Brave brave mouse

Brave Brave Mouse
Written by Michaela Morgan
Illustrated by Michelle Cartlidge

Ages : 3-6

Once in a while a book comes along that addresses the exact challenge that you have most faced with your child. And you get really excited about it. As you turn the pages, you are eager to see what unfolds, how the challenge is met and if it is indeed overcome. You hope that it is, so you can get some ideas from it, and perhaps it might just make an impression on your young one too. This is exactly how I felt when I started reading the Brave Brave Mouse. I often think of Winkie as a slightly reticent child, who is not always the first person in the crowd to try out new things, and often shies away from a new experience. There is a lot of fear factor in him and as a parent, I always mull over how to help him get over it. The one thing I keep emphasising to him is that if he isn't willing to try out something new, he will never know how much fun it can be. Sometimes it works and he ends up having a grand time after all, and sometimes he just sticks to his guns. Now, I don't know how much of an impression this particular book made on him on the whole, and whether he could relate himself to the main character...but it certainly stayed on my mind and made me want to review it here.

The story is that of a little mouse who is not very brave. In fact, he is afraid of a lot of things and some situations simply fill him with fear. For instance, he is afraid of shadows and the silence of an empty room. He is afraid of loud noises and afraid to be left behind with a babysitter, when his parents leave the house for an evening out. He is afraid to get into the swimming pool and sometimes, his friends call him a scaredy-mouse! This fear factor is the problem in the story. A big enough problem in the world of a young child. So, what is the solution? Well, its a very unobtrusive one. In fact, I didn't quite expect anything like this, but on deeper reflection, I think its the most suitable one for the story.

The solution does not come from the outside or the external as I like to think of it. It comes from within. In the form of a little voice inside the Little Mouse, which keeps assuring him and prodding him on to try new things and to overcome his fears. That's all it is. Just a little voice. This is what appealed to me the most in this book. One, because it resonates my belief that every person is equipped with the internal resources to come through in any situation. And two, because it gives me an opportunity to mould a vision of God out of the Voice within. What was interesting was that it did not take much effort on my part to do this. When I asked Winkie what he thought that voice could have been, he suggested this idea himself. So for this one precious precious thing, I loved this book. For something so big and seemingly complicated has been made so easy to present to the eyes of a child.

What follows in the story is fairly typical. The Little Mouse learns to tune in to the voice within and becomes just a bit more daring. He now loves to splash in the swimming pool, doesn't mind trying out new food set on his dinner plate (wow!!), cooperates nicely in the dentist's office and no longer minds the shadows in his room at night. And just when you think that's all there is to the story and are ready to call it a night, a whole new twist appears. The Little Mouse is now in a playground and all his friends are calling out to him from the slides and the swings and the wobbly bridge, asking him to join them. Now the Little Mouse used to be scared of all these things. Will the voice within him help him get over this too? Will you turn the page and see him swinging high and sliding swiftly with the other kids???

You won't. For he doesn't want to try out any of these things. He's happy enough to sit on the bouncing duck where he feels safe and happy. At first, I was very disappointed to see t.h.i.s end to such a grand flow of events. But after a while, my feelings settled and I understood that bravery lies not just in trying out new things and overcoming your fears...it also means knowing when you want to say NO and feeling okay about it. And setting this concept in the light of adult world situations made me appreciate this brand of bravery a lot better than I did at the start.

Now, I don't know really if Winkie understood and appreciated the subtle nuances of this turnaround. And I don't know if it sent out any mixed signals to him. What I do know is that whenever we have faced any situations thereafter, where he is hesitant to put a foot forward, we remember and remind him of the story of the Brave Brave Mouse and the little voice he heeded!

Jamberry

Jamberry
written and illustrated by Bruce Degen

Recommended Age: 4+ years (read alone)
Suggested Age: 0-3 years (read together)


Jamberry is one of the few books that 2½-year old Ana can recite cover to cover gleefully. The book shows the adventures of a little boy and his friend, a jolly big bear, as they go berry picking. The book was apparently inspired by Degen's own experience going on berry picking escapades with his grandparents and later with his own children.

Initially, I was a bit dismissive of this book, jumping to the wrong conclusion that it is a bit mindless and banal, with concocted words for forcing the rhymes. But, as I re-read it a zillion times by request, the book revealed the simple pleasures of childhood when we fully enjoyed what we were doing - not the result our action might produce, not as a means to an end, but, just the adventure itself - which in this case happens to be picking a whole lot of berries to make jam, among other things. I could relate to that, and so could Ana as we go berry-picking in nearby farms every year.

The illustrations are charming and have an old-world, idyllic feel to them, yet filled with colorful lively movement. It sometimes seemed a little too busy to my adult eye, but, apparently captivated Ana, encouraging her to pick out all the little aspects depicted in each page: We see the boy and the bear giddy with joy, tumbling in berry fields and canoing in streams down waterfalls, riding a train full of berries, and floating along in a hot air balloon. We see rabbits jamming in the Berryland band and elephants skating on raspberry jam. We see a whole lot of berries everywhere and the general joie de vivre is depicted beautifully - which is what childhood should be all about.

After about half a dozen reads, it was quite rewarding to pause on and off to hear Ana's reassuring completion of that particular verse:

One berry, Two berry... (pause)
Pick me a blueberry! (Ana chimes in)
Hatberry, Shoeberry... (pause)
In my canoe berry!

The rhymes are delightful, infectious, and musical, although nonsensical and silly sometimes. They start out simple and quickly intensify and get playfully complex, making it a spiffy read-aloud book.

Under the bridge and Over the dam
Looking for berries, berries for jam.

Quickberry! Quackberry
Pick me a blackberry!

Raspberry, Jazzberry, Razzamatazzberry...

Berryband, Merry band, jamming in Berryland...

Raspberry rabbits, brassberry band,
Elephants skating, on raspberry jam.

Ana's favorite turned out to be the last line in the book:
Buried in berries, What a jam jamboree!

On the way to daycare, or while shopping for groceries, or even while taking a bath, she would repeatedly chant What a daam daambowee! and giggle, imploring me to start reciting the book in full. Again.

This easily falls within the top 5 favorite read-aloud books with Ana. Children will either love it or not care for it - there is hardly room for an inbetween here. Hopefully as they grow older and can read alone, they will love discovering the various subtle touches in the illustrations as Emilie Coulter notes: a frog climbing out of a hat, crackers and butter instead of lily pads, and a sign by the raspberry skating rink asking skaters not to pick the jelly rolls planted nearby.

Snowmen at night

Happy 100 posts to Saffron Tree!!!

Snowmen at night
Written by Caralyn Buehner
Pictures by Mark Buehner

Ages : 3-6

Have you ever wondered about the secret life of a snowman? Maybe one morning, his grin is a little crooked, or his tree branch arms have drooped, and you've thought...what do snowmen do at night?

Thus goes the little intro to the book on the jacket cover. The inspiration for this story originated when the Buehners opened their front door one morning, to find that the snowman they had created the night before, had travelled several yards, and was now facing the front door!!!! And it made them start to wonder...and it makes you start to wonder too. So make sure you got on your hats and boots and woollies. For we are about to follow the snowmen on the street and maybe we'll get to see just what it is that they do all night...

The first page opens up to the picture of a little boy building a snowman. When he has made 2 round balls, a smaller one for the head and the larger one for the body, he starts to work on its features. What looks like olives for the eyes and a dotted, curvy, smiling mouth, a carrot for the nose, a bright blue hat on its head and a nice warm red and white striped woolly scarf snug around its neck! Quite a gentlemanly snowman, if I may say so. And the boy goes on to tell us...

One wintry day I made a snowman,
very round and tall.
The next day when I saw him,
he was not the same at all!

