Pchak Pchak

Title : Pchak Pchak
Author : Padmini Mongia
Illustrated by : Anita Varma
Published by : Young Zubaan

If there's anything that gets kids excited, it is sounds like bang, bang, boom, boom, smash, crash, and so on. Well, there's a new phrase making its presence felt in the Mad House. It is, Pchak. That's right. The current flavour of the day is a lovely book called Pchak Pchak, about a baby crocodile who doesn't know how to open her mouth and make a pchak pchak sound. Mama and Papa crocodile like any other young set of parents, try everything they know, but fail miserably.

As young parents, it's very easy to relate to their utter bewilderment and I smiled as I read it to the kids. Of course as in all times of crisis, the first person to be called was Grandma. And naturally, even before she gets to them, she guesses what might be wrong.

It goes on to tell you how it is finally grandma who works her magic and gets baby to open her mouth and make a pchak sound. The language is simple, there are little subtle digs that the kids hear mommy and daddy making around the house and can totally identify with!

But most of all, I think it reiterates a point that we often forget. Grandparents often do know what makes grandbabies tick. And my children love the book simply because it reminds them of their grandparents saving the day ever so often.

First the Egg

First the Egg
by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Ages 2-6
Caldecott Honor Book and Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book

We have a few books with holes in our bookshelf. Their appeal is unmistakable. Known as "die-cut" in today's publishing terminology, as I later found out, these books offer small windows or cut-outs in the pages to add dimensionality and intrigue.

First the Egg is one such book with holes. However, the deceptive simplicity of the book conceals such flair that it impressed me at the first read.

The opening page shows a textured earthy canvas with an egg-shaped cut-out stating, First the egg, which when flipped reveals a plump yellow chick hatching to become a full-grown chicken, accompanied by a simple, then... the chicken.

Similarly we move through canvas after canvas of stark, vivid colors showing bold brush strokes, with distinct cut-outs, revealing a tadpole metamorphosing to a frog, a seed growing into a flowering plant, a caterpillar morphing into a butterfly... until we encounter:

First the word, then the story

The brilliant construction takes a solitary, unassuming word and develops it into the story we are in the middle of reading.

And, continuing the theme, First the paint, then the picture completes the story in pictures that we are absorbing visually.

The clever recursive twist in the end takes us a full circle leaving us with First the chicken, who walks towards a nest purposefully, ending with, then the egg, showing a large egg about to hatch.

Having a 4¾ year old and a 1¾ year old, I am always thrilled to find books that appeal to both of them, even if not equally. This book is one of the few among our collection which has both of them asking for repeat-reads. The easy, short sentences and bold images happens to be the appeal for the older one, while the cut-outs, the animals, the way one leads to the other while traveling through the pages seems to be the attraction for the younger one, as far as I can gather.

The kids may not get the nuances that a seasoned reader might come to appreciate in this book, and completing the circle of life might confuse rather than clarify the young minds; but, whatever they see in this book, the kids seem to like a lot.

And much like Alphabeasts, this has become one of my favorites. The bold vibrant canvas with deep brush strokes makes the images pop out, giving it a 3D quality, at times tempting me to grab that brush and even out that blob of paint on the page, while the simple text and placement of cut-outs makes me wonder at the creative process behind this seemingly easy presentation.

Incidentally, Lemons Are Not Red and Hidden Alphabet by Laura Seeger are also much enjoyed in our household.

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs
by Judi Barrett
Drawings by Ron Barrett

Ages 6-10

A regular morning breakfast scene. A table. Two kids playing over their breakfast. The mother squeezing some juice. Grandpa flipping fresh pancakes on the stove. And oops! He flips one a little too high and it lands on the boy's head. That could still be a regular, though highly comical scene if you stretch your imagination a bit, but what is totally and utterly fantastic is the story that this episode inspires, long after dinner is cleared away and the night draws high....

...and slowly, slowly along with Grandpa's softly told narrative...

Across an ocean, over lots of huge bumpy mountains, across three hot deserts and a smaller ocean....

...we travel to the tiny town of Chewandswallow!!!

...where, it rains no rain, and snows no snow, and there are no food stores anywhere, because there is no need for it. For all the food that the town needs falls right down from the sky!!

Now imagine the highly engaging possibilities of living in a place where you don't have to cook, and whatever you want to eat comes right from the sky. Whooooosh!!! 3 times a day, at breakfast, lunch and dinner. And whatever the weather served is what the people ate! It rained soup and juice. It snowed mashed potatoes and green peas. And sometimes, the wind blew in storms of hamburgers.

You can expect to sport a big huge smile on your face, as you catch the weather report on TV and it tells you what you can expect for your next meal. And when the people stepped out, they carried knives and forks, and plates and cups, to be prepared for any kind of weather! And where there were no food stores, there were restaurants. Roofless restaurants! Making it easy to grab every bite! :) Of course, this meant the sanitation department of the town had quite a job cleaning up all the leftovers that lined the streets and pavements, and trees. But it was still manageable.

All until one day...when the weather took a turn for the worse!

