiri deer, hangul, for its beautiful antlers.  Vayu and Deeya, along with Zoon and Chimpu, help get the poachers arrested.

Bearing semblance to the Magic Treehouse series, this series is easy to read for readers who have reading skills.  I like this series because it not only whisks off readers on exciting adventures, but also gives them information about things unique to the place visited.  For instance, this story acquaints readers with things local to Kashmir - the hangul deer, kahwa (local tea), pheran (traditional dress for women) and wazwan (traditional feast).

I highly recommend this series for ages 6+ or anyone who loves the Magic Treehouse series.

PICTURE BOOK REVIEW: "What Shall I Wear Today?" by Natasha Sharma/Tanvi Choudhury (Publ: Pratham Books)

Written in informal verse, this simple story is about a problem confronted by many (adults included!)  - "What shall I wear today?"

The little girl on the cover just can't figure out what to wear - pants are too tight, shirts with buttons are troublesome, lehengas are too long, salwars are slippery, and so on.  Will she ever find the perfect thing to wear?

Charmingly illustrated by Tanvi Choudhury, this book has a subtle message for children - that problems must not be cried about.  Instead one should look for ways to overcome them.

This book is perfect as a read-aloud and also for children learning to read. (Ages 4+)

BOOK REVIEW: "Ashoka and the Muddled Messages" by Natasha Sharma/Tanvi Bhat (Publ: Duckbill)

King Ashoka, or Ashoka the Great as he was known, ruled India more than 2000 years ago.  He was all for conquering and expanding his kingdom.  But the heavy loss of life in the battle at Kalinga (modern Orissa) made him a changed man.  He took to Buddhism and became a proponent of non-violence, imposing a ban on animal sacrifices and promoting vegetarianism.  He issued his views in the form of edicts and inscriptions carved on rocks and pillars in his kingdom. 

“Ashoka and the Muddled Messages” is a fictional story.  Someone is tampering with Ashoka’s edicts by conveying the opposite of what the king wants to communicate to his people.  Ashoka seeks help from his Tremendous Ten, a team of trustworthy female bodyguards, who use their prowess to investigate.

Other interesting characters in the story are Ashoka’s chief minister, Agramatya who dons different coloured beards and an incredibly fussy Queen Tishya who is sick of the strictly vegetarian meals cooked by the royal chef!

Who is responsible for altering the edicts?  You’ll have to read the book to find out!

I learned a few things about King Ashoka as part of my school curriculum years ago.  But, thanks to this story (especially the Fact or Fiction section in the end of the book), I learned a few new things – that Ashoka had female bodyguards, that coloured beards were in fashion in that era (why not now, I wonder?), how Ashoka married Queen Tishya, the different names for units of time, and so on.

A part of the HISTORY-MYSTERY series from Duckbill Publishers, this is an interesting read for middle level readers (9+).  Though some younger children may be able to read it, I think the sarcasm and humour will not be fully understood and appreciated. 

I loved the Fact or Fiction section at the end of the story.  But I would’ve liked to see a separate word glossary to look up while reading the story. 

The author, Natasha Sharma has creatively chalked out a well-written story about Ashoka’s real edicts.  Tanvi Bhat’s illustrations are wonderful, making it attractive for readers to pick up the book and satisfy their curiosity.

Look out for other books in the History-Mystery series – "Razia and the Pesky Presents", “Akbar and the Tricky Traitor” and “Raja Raja and the Swapped Snacks”.

BOOK REVIEW: "Bookasura: The Adventures of Bala and the Book-Eating Monster" (Publ: Scholastic India)

A hilarious read by Arundhati Venkatesh.

Summer hols have started and Bala is bored.  Amma and Appa are always attending to his baby sister who cries, eats and poops all the time.  Thankfully, he has his good friends for company - his BOOKS!  

However, their existence is threatened when Bala finds his baby sister eating up the pages from one of them.  Bala knows what to do - he locks them up in his cupboard.  But what will he do all summer long?  

Soon Bala finds himself on his way to his grandparents' in Melagam.  Bala carries his ten favourite books with him.

Thatha tells lots of stories while Paati makes the most delicious things to eat - dosa, vada, mysore paak and more!

One day, when Bala visits Appa's friends, Navaneeth Uncle and Kala Aunty, he goes exploring in their orchard.  Kala Aunty warns him about not going near the well.  But that’s the place Bala decides to rest and read.  Before long, there is a flash in the sky and a monster stands before him - multi-headed, moustached, book-eating monster, Bookasura!  

Bala is terrified when the monster gobbles up four of his favourite books!  Not only that, Bala must provide three books every day to keep the monster happy. 

Bala is in trouble when he has no more books to feed the monster.  Inspired by Thatha’s story of Bakasura and Amma’s constant criticism of TV, he comes up with a plan.  What does he do?

The author plays well with words - "Bakasura", "Bookasura", "Bakwaasura"!  Bala’s conversations with the monster are made amusing through clever use of titles of popular children’s books.  

I liked how the book finally ended, but disliked what I felt were unnecessary descriptions about heads splitting open and eyeballs falling out.  However, some children may enjoy reading about that stuff.

Overall, an enjoyable read for children 7+.