And here...begins the mystery...why was he not the same at all? How did he look different?

His hat had slipped, his arms drooped down,
he really looked a fright-
it made me start to wonder:
What do snowmen do at night?

Oooooo...interesting isn't it? Don't you already feel the thrill of mystery and suspense nibbling at your toasty toes? Well, if you think you're going to sit back, solve the mystery and find out all that happens in the pages that follow...you're sadly mistaken! Oh yes! For I shall delight in leaving things hanging in the air, with just this much to go on. But I will give you some little clues to tide you through from now till the point you lay your gloved hands on the book. For instance, there is a little depiction of snowmen mothers who lovingly serve cups of ice cold cocoa to all the gathered bunch of snow-people, which is utterly cute and appealed to the mother in me! And in the lovely illustrations by Mark Buehner, there are also many hidden images, which you and your child will simply delight in finding together. Figures of a cat, a rabbit, a Santa face and a Tyrannosaurus Rex are all interwoven skillfully into the paintings, adding to the wintertime mystery and involving you, just a little bit more, as a reader.

All through the book, you will not find yourself in passive action. You are drawn in to the whole scene and given special privileges to take a peek into the secret lives of snowmen. On the last page, the scene depicted is that of the morning. The sun is out, and the little boy comes out of the house, pulling on a sled, all ready to head out and enjoy the snow! But what does he see when he comes out??? He tells us...

So if your snowman's grin is crooked,
or he's lost a little height,
you'll know he's just been doing
what snowmen do all night!

Well...you still don't know yet, do you?

The wind's garden

[Picture source : Amazon.com]

The Wind's Garden
By Bethany Roberts
llustrated by Melanie Hope Greenberg

Ages : 3-6 years

The book opens up to the sight of a little girl pushing her wheelbarrow across her backyard, loaded with all the things she would need to begin a small garden. She digs the dirt, rakes it smooth and plants the seeds. And alongside her little garden, another bigger garden is in the making too. The wind's garden.

The wind blows and swirls around throwing seeds all over the ground. The girl waters her seeds carefully with her little watering can and they are just beginning to sprout. The wind's garden also gets tended to by Mother Nature, when the rains come and nurture the dry parched ground. After a period of time, both the gardens have grown and flourished a bit. The girl pulls weeds out of her little garden and tends to the plants. The wind's garden has as many weeds growing alongside all the wild flowers and plants. The sun shines down on the rich dark ground in her garden and the wind's garden too. Bees and butterflies fly around, buzzing busily and both the gardens grow and grow and grow...

The little girl's garden is a picture of neat perfection, carefully spaced out and manicured; and the winds garden's is a riot of colours and lush, wild and overabundant greenery. What is so entrancing about this book is the comparison of how nature tends to her vast garden, in much the same way as the little girl tends to her little patch in the backyard. It is lovely to think of all the trees, flowers and shrubs we see growing outside our homes as belonging to the landscape of nature's designs, and the way everything flows in such a harmonious cycle...how the wind does its work in lifting flowers and seeds and scattering them to the many corners of the earth, where they eventually take root and grow; how the timely rainclouds gather and give the much needed sustenance to these living things; how the sun shines down brightly, drying up the rain drops and giving nurture of a different kind. And how in response to these ministrations of care, the colours burst forth and come to life and make the world around us just a little more pleasing to the eye.

I had a wonderful time explaining all these little scientific yet simple things to Winkie, who took a look out the window, spotted all the trees and plants that dotted our backyard and correlated them to the wind's garden. That, it itself, should spell the success of the book!

If...

A few blogs entries below, Ranjani dealt with the fascinating subject of Why? - the ever questioning nature of children regarding happenings around them. I am going to deal with a book with similar theme - but, from a different perspective.

Wonder and amazement comes naturally to kids. It is a trait that needs to be nurtured and not suppressed. The book 'If...' by Sarah Perry re-kindles the interest and questioning nature of the kids. The book is strewn with various 'ifs..' followed by an illustration that depicts the what if scenario. Some of the interesting ifs... include --

What if there are fishes instead of leaves on the trees.

What if worms had wheels...

What if ants could count...

Each illustration is surrealistic and depicts the what if concept in a stylish and elegant manner. It is a very simple book with a powerful concept behind it.

Some of the ifs might make a few adults say 'yuck'!, but, children would love them. For example, one of the ifs is 'if mice were hair...' and it showed a very realistic painting of a small girl who had mice on her head instead of hair. Ranjani found it very yucky, but, Sooraj had a great laugh. Similarly, I felt a bit irritated when I saw the illustration of 'if toes were teeth'. But, children would love to see such wonderful and realistic portrayal of odd things.

If you had noticed, I had used the term surrealistic to describe the illustrations and later used the term realistic. But, the truth is that the illustrations are both surrealistic and realistic at the same time.

As kids grow up - the society, parents and friends mould them and slowly we make them a replica of ourselves by imposing our own ideas in a subtle manner. A book like this would act as a deterrent to the relentless moulding that the whole society works on without its own knowledge. It helps them to explore a world where things can be different and probably make them realise that there is nothing wrong in thinking/acting differently .

Mama Always Comes Home

Picture source: amazon.com
Author/Illustrator: Karma Wilson and Brooke Dyer
Publisher: HarperTrophy
Age Group: All ages

Sometimes the simplest images and simplest words can allay the biggest of fears for kids. Karma Wilson's Mama Always Comes Home does precisely that. Like Owl Babies, it is a soother, a perfect bedtime read to assure, comfort and calm little ones.



In Mamma Always Comes Home, page after page has Brooke Dyer's warm illustrations of various moms who have to leave their young one(s) behind and head to "work". It starts with a picture of a cozy nest with three little birdies and their mother. They are all snuggling happily. But it is time for mama to go fetch the worm. The birdies don't want her to go, and cry in protest. Mama gives them a tight hug and a promise that, no matter what, she will come back. She flies away from the nest searching for worms, but exactly as she promised, she comes right back home to her little ones. They are overjoyed to see her, eat up their meal and snuggle cozily to sleep under mama's protective wings.



The same story, with appropriate changes, is repeated with different animals - a Mama Dog, a Mama Cat, a Mama Horse, a Mama Dolphin, a Mama Polar Bear. They all have to leave their little babies for a bit during the day but they always come back to feed them, play with them, laugh with them, tickle, cuddle, hug, kiss them. The book wraps with a human mother leaving her baby in the arms of another caring adult (the father, perhaps) and driving off to work. But at the end of the day, this mother too comes back to her little one.



This theme hits home in so many ways. My son went through bouts of separation anxiety during his first year, but that was nothing compared to his clinginess shortly after he started daycare. He would cling to me for every minute in the evening and would refuse to acknowledge other family members. I wish I had found this book then. Just to give him some external security. He is out of that stage now, but the book still appealed to to him. Maybe he could relate to it in a way he couldn't communicate.



In an odd way, I found this book reassuring for myself. A working mother carries pangs of guilt in her all the time. No matter how well her child is taken care of, some degree of guilt persists. It was comforting for me to see that even the animals, who pursue, not material, but basic maternal instincs, do have to leave their babies for a bit, but what matters more is how well they bond with the young one when they are united again.



Footnote: When I read the book, I altered the lines just a bit. 'Mama' might imply maternal uncle, so I read it as Amma Always Comes Back and come to think of it, the same could be applied for Dad who "Always Comes home" too!!

The Why-Why Girl

Picture Source: Tulika


The Why - Why Girl


story by Mahasweta Devi

illustrated by Kanyika Kini


The Why - Why Girl is another wonderful book from Tulika publications. The author is none other than the renowned Mahasweta Devi. She has worked with tribal groups and this book is a narration of her experiences with a tribal girl Moyna.