Pretty soon, spaghetti tied up the whole town and that was such a rocking mess! Another day, all it rained was gorgonzola cheese, and people had to cover their noses with cloth pins, to keep off the smell! And oh...the day of the pea soup fog, when you could not see past anything! And the storm of pancakes, where a big huge pancake covered the whole school and none of the kids could attend! And the ensuing maple syrup flood! Oh the horrors that the Chewandswallow folks had to face!

Soon, it was decided to leave town and quickly. So people glued together giant pieces of stale bread with peanut butter and set sail for a new land. After a week, they reached a small coastal town which they made their home. It took them a while to get used to it....especially the part where they had to pick up their food from the shelves of the stores. Now that was a bit odd! But at least the clouds above their heads were not made of fried eggs! And no one ever got hit by a hamburger again! And nobody ever went back to Chewandswallow to find out what had happened to it. And I don't blame them. Do you? :)

A book for all ages, with vivid pencil illustrations which add a thousand details to the narrative and help you enjoy generous servings of the pea soup and gorgonzola! But be warned and check out this weather update at the peril of being highly entertained , uncontrollably giggle and a very rumbling, grumbling tummy!

Dinaben and the Lions of Gir

Authors: Meera Sriram and Praba Ram
Photographs: credited to many
Illustration: Preeta Suresh
Publisher : Tulika Publishers
Age : 4+

Dinaben and the Lions of Gir captures how man and animal coexist in the forests of Gir in Gujarat. It fits beautifully into the series of bilingual- photo- animal books from Tulika - the earlier ones having featured tigers, bears and elephants.

The attractive cover page, in bright saffron, has a lion cub with a bewildered-beseeching expression, rather like a baby wanting to be picked up.

Dinaben and her husband represent the Maldhari tribe whose main occupation is the dairy business - milking cattle, making butter and ghee and selling it to make a living. They do this the "primitive" way- churning it by hand and so on.

A lot of children today are unfamiliar with this, having hardly ever seen ghee or butter being made at home. If you quiz them on who gives milk, they will probably reply the milk carton. The photos and text will offer them a glimpse into the age old methods of dairy farming.

As for the lions, I did not even know there were only 350 Asiatic Lions left. Is it not really alarming? Just imagine, our grand children may not get to see what Simba looks like in person.

The book subtly brings out that both the animal and the tribe with their already marginalized lifestyle are under threat. It is important for us to respect nature. Otherwise neither the centurires old Maldhari tribe nor the lions will survive.

Corporate sponsorship of such causes has become a necessity and HSBC has taken up this one -as reflected in a letter from their communication person, which forms a part of the book.

The photos are evocative and rich- Dinaben, the lions and the forest ' come alive'. The sketches of an expressive lion cub generally having fun are truly cute. Paw marks are also used to good effect.

Like the rest of the Tulika series, a map sets the geographical context - it helped my four year old understand where Gir is.

While there is so much publicity about protecting another endangered cat - the tiger- we hardly hear about lions in media. The set of facts about the Asiatic Lions at the end of the story provoked our curiosity and together with the story it will surely sensitize readers, even young ones, towards nature in general and in specific to the majestic King of the Jungle.

Song of the Earth

Title : Song of The Earth
Author : Mary Hoffman
Illustrated by : Jane Ray
Published by : Orion Children’s Books

An exquisite narration of - 'The Song of The Earth' - the song which has been sung since the very initiation of times, but has long been forgotten by us owing to the big fissure that has crept up between us and the fundamental elements of our existence - Earth, Fire, Water and Air. Nonetheless, the magic of these indispensable elements remain unadulterated. These are everywhere in great opulence but make their presence felt more prominently at the significant junctures of creation (birth) and destruction (death).

A brilliant attempt by Mary Hoffman to make the song of the earth audible to all and to bring people more closer to their elements of existence. An effort in the pursuit to make us feel more reverence for the things which are made available to us by these elements in the form of - produce(of mother earth), (fire's )energy, the life-giving quality(of water) and source of life( - air). If we realize that these elements are the very basis of our subsistence, we will be more cautious while exploiting them. The book invites us to be a part in the celebration of the charisma of Earth, Fire, Water and Air by joining in the song of Earth.

Each element is dealt with separately in individual sections touching various aspects. The age old myths and legends and the association of various mystical figures with the elements are weaved beautifully into the narrative. The life-giving qualities of these elements are cited and then the contrasting life-taking abilities are divulged - earthquakes, untamed good servant - fire - turning into a bad master, storms and floods, and hurricanes, tornados, typhoons and whirlwinds.

Each section is concluded by succinctly making the readers aware of the misuse and ill-treatment done to the very components of our existence and how we can contribute to keep their magic intact forever. It was interesting to see a brief mention of Chipko(hug-the-tree) movement as a small step towards solving a bigger problem. Under sections on Water and Air there are references of our own - holy river Ganga and mythological winged creature Jatayu.

Illustrations by Jane Ray are clear, simple and beautiful. All details presented in the text are wonderfully brought forward through the pictures on all pages.