Moyna is a ten year old bubbly girl who always questions the happenings around her. Her questions are very interesting, logical and thought provoking much to the exasperation of her mother ! But the author likes the child for her inquisitive nature.


Moyna belongs to a tribal group called Shabars who are very poor and earn their living doing odd jobs in and around the hills. When none of the other people complain, Moyna's questions go on like these :


Why do I have to walk so far to the river to get water ?

Why can't we eat rice twice a day ?

Why do I have to eat the landlords' left over foods ?

Why do I have to graze the Babus' goats when their sons are there ?

These questions definitely touch a chord in us readers as it presents the stark reality of the poor in our country. It also goes to show that everyone has a sense of self respect and sadly it is never given a thought by the rich and the urban classes. Just because someone is poor does not mean they are any less human than us.


One day Moyna comes with her bag of clothes and pet mongoose to the author's house. She says that she is moving in with the old lady as it is a big hut and an old woman does not need so much space for herself ! You can't help but smile and admire this feisty girl :-).


The turning point in Moyna's life comes when she learns from the author that Books have the answers to all her "whys" ! She goes and fights with the Samiti school teacher that she is unable to study because the school timings clash with the time when she has to tend the goats. "If you don't teach me, how will I learn ? I will tell the old lady that none of us, goatherds and cowherds can study if the hours are not changed" .


When the village primary school opens, no guesses on who is the first person to be admitted there !! As a teacher now in the same primary school, Moyna goads the children to ask that one question which opens up a vast and unknown world to them - WHY ?


This beautiful story brings out a lot of messages for the kids and parents - encouraging curioisty in the children, the courage to speaK up one's thoughts, treating every person that we meet with respect, female empowerment and so on. My five year old son likes this book though I won't say it is his favourite. It is rather one of my favourites as I loved the character of Moyna and wished I was more like her as a kid !!


The illustrations are by Kanyika Kini. As in most of the Tulika books, the illustrations are splendind and eye catching, giving us a peek into the tribal way of life. This book is also available in other regional languages. Some of the translations have been done by well known writers - Malayalam by Paul Zacharia, Tamil by Ambai and Kannada by Girish Karnad.


A great book to add to your bookshelf !

Yellow Umbrella

Yellow Umbrella

By Jae Soo Liu

Music by Dong II Sheen

Ages 3-6

We've all heard of books on tape and audio books. Sure! We've even listened to them, perhaps. But have you ever heard of a wordless audio book? Sounds pretty paradoxical doesn't it? Yeah, I agree. And just for that, you must try Yellow Umbrella. It is a very interesting Kane Miller publication and a little stint with happiness.

Now a wordless book, to be a good wordless book, has to have strong illustration to back up the story and tell it effectively in the absence of a few 100 words. Author-Illustrator Jae Soo Liu, has achieved all that and more with simple watercolours. The concept of the book came to her many years ago, on a rainy day, when she was a teacher in a middle school and she watched students coming to the school carrying their umbrellas. There was a pretty array of colours in the umbrellas and underneath them, all the children looked like one, whether they were short or tall, fat or thin, boys or girls. It was a complete scene of unification and harmony, where the only thing that stood out was colour. The reds, blues, greens, pinks and the yellow of the umbrellas.

So that pretty much gives you an brief idea of the book. From page to page, is depicted the scene of children walking to school on a rainy day, protected under the hood of their umbrellas. You are looking in on the scene from above, to a lone yellow umbrella on the first page. Pretty soon, blue joins yellow and together they walk along the rainy street, when they are joined by a bright orange one. The three of them reach the end of the street and come to a bridge when green comes by. The droplets of rain causing little ripples on the pond below the bridge, and the coloured reflections of the umbrellas in the water, all give you a silent pleasure. Pink joins in and they cross a park, filled with slides and swings, and a cobbled walkway. By the time they reach the fountain in the middle of the park, red has also joined the group. Together, they walk down the steps onto the road, and purple leads the way now. They reach the train tracks, and teal huddles close to the rest, as they wait for the train to cross. They cross the tracks and walk on the street once more, with tall buildings on either side. By this time, more umbrella holders of many more merry colours have joined in and together, they cross the busy street, while all the vehicles stop to let them pass. Turn to the next page, and you know they have entered the school grounds, for the paths now, are flanked by tall trees on either side. The merry play of colours from the umbrellas contrasts beautifully with the lush green of the trees, which have been made lusher by the rains. And soon, the scene shifts from the top view and we now stand behind the children, behind all the rows of brightly coloured umbrellas, and we can see the school building just yonder. We also see a row of little feet ensconced in rain boots and sloshing their way over the rain covered ground. On the very last page, you see all the umbrellas stacked neatly in a little holder, a little puddle of water forming on the ground.

This is the book part of it. The book on tape/CD, is communicated through the whimsical music scores by Dong II Sheen. The idea is to view each page of the book in harmony with each track on the CD. There is a little pause between tracks which lets you know when to turn a page. The jaunty notes on the piano form the perfect background score for this colourful, innocent experience of a book and flow rhythmically from one page/score to the next! At the end of it all is a very lovely song, sung by some children in the Korean language. It sounds very mystical and friendly at the same time. A rough translation of it goes like this:

Underneath the sky

Everyone hold up your umbrella
Standing underneath the sky
Everyone - with your umbrella
Listen to the rain

Refrain:

On a rainy day, the umbrella is my house
I can take it with me like a snail's shell
La la la la la, my umbrella
I can take it with me anywhere I go

Everyone spin with your umbrella
Standing underneath the sky
Everyone - spin your umbrella
Like a carousel

Refrain

Everyone put down your umbrella
Standing underneath the sky
Everyone - fold your umbrella
Feel the shining sun

Refrain

Well, that's the song. And Yellow Umbrella is the kind of book that can put a smile on your face and inspire you to be a little artistic. The sight of all those pretty colourful umbrellas on every page had me running to get out the crayons and paint some of my own and Winkie joined me in my little burst of artistry. Obviously, we need a lot of practice to make them seem less like colourful cobwebs and more like umbrellas. So while I do that, why don't you go place a hold in your library!

All the way to Lhasa - A tale from Tibet

All the way to Lhasa - a tale from Tibet
Written and illustrated by Barbara Helen Berger

Ages : 4-8

Tibet is a place of eternal fascination for me. A fascination that started 15 years ago from the pages of an old magazine and burns to this day. Which is perhaps why I picked out this book from the special multicultural shelf in our library, where our librarian diligently picks out and organises some of the titles from around the world, every week.

Now, we didn't read it right away after bringing it home, Winkie and I. In fact, we didn't read it for a long time. It sat there, unobtrusively amongst many of the other books in a little pile. Over this weekend, Winkie picked it up by chance, and brought it to his father to read. And together, they explored the book over dinner. The story is only a few pages long, but they managed to stretch it, with the aid of their imagination, to the whole duration of the meal. By the end of it, it had become Winkie's current favorite.

But I still hadn't read the book with him yet. So I didn't have a clue as to the special things that lay inside it. Last night, when I asked him to pick something up for our bedtime read, he put this in my hands. And I finally had the unique pleasure of reading a simple story, on my most favorite subject, in the most beautifully designed pages I had ever seen! Let me share this delight with you...

Remember the story of the hare and the tortoise? The moral of slow and steady wins the race. Well, that is the skeletal theme of this book, BUT without the hurry, minus the sense of competition and no full blown fanfare of being a winner. Slow and steady is the theme of the book and it all takes place slowly. Simply. Subtly. What then can a child take home from this, you may wonder, if subtlety is the undercurrent? Well, that is where the power of illustration and the magic of interactive reading from a feeling parent can fill in all the gaps.

The book opens up to a scene of some hilly plains of Tibet. A wise old lady sits on a little patch of grass, wearing deep red flowing robes, as that of a Buddhist monk. She has beautiful silver white hair cascading down her shoulders, a prayer bead in her hands and the most benevolent expression on her face. You take to her immediately. From a distance, you can see a rider galloping fast towards her on his horse, and behind him, in the far distance, another traveller, walking by foot, pulling his yak.

The rider approaches the old woman first and asks her how far it is to the holy city of Lhasa. She replies that it is very very far and that he will not make it there, before night. The rider pays no heed and kicks his horse and rides quickly away. Then comes the second traveller. A young boy, walking with his yak, one foot in front of the other and asks the old woman the very same question. How far is it to Lhasa?.....Very far...replies the old woman. However, she adds that he will be able to reach before nightfall. The smile on her face as she tells him that is very kind and loving. It almost makes you wish the boy would remain with her for a little while and perhaps listen to a story or two from her wise lips. But he doesn't. He gives his yak a gentle tug and with one foot in front of the other, walks on. Slowly and steadily. Passing a panorama of landscapes and weathering many a harsh element of nature. Until he finally catches up with the rider and his horse, who are seen resting out of sheer exhaustion. Seeing them, the boy too feels tempted to stop and rest, but so great is his desire to make it to the holy city of Lhasa, that he trudges along, one foot in front of the other with his yak. And finally, in the last rays of the sun before night, he hears the call of the deep horns. He hears bells, he hears the drums. And he finally greets the sight of the holy city of Lhasa, characteristically depicted by the beautiful white stupa with golden spires serving as the gateway, and leading to the beautiful, shimmering Potala Palace.

The story, as I just narrated, is a very simple one, with not much fanfare. What sets it apart are the beautiful illustrations that lend utter enchantment to the simple lines. The author and illustrator Barbara Helen Berger heard this parable from Lama Tharchin Rinpoche and was inspired to share it as a picture book. She has also long had a fascination for Tibet art and culture which she has richly integrated into the storyline....beautiful little things of delight and absolute cultural significance...such as...

~ The benevolent old lady dressed in garbs of deep burgundy and yellow, the holy colours.

~ The little prayer verse craved into stones, in the snow...Om Mani Padme Hum...the most famous mantra in Buddhism. I searched online for a meaning of the verse, but found that it cannot be captured in just a line or two. Suffice it to say that it is considered the true sound of truth. Tibetans consider it a blessing even to hear or see the syllables!

~ The depiction of the prayer flags. Flags are printed with prayers and strung up in high places. They flutter and snap in the wind, blessing all those who pass.

~ The depiction of a white stupa or shrine - They are supposed to help a traveller remember the nature of his journey. With the golden spire gleaming on the top, they are represent the mind of enlightenment.

These are just some of the few pictorial elements of the book that ties in with a rich cultural feel. From a purely clinical review point of view, one of the biggest contributions of this book to us, as parents, is the gentle opportunity to open up our child's eyes (and very often, our own) to a whole new separate culture. There are many opportunities to discuss this through the myriad questions that the book brings up in our minds. Where is Tibet? What is so special about Lhasa and the Potala Palace? What are prayer flags? What are those little verses carved in rocks? Why is the old lady wearing that outfit? Why is the little boy pulling a yak and going to Lhasa? What is a stupa? What are all the geographical features of Tibet? And so on and on. Huge questions, which we can try to find simple answers for and present in an easier way to the little enquiring minds.

This is exactly what I love about a multicultural book. Right from the second you open the front cover, and take the first tentative step inside, you are thrown open into a far and distant land, with all your senses wide awake! It cannot be any better described than this little para from the author's website...I quote...

"A picture book is a world between two covers. Open the book like a door, and go inside. Art and words are singing together, telling a story, going somewhere. You come too! Turn the pages with your hand. A picture book is a journey for eye and ear, heart and mind. It is a journey for the one who reads it, and for the one who makes the book."

This is exactly what describes All the way to Lhasa!

Barnyard Dance

Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton
Suggested read alone ages 4-7
Suggested read together ages 0-4

Sandra Boynton, the author and the illustrator of this amusing book, portrays goofy-looking farm animals, square dancing with a lot of bowing and twirling. Throw in rhymes like,

Bounce with the bunny,
Strut with the duck
Spin with the chickens now
CLUCK CLUCK CLUCK!

Whats not to like in a book like this?!

This book is super hit at home turf and has been successfully holding its position as ‘one of the favorites’ for the past two years! Even the musically-challenged-me can make a decent song out of the catchy rhyming verses. Now I know the content by heart and when ever I start off ‘Stomp your feet, clap your hands, every body get ready for a barn yard dance….’ my children start bouncing with uncontainable glee!

Sandra Boynton brings out a mood of merriment with not just the rhymes but also with her illustrations. Plump hens dancing with eyes closed in total involvement, horses and donkeys slow dancing, the little chicks running around with confused expressions on their faces – all illustrated in simple cheerful line drawings.

Check out Sandra Boynton’s official website to get a flavor of her drawing style and her sense of humor.

Barnyard Dance is featured in Sandra Boynton’s music album The Rhinoceros Tap. Check out song #10 to get a flavor of the music and the rhyme.

Other:This book is the winner of the 1994 Gold Medal from the National Parenting Publications Award.

The Grouchy Ladybug

Author/Illustrator: Eric Carle
Publisher:HarperCollins
Age group: All ages

This review is by Kodi's Mom.

Hello, Saffron Tree :) It has been a while since I posted a review here and the reasons for that were many. For one thing, my son went into a I-don't-want-anything- to-do-with-books phase for several months. Thankfully, he snapped out of it as suddenly as he went into it, so we're back to reading and visiting the library, and I am back to reviewing :)

Credit: PictureBookArt

It is hard to read an Eric Carle book and not rave about it! I was looking for The Mixed Up Chameleon that utbt just reviewed, and I found The Grouchy Ladybug. I have brought this book home before and it didn't create much of an impression with my then 1.5 yo. This time was different though. He has been fascinated with ladybugs for a few months now, and the picture of the ladybug on the front cover had him begging me to read. In the first reading, he discovered that you don't judge a book by its cover; that there might be a lot more surprises than you expected!



The basic premise in The Grouchy Ladybug is there are two ladybugs - a friendly one and a grouchy one. The friendly ladybug (FL) wants to share aphids on a leaf, while the grouchy ladybug (GL) wants to fight instead. But once FL agrees to fight, GL, like a typical bully, backs off. The excuse? "Oh, you're too small for me"!! The friendly (and smart!) one challenges him to go find someone his size.



And thus the day starts for GL. Every hour, he runs into insects, birds, animals, in increasing order of size. GL challenges each one to a fight, but when the other party agrees, GL flees with the usual excuse - "you're too small" - only to find someone larger. It gets particularly funny when GL encounters a blue whale - the largest known animal. Where GL is but a dot on the page, a third of the whale's body occupies the entire spread. Yet tiny GL declares to the humungous whale - "You're too small for me."



How the whale teaches GL a wordless lesson is the rest of the story. The morals, of course, are plenty, depending on the age of the kid. Learn to share! Don't be a bully! Be humble - there are things larger and stronger than you!



The neat thing about Eric Carle books is how these strong morals come packaged with several toddler-sized concepts. If the book is a hit, you'll most likely be reading it over and over and over. But that's okay (for the parent) because with each read there's something new to focus on!



Apart from vivid colors that are characteristic of Eric Carle illustrations, this book features an assortment of atypical insects, a bird and animals. You don't encounter a stag beetle and a boa constrictor too often! Each insect/animal responds to GL's challenge with its characteristic trait. The rhino lowers its horn, the elephant extends its trunk and shows off its strong tusks. As each animal is introduced, the size of the page increases in proportion to that of the animal. Presented this way, it is very easy to visually compare how much bigger an elephant is, to say, a bumblebee. As if all that weren't enough, there is even an analog clock on every page that shows the time of day. Older kids can track the time throughout the book.



With so many delightful elements to focus on, and with 7 reads in 4 hours, we have only just started exploring The Grouchy Ladybug!!

LookyBook

LookyBook allows one to watch/view the entire picture book online. There are similar sites (especially a few libraries) which allow folks to see the entire picture book online. But, this site is lot more interesting and far better in quality. Another big advantage is that one could embed the book in a website. For example, I have embedded Istvan Banyai's wordless book - 'The Other Side' here.











One could also create bookshelves by adding various books from the website. A veritable feast for a person interested in picture books. A great way to go browse through various books before deciding to buy one. It is not a replacement for an actual book or cozying up with your child in the bed - but, it is definitely a great place to find new books and to share them. Probably a good way for websites like to this one to show readers the books that are currently being reviewed.

The Mixed Up Chameleon

Mixed Up Chameleon by Eric Carle

Suggested read alone ages 4-7

Suggested read together ages 0-4

I get excited every time I pick up a book by Eric Carle. The reason being, there is always a message, not just for the kids but for the adult as well.

This book is about a chameleon that goes to the zoo. He looks at the animals around him and wants to be like the other animals. When he looks at a giraffe he is awed by the graceful, long neck. Does he stop with that? No, he pines for a long, sleek neck like the giraffe has and his wish comes true! At the end the chameleon acquires not only a long giraffe-like neck but a huge white body like the polar bear, a pair wings and long feet like the flamingo, fins and gills like the fish, shell like a turtle, antlers like the deer, huge trunk like the elephant, the wit of a fox and flippers like the seal. At the end of all these transformations the chameleon realizes that he is the happiest being just himself. The sad mixed up chameleon wishes to be his normal self and lucky for him, his wish comes true!

What excites my three year old is the simple, bright colors in the book. Also she now knows that a chameleon eats insects and changes color to blend with the background. When I ask her, ‘If the chameleon sits on a leaf what color will he be?’ ‘Green’ she pipes enthusiastically.

The message for older kids and adults is ‘Be yourself and be happy with it.’ I am trying to introduce this message for my three year old in a simple form. Every time the chameleon undergoes a transformation, I ask her to point out what is different with the chameleon. When she does, I ask her, ‘Is the chameleon happy now?’. For this she replies ‘Noooo.’ At the end of the book, I always point out to smiling, back to its original self chameleon and ask her, ‘Is the chameleon happy now?’ and she answers ‘Yyyeeess.’ Then we both chorus, ‘You get what you get and be happy with what you get.’

I Don’t Want To Go To Bed

I Don't Want To Go To Bed by Julie Sykes
Illustration by Tim Warnes
Suggested age group: read alone ages 4-7, read together ages 0-4,

Every night it is the same routine in our house. When I announce ‘Bed Time!’, my announcement is met with an instantaneous ‘NO’ from my daughter. Even if it is late and she is tired from the day’s activities, she always has immense inertia to get in to bed, just like the little tiger in this book.

Having read ‘Wait For Me Little Tiger’, my children are already familiar with the Little Tiger series. This plus the title really got my attention and I decided to borrow this book from the library.

The story is about a little tiger (tiger cub) who refuses to go to bed. One night mama tiger, out of sheer frustration, allows the little tiger to ‘stay up ALL night’. The overjoyed with the prospect of playing with his friends all night, the little tiger runs away in to the forest to find his friends. His first visit is to the lion cub. The little tiger is disappointed to find the lion cub nestled between his dad’s paws getting ready for bed. Daddy lion asks the little tiger ‘Why are you still up?’. The little tiger replies, ‘I don’t want to go to bed’ and runs to his next friend. He visits the little hippo, the little elephant and the little monkey only to find that all his friends are getting ready to go to bed. The little tiger realizes that all of his friends go to bed when it gets dark and it is no fun to be by himself that late in the night. To add to this, the little tiger thinks he has gotten himself lost in the forest. At this moment a bush baby comes to his rescue and escorts the little tiger home…..just in time for bed. The tired little tiger falls asleep safely tucked between mommy’s paws.

Both my children like the little tiger series. The elder one, because she empathizes with the little tiger. Through out the book she points to the little tiger and says, ‘This is me amma, this is me.’ Then she points to the mommy tiger and says, ‘This is you amma.’ The literature is simple, repetitive and very easy for my three-year-old to follow. All mommy animals and daddy animals ask the little tiger the same question, ‘Why are you still up?’ and it is met with the same defiant ‘But I don’t want to go to bed’ answer from the little tiger. Even my younger child who is only 18 months and has no clue as to what is going on in the book, loves this book. She identifies all the animals with a happy squeal.

From the adult point of view, I found the illustrations by Tim Warnes to be highly appealing. All the baby animals are cute and cuddly to look at. The pictures and the concept were appealing enough to make me forget the fact that tigers and bush babies do not co-exist! Instead of nit picking, I convinced myself that the author is imagining a better world without boundaries!

Other:
Author webpage: http://www.juliesykes.co.uk/littletiger.htm

Orange Pear Apple Bear

Orange Pear Apple Bear
by Emily Gravett

Suggested age: 1-4 years

As I held this book in my hands at the bookstore, slowly turning the pages with slight skepticism, I tried to read it with my toddler's eyes and senses. By the time I read through to the end I was speechless, reverting to adult experience. I was blown away by the simplicity and the elegant art work.

It is a very simple book, with just 4 (+1) words, as found in the title, telling the whole story through combination of the four words and accompanying illustrations, with just an additional word to end the story.

Reading, some might suggest, initially at least, relies a lot on pattern-recognition - only, this time, it is patterns of letters that are being recognized to be strung together to form the associated sounds. In that sense, this book is both delightful and educational. By repeating the four words in various combination, it makes it easy for Ana to read the words along.

I agree with a friend's observation that it seems like this book appeals to ages 1-100, not just 1-4! This book can grow with the child from toddlerhood to kindergarten, and as they grow, the book will hopefully offer more, and the subtle elegance will probably become apparent to the child.

It is not easy to know which books will readily appeal to our children. Until they learn to read and develop their taste for books and specific genre, the onus is on us parents to guide our children. In that sense, many books get chosen to be read to our children because we as parents think it has some value, something to offer our children, something that will kindle their passion for book as they grow up. Sometimes we make the right choices, sometimes we don't. I believe this is one of those refreshing books that comes along every once in a while whose beauty is understated, almost leaving us wondering what is so great about it!

On an aside, it was interesting to read about the life of the author Emily Gravett, and a short interview where she relates how Macmillan offered to publish her book. Her first book Wolves won the 2005 Kate Greenaway Medal, the most prestigious award for children’s illustration.

A small nitpicky note - if I must stay balanced - is that the illustration of the bear in this book looks very much like the bear in Charmin Toilet paper commercials :)

Payir - Request for books - II

I had earlier written about Payir and our need for books to the library we are starting at Thenur, near Trichy. A few of you had shown great interest and sent me emails and left comments in this blog. Thank you for showing interest.


One of our friends, an active member of Payir, is travelling to India early/mid next month and is ready to carry a few books (maximum weight 50lbs - approx 22 kgs). All those who are based in US, if you are interested in contributing a few books, please do get in touch with me (sathish dot ramakrishnan at gmail) or saffron tree (saffrontree at gmail) and we will send across his US Address.

Diwali: A Festival of Lights and Fun

Diwali: Kushiyon Ka Tyohaar
Diwali: A Festival of Lights and Fun

Written by Manisha Kumar & Monica Kumar
Illustrated by Sona & Jacob

This bilingual book on Diwali is from Meera Masi, a Bay Area based cross-cultural publishing house with a mission to pass on the heritage of India to immigrant children, through books and other products on Indian languages and culture.

A warm introduction on the essence of Diwali on the opening page sets the stage for the ensuing colors and rhymes that bring to life Diwali for our children.

"We all love Diwali, it's so much fun.
The festival of lights has now begun."

Simple verses like the above alternating with brightly hued pictures, both, of a family celebration is what this book is about. All the fundamentals of the festival are laid out. The act of wearing new clothes, cleaning and decorating our houses, greeting families and friends, making rangoli, offering puja, lighting diyas , bursting crackers and of course eating mithai are all poetized alongside appropriate illustrations. Yes, I have retained the hindi diction as sprinkled in the English text in the book.

Each pair of sentences comprising the sweet little rhyme appears in the Hindi language followed by its transliteration in English and then the translation itself in the English language. No doubt a tool for teaching children an Indian language.

As with the belief of people at Meera Masi, I too believe that the prelude to imparting the deeper meanings and concepts of festivals to young children is simply kindling their curiosity to learn about them. This can be effortlessly and successfully achieved by creating a playful and amusing environment for it - what better way to do it than to add a tune and dance with color!!! In fact, my 3.5 year old daughter will stand testimony to this!

The book comes with a read along audio CD, readings of the book in Hindi and English. There is a glossary included on the last page for few of the Hindi words used in the book. The intention for including the CD and the transliteration is to help children learn the pronunciations the right way and this especially comes in handy for parents who are not comfortable with the language themselves. The book can be purchased at www.meeramasi.com.

"With everyone we had a blast.
We know the Diwali cheer will last!"

is the concluding lyric in this book that will make children realize that Diwali is indeed a festival of lights!

WISH YOU ALL A VERY COLORFUL DEEPAVALI!

Who's Hiding? by Satoru Onishi

Who's Hiding?
by Satoru Onishi

Suggested age: preschoolers, 2-5 years

Who's Hiding? is an exquisitely charming, yet simple concept book for preschoolers, (and older toddlers), in which Satoru Onishi presents over a dozen recognizable animals, half a dozen colors, and the concepts of camouflage and emotions, while charging the young minds to concentrate and conjecture.

The deceptively simple cover is what drew me to the book at the library initially. But, now that it has been home for a week and much-enjoyed by adult and toddler alike, I am driven to share it here.

A cursory flip through the book might suggest monotony and tedious repetition. But, all that changes once we start interacting with the book. For, every page poses a question challenging the little minds to figure out the answer. It is a picture puzzle book of sorts, combining the stimulation and observational skills required of Memory Cards and the I-Spy games.

The primary appeal of this book is the visual challenge. It has no story. In the first double-page spread, the animals are introduced in specific positions with characteristic features that distinguish them easily, each in a solid color – like green hippo, blue bear, orange zebra, brown lion, red rhino and so on – who look straight at the reader with a seemingly docile and neutral expression to begin with (except for the zebra, which in my adult perspective seems quite fierce throughout the book).

Subsequent pages each render the animals in the same order and color throughout, as a double-page spread, except, each spread poses a single question like "Who's hiding?" or "Who's crying?" or "Who's angry?", the answer for which is cleverly embedded in the images on that page by making subtle changes to the original images introduced in the first spread.

For instance, early in the book, on my first read, when we came upon, "Who's crying?", my adult mind tarried a bit by which time Ana spotted the crying bunny and pointed it out excitedly.

It seemed like the questions become progressively harder to answer with each spread. "Who's angry?" seemed the most challenging for me to answer.

The crowning glory of the book is the last spread where the lights are turned out on the animals, asking, "Who's who?" while the illustration simply reveals their respective pairs of eyes on a dark page challenging the reader’s memory to identify each animal on its allotted spot on the page.

There is an answer key at the end of the book which seems superfluous considering how well the illustrations serve to identify the answers, encouraging the readers to simply pay close attention to details in the spread.

This clever concept and visual puzzle book will quickly become a favorite with toddlers and preschoolers, encouraging observation and inference skills not only based on pattern recognition, but also on memory skills.

Together

Together
Written and Illustrated by Jane Simmons

Ages : 3-6

I like simple books. Simple stories. Simple characters. Simple illustrations. Simple words. And a simple world. All of which I found in Together, authored and illustrated by Jane Simmons. A story of two little dogs, Mousse and Nut, who come together in friendship. They meet for the first time, on a rainy rainy day. Mousse is out in the rain getting wet. And Nut is snug and dry beneath a red umbrella. Mousse comes over to say hello. Nut says hello too. They smile at each other. And then the sun comes out, radiant and bright. Wonderful!...they both say.

Mousse and Nut quickly become friends. They have sooo... much in common, and enjoy doing things together. They walk together. They sit together. They play and giggle together. Everything is just wonderful and simple.

So what's the story? Well, the story begins with the 'but'. There is always a but, isn't there?

One day, Nut jumps on top of a wall. But Mousse can't jump that high. Later, Mousse paddles in the water. But Nut cannot swim. Mousse wants to stand in the shade under the tree. Nut prefers the warmth of the open sun. Nut trots too fast. Mousse is too slow. One's bone is too big. The other's biscuit is too small. One's house is too muddy. The other's is too tiny.

And on and on...until their differences become so huge that it creates a chasm. And this is the point at which dark clouds gather outside, threatening a huge downpour. Mousse and Nut both feel they are not best friends anymore. Everything was horrible. It starts to rain when they part ways.

Mousse now swims alone, walks alone and chews on his bone alone.

Nut sits in the rain alone, under his red umbrella.

They both go home and lay down inside their little sheds, looking forlorn and miserable.

It is still raining when Mousse goes to find Nut. They want to be friends with each other again. And when they smile at each other, the rain stops and the sun beams down on them just as before. Wonderful day! ...they both agree.

And from then on, they do everything together. The things they liked to do together, and also the things they did differently. And whether it was sunshine or rain, every day was wonderful. Because they were together.

*****************************************

I loved the illustrations in the book. As I said earlier, simple and beautiful. And the most striking thing about it was the pages in which Mousse and Nut meet for the first time, and where they reunite again after their little tiff. The depiction is the same. Heavy rains. Mousse getting wet. Nut under his adorable red umbrella. I loved how, by painting the exact same picture, the author/illustrator was able to weave the past with the present, and also create a sentimentality for that moment of togetherness.

Also, the pages which show Mousse and Nut sitting in their respective sheds feeling sad. There is nothing else on that page, except the dog shed. No sky, stars, sun, clouds, trees, pastures. Nothing. Just one shed on one page. Another shed on the adjacent page. And a dog inside each. Past friends. Presently sad. And this isolated drawing just drives home the point of how lonely they are. So much so, that it ends up making you feel lonely too.

Even after googling online, I couldn't find a personal webpage for the author to link to. But on one page, she makes a little statement that made me laugh out loud and makes it so quote worthy. She says...

"It’s a funny thing, the very thing that got me into lots of trouble as a child has become my living as an adult. Creativity is a strange beast, sometimes a curse, sometimes a blessing, and I have no idea where it comes from, but it has stuck with me from the day I was born. Now I write and illustrate children’s books, which helps keep the beast happy, as long as it’s fed, it’s content, which in turn keeps me out of trouble."

In all, this is a delightful tale about the ups and downs of friendship. And about two adorable characters who learn to celebrate their commonalities as well as their differences. Winkie really enjoyed this story, especially when he related himself to one of the characters and his school friend to the other. And in such a personalised setting, I was able to sow the seeds....that while friendship is a lot of hard work, it is well worth the effort!

Is Your Mama A Llama?

Is Your Mama A Llama?
by Deborah Guarino
Illustrated by Steven Kellogg

Suggested read together: 3-6, preschool
Recommended read alone: 4-8

'Is your mama a llama?' I asked my fried Dave.
'No she is not,' is the answer Dave gave.
'She hangs by her feet and she lives in a cave. I do not believe that's how llamas behave.'
'Oh,' I said, 'You are right about that. I think that your mama sounds more like a…
Bat!'

Lloyd, the little llama, is curious to know if your mama is a llama. So, he asks each of his little animal friends, 'Is your mama a llama?', and they reply with a clue about who their mama is. Eventually, Lloyd asks Llyn, another llama, who tells him what he most wants to hear.

The simple rhymes and the riddles make this book quite charming. At 2½, Ana is a little young to get all the nuances, but, she gets the general idea about different animals having mamas of their own kind - like a bat baby has a bat mama, a seal pup has a seal mama and so on.

However, I believe the book has appeal for toddlers, preschoolers and early readers in different ways, and can grow with the child. The illustrations by Steven Kellogg is simple and direct.

Four and five year olds, preschoolers and kindergarteners, would probably enjoy the riddles even if they don't have the vocabulary to follow every word. The simple and whimsical verses encourage preschoolers to interact as you read.

'Is your mama a llama?' I asked my friend Clyde.
'No, she is not,' is how Clyde replied.

Clyde then playfully hints at what his mother is:

She's got flippers and whiskers and eats fish all day…
I do not think llamas act quite in that way.

Given this bit of information, Lloyd guesses:

'Oh,' I said. 'I'm beginning to feel that your mama must really be a…

Turn the page to reveal:

Seal!'

The illustrations give away the animal, if we look at it from an adult perspective, because when Lloyd asks Clyde, the accompanying illustration shows Clyde to be a cute little seal pup. Similarly when Lloyd asks Jane:

'Is your mama a llama?' I asked my friend Jane
'No she is not', Jane politely explained

the illustration shows Lloyd next to a dainty calf Jane...

However, that does not necessarily take away from the clue or the charm of this book.

It is a delight to read aloud as the words flow easily and offer dramatic fill-in-the-blank kind of a pause where children would love to blurt out the animal revealed on the next page.

The rhyming verses make it easy for early readers to phonetically sound out the letters and feel confident about reading the new words out aloud.

As with classic Brown Bear, Brown Bear books, I like the predictable start of each verse with
'Is your mama a llama?' I asked my friend ____________

Another little aspect Ana and I enjoyed is that the book ends with

My mama's a Llama!
And this is...THE END!

At the end of every book I read to Ana, I shut the book and declare "The End" which tells her that we've finished reading the whole book and we can move on. And, to read out "The End" as part of the book was quite amusing for me.

This is one of the few books I ended up buying for Ana as it seems to have a long-lasting appeal and, just like Alphabeasts, I am hoping will grow with her over the next couple of years.

One year of Saffron Tree..

Saffron Tree turns one today! As you all know by now, the Saffron Tree community shares a tremendous amount of passion and love for children's books. It's been a joy to connect with one other at a personal level. Thanks to all the wonderful children's books and the wonderful people who create them - the authors, illustrators, publishers mainly!

At Saffron Tree, it is our desire to share our experiences with children's books we've enjoyed reading to our kids, and help spread the joy of and love for reading to children - primarily in the early years of childhood by showcasing the best in Indian, American, Indian American, and a variety of multi-cultural children's literature.

Thanks for being so supportive. Thank you for being part of our beloved ‘Saffron Tree’.

On this happy occasion, I am honored to introduce to you and children all over the world, the very colorful"Tsunamika", who is a multi-cultural symbol going around the world spreading love and peace amongst all.

She is a little doll who was born of the Tsunami in rural, coastal parts of Tamil Nadu. She is a creation of the fisherwomen affected by the Tsunami as part of a women's sustainable livelihood project undertaken by Auroville. She represents love, sharing and caring and has been a symbol of simplicity, multi-culturalism and peace. She belongs to everyone who wants to give her a home. And has been going around globally carring messages of peace, love and harmony. She does not come with a pricetag.

I am one of the ambassadors for the project here in North America. The project co-ordinators have distributed one million Tsunamikas worldwide. If you live in the US and would like to receive her as a gift for your children and your friends/family, please email me with details about quantity and your address. For folks in India, there is a list of ambassadors on her website that you can get in touch with. In Chennai, she is available at Auroville's showroom in Khader Nawaz Khan Road.

There is no better way to celebrate Saffron Tree's birthday than by sharing a little children's story about Tsunamika. A children's book was published last year titled Tsunamika Meets Friends. The book is not available for sale, but like the doll itself is being shared free on her website. Today, I am sharing the story with you here to read to your children along with the beautiful illustrations. Story written and illustrated by Manoj. Adapted from Tsunamika's Website.

Tsunamika meets friends
There was a little girl who lived on an ocean floor.
She had never seen the sun, the moon or the stars because no light ever reached the ocean floor. She lived all by herself and felt very lonely.
“I wish I had friends,” cried the little girl.

One day a starfish appeared and asked her, “Have you seen the sun?”
“No,” said the little girl.
“How sad,” said the starfish, and went away.
The little girl started looking for the sun everywhere; she walked a long long way. One day she saw a giant conch with lovely spiral and colourful patterns. She knocked on the door of the conch. A sage came out and asked, “My child, what can I do for you?”

The little girl asked: “How do I find the sun?”
The sage said: “You must think only about the sun for 21 days, and then you will see the sun.”
So the little girl sat on a rock at the bottom of the ocean and thought only about the sun.
She sat there for 21 days, without playing, thinking only about the sun.
On the 21st day, suddenly the ocean floor shook powerfully and threw her upwards.
She went up…up…up in the water till she reached the surface of the ocean.
And she saw the sun, shining in the sky!




She was delighted to find the sun smiling at her.
The sun said: “I am the sun, welcome to the world of light. I am pleased with your determination to find me. I shall give you a special gift, please ask whatever you wish.”



“I want to have lots of friends,” said the girl.
“So be it, you shall have lots of friends, and I shall always be there for you whenever you need help,” said the sun.
Then huge and swift waves rose up and carried her away.
“Where are you taking me?” asked the girl to the giant waves.




“We shall take you to distant lands,” said the waves.
The waves traveled far and wide and reached a distant land and left her on the shore.
There she saw many little huts that were destroyed by the giant waves.
People were crying and the children were terrified. The little girl had never imagined this could happen. She felt very sad. But she then remembered the words of the sun.



“Sun, Sun, how can I help these people? How can I make them happy?” asked the girl.
Almost immediately the sun appeared from behind the clouds, and said: “Give them your love.”
So the little girl went to a woman who was crying, and said: “Please accept my love.”
The woman looked at the little girl and said, “I lost my children, will you be my daughter?”
The little girl said “Yes!”


The woman was happy. She asked, “What is your name?”
“Tsunamika,” said the little girl.
Then a little boy came along and asked, “Tsunamika, will you be my friend?”
She said “Yes,” and became his friend.
Then more and more children came to her and asked, “Dear Tsunamika, will you stay with us?”
Tsunamika multiplied into hundreds and said, “Yes, yes, yes” to all of them.
She went to each and every home and became a member of the family.
And people started coming from distant lands, all looking for her.




And Tsunamika, the little girl, looked up at the sun and smiled. She realized that she could give her love to all the people in the world. So she multiplied into thousands, and then tens of thousands, as she crossed the oceans, reaching far and distant lands.



That is how she started traveling all over the world.
Now she has reached you.
She is your friend, little Tsunamika!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sameer's House

Sameer's House
by Deepa Balsavar & Deepa Hari
Illustrated by Nina Sabnani

Ages : 4-8

Winkie's been learning about the planets and the solar system in school off late. And he is quite taken up with the subject. In conjunction to this, his teacher has also been trying to introduce the concepts of land, air, water and of continents, and how they are made up of countries, which is where each one of us lives in. A bit of a complicated concept to introduce to a child, no doubt, but her Montessori style of guidance has paved the way very smoothly, and he can now tell you that to take a trip to Mars, he would have to don a space suit and get into a spaceship, and it will fly high, high and high beyond the sky and after many years, land on Mars. But if he wanted to go to India, all he'd have to do is buy a ticket and get on an airplane.

And this seemed like the best juncture to introduce to him this Tulika publication called Sameer's House. Its not a story, in fictional terms. Rather it addresses directly the fascinating concept of how we are all interwoven into this universe, and how there is so much more beyond the extent of our direct vision in this world. And it feels like a great starting point to whet a child's curiosity about how this world came into being, what makes it tick every single minute and day, and are there any other worlds like ours, out there? Pretty heavy ammunition to offload into a tiny mind, no doubt...but a start is made very simply in this book.

Turn to the first page, and you are introduced to Sameer. A regular little boy, who was probably playing some football, and turned to the camera for our benefit and posed with his foot resting on the ball. No, its not a real photograph or anything, but just the way he is shown standing and smiling directly at the reader, that gives you that impression. And on the adjacent page is a picture of his house. A regular little house with green railings, a basket of flowers hanging from overhead and a pink roof.

Let's turn to the next page. What you see is a busy street. Saraswati Street. A very busy street. Taxis, cars, a flower shop with fresh garlands hanging (I can almost smell the fragrance...), street vendors by the dozen, a roadside cafe with people sipping some juice (mmm...sugarcane, please!), another house with clothes hanging on a line, an STD booth, and at the very corner...a little house with green railings and a pink roof. Sameer's house.

Turn over to the next page and you are greeted by a skyline view of Mumbai city. A sketch of the Arabian sea with a ferry full of people, a sketch of the Taj Hotel, the Gateway of India in the right corner, a row of tall buildings in the backdrop, and in a tiny corner in the right...just behind a grove of palm trees, is the house with the green railings and the pink roof. Sameer's house. On Saraswati street. In Mumbai city.

Thumb the leaf over to the next page, and you have panned out into the outline of the state of Maharashtra, in the western coast of India. Home to luscious mangoes, grapes, pomegranates and sugarcanes. All of them are depicted on the map of the state. In the exact place which marks Mumbai city, is the sketch of a house with green railings and a pink roof. Sameer's house. On Saraswati street. In Mumbai city. In the state of Maharashtra.

Over to the next page, and we see the full map of our beloved subcontinent. All the states shaded in different colours. And the rest of the continent in yellow. Different kinds of vegetation to show the climatic divides in the country. And even from this macro range, Sameer's house is still very prominent, with its green railings and pink roof. And here, we learn that Maharashtra is a state in the country of India.

Now you know what comes on the next page. 3/4th span of the Asian continent, showing the wide expanse of the ocean and Chinese mainland and the South East Asian countries. There are huge ships sailing between the countries. We now get a view point of the continent of Asia. Sameer's house is still visible to the eye.

Zoom out zoom out...and there we have it. A beautiful view of the earth, with a bit of the universe twinkling in the backdrop. The unique V of India can be seen, merging into the rest of the landmass. And we still know where Sameer lives. His house makes it to this page too.

Turn over, and you can see a graphical representation of the solar system. A huge orange ball of fire that is the sun is at the left corner of the page, spanned by orbit after orbit filled with the planets as we know them. Our beautiful blue earth in third place. But we are too far out now. We can no longer see Sameer's house.

One more page to go. What do you think you will see there? The gorgeous, mysterious blue Milky Way. A first look at the Universe as we have heard of it. A silent, star filled universe. It all just seems like a haze of colour on canvas. No sign of the earth, leave alone Sameer's house.

And that is where things stand at the end of this book. For added effect, I stopped reading, hushed him and we just looked at this picture in complete silence, watching the hazy swirls of planetary objects with quiet reverence. T.h.i.s is our place in the universe and the bigger scheme of life. A speck. A minuscule dot. Its nothing if not awe-some. And its a journey that you make from simplicity to complete depth, hand in hand with your young one.

Enjoy!

Shoe Baby

Shoe Baby
written by Joyce Dunbar
illustrated by Polly Dunbar

Suggested age: 2-5 years

A baby heads out on a magical journey in a gorgeous red shoe. He is always courteous and says, "How do you do". He invites the Queen to tea who brings the King too. And this gracious baby says to them with a bow, "How do you do". Until at last he meets a giant with only one shoe, and a giantess crying boo-hoo-hoo, when the baby pops right out of his shoe and says, "Peekaboo! Hi papa, Hi mama, how do you do?"

This charming book is written by Joyce Dunbar and illustrated by her talented daughter, Polly. Fly Away Katie was such a hit with Ana that I decided to get another book by Polly Dunbar. I love her illustrations just as much as Ana seems to.

The brilliant and vibrant colors on the cover - a gorgeous red shoe set against a glowing deep blue - along with the suggestion of motion just jumped out at me and I had to give it a try.

The rhymes are easy and flow very smoothly throughout the book.

At long last this baby slept in that shoe
So dozy, so cozy, so tickety-boo.

Ana is tickled pink about the "tickety-boo" that every night since I borrowed the book she has insisted this be the book I read to her last before I turn the light off and tuck her in. And, she loves it when I adapt it to say At long last little Ana curled up her toe, So dozy, so cozy, so.... and I pause so she can gleefully chirp tickety-boo.

This book is a delight to read aloud. It is cute and simple, and I have a feeling it appeals very much to toddlers' sense of adventure and imagination - in something as simple as a shoe, the baby manages to go everywhere.

While the illustrations might seem too busy at times, they match the words on the page close enough that 2+ year olds can easily follow along and discover the happenings on the page.

If you are looking for a profound story or a message, this is not the book. But, if you want to read a cheery little book and leave your 2- 3-year olds in a cozy warm imaginative adventure when you tuck them in for the night, this book fits the bill.

The first few pages, at first read, seemed to just go on in a prosaic and predictable manner, where I kept telling myself, oh, so what, a baby just goes around in a shoe, Big Deal... but, the last few pages made it interesting for me: to discover that the baby was sitting in his daddy's shoe all along adventuring, while Mommy and Daddy look for him everywhere, until they finally find him.

Somehow, without having to explain it all, this message got conveyed through the illustrations and words to Ana. And I think, therein lies the success of this book.

As an added bonus, the wide array of colorful shoes Polly illustrates are a big hit, probably because Ana is a little girl. And since she can tell the difference between tall boots and short boots and sandal shoes and sneaker shoes, this book keeps her busy just gazing at the various colorful shoes Polly presents... Thanks to Fly Away Katie, she has been asking me for blue shoes, and now she seems to have her heart set on lime green shoes... so, if your wee little baby girl has a bit of a shoe obsession, consider yourself warned :)

Plus, the first and last page has a sprinkling of patchwork hearts that doubles as a counting exercise with Ana. I simply ask her to count and let me know how many hearts there are, and for some reason it always ends up being twelve! [Of course, that's as high as she can go now...]

And, apparently, there have been puppet shows based on this book, and it could possibly be a favorite with the new generation of kids. Judging by Ana's response to this book, I agree :)