To be read and enjoyed by all age groups - a true keepsake.
{Image source : Amazon}

Review crossposted on Literary Sojourn

Beasts Of India

Beasts Of India
Edited by Kanchana Arni and Gita Wolf
Ages: 4+
Publishers: Tara Publishing
Image courtesy: http://www.tarabooks.com/

This is a special hand made book by Tara Publications. As the title suggests it is a collection of the Beasts of India as they appear in Indian folk and tribal art. The book is in three parts.

The first part is Gita Wolf’s introduction. She talks in detail about how the book was born and the work that went in to the making of this book. More importantly Gita describes the difference between folk art, tribal art and traditional art. Growing up in India I have looked at many unique Indian art without consciously being educated about it. For the most part, it was just there, on bedsheets or table cloths or TV covers. But as I was reading Gita’s introduction about tribal, folk and traditional art, I had vivid mental images. Reproducing every word would be the only thing that would do justice to Gita’s introduction, but I will leave you with what she says about community art,

“What is one to make of the mode of creation that is not concerned with the uniqueness of the art object or the artists vision? It takes its ‘aesthetic’ status for granted, is not anxious about straddling different disciplines, about influence or imitation, and is very matter-of fact about its powers to suspend disbelief.

This goes against the commonly accepted western definition of what art is: a one of a kind object made by a fiercely individualistic individual, engaged in the expression of some kind of truth telling.

And yet these vibrant images with an indefinably unique quality must be called art, and remarkable art at that.”

She goes on to talk about how community art in India signifies the essence of India - ‘Everything and every person has a place in order to fit in to the bigger picture of things.’

The second part is the pictures of Indian animals. What I liked is the way the pictures are organized. Tigers in Rajasthan’s Pithora, MP’s Gond, Bihar’s Madhubani, Orissa’s Patachitra and Jharkhand’s Sohrai. Followed by the Lion, how the majestic animal is represented in different the regions, so on an so forth. It is easy to flip the book and compare the different styles. It is easy to draw conclusions. Even for a five year old it is obvious that the Gond is more intricate and detailed than the Pithora. A three year old can make observations that the Madhubani is partial to primary colors. Yes, I read it with my five year old and three year old and it appealed to them as well.

The third part of the book is an index with the a thumbnail of the art and a blurb about the art work. Also the book comes with 5X5 cards of the a Madhubani snake, Gond deer, Pathachitra tiger and Pithora monkey.

Definitely an asset to our bookshelf.

Links
More here to see how the book inspired us.
Gita Wolf's interview.

Book Release: Dinaben and the Lions of Gir

To children everywhere. Inspired by our own.

With that as the line of dedication in their debut work, long-time bloggers on Saffron Tree, Praba Ram and Meera Sriram are thrilled to announce the release of their first book for children titled Dinaben and the Lions of Gir. The book has been published by Tulika Books - an outstanding, independent publisher based in Chennai whose work needs no introduction. The authors have been passionate blogger-advocates of reading and children's literature for many years now, and we are all very excited for them.

Here is the book on Tulika's bookshelf - http://www.tulikabooks.com/bilingualbooks23.htm#dinaben.

It will be available in bookstores in India and can be ordered online as well.

Please read about their journey in writing the book, and the inside scoop about the story at:

http://tulikapublishers.blogspot.com/2010/02/story-behind-dinaben-and-lions-of-gir.html

Also, for more information about the book and the authors, please visit their website - www.chaidreams.wordpress.com.

Meera's Friends, The Trees

Authors: Geetika Jain & Jaishree Misra

Illustrator: K.R.Raji

Publisher: DC Books

Ages (recommended as per blurb): 7+

A little less consumption, simpler wants and some respect for nature - then maybe, just maybe, we will start to fix our planet's problems. This is the message conveyed in Meera's Friends, The Trees. Without actually saying it, it tells the young reader that trees are not inanimate objects, they are caring providers that ought to be respected in return. 


Little Meera lives in a village at the foothills of the Himalayas. She does not go to school like city children but learns everything from Mother Nature. She runs free among the murmuring whispering trees in the forest and loves them most of all. Every tree is special to her - the old gnarled one with a comfortable lap is the Naani tree, another is a Devi tree which is revered by all the villagers, then there is the little Chottu tree. She understands how the trees not just provide food and a means of livelihood but also save the land by holding it tight with their roots.

One day Meera hears of a terrible thing - that the city people will come with government papers that allow them to chop and clear the forests. She cannot believe her ears. Her mother tries to console her and explains that wood is needed by the city folks to build their houses and furniture  and that they did not 'live with little, like the village folks'.

The next day the people arrive with their cutting machines. The villagers plead with them in vain to abandon their plans. They resign themselves to their fate, what after all can they do against such powerful people?

Meera however cannot bear the thought of her beloved Naani tree being cut down and runs past everyone to her favourite place. She clings to her tree and refuses to budge. The rest of the villagers do what she is doing and hug a tree each. To cut the tree, the axe would have to hack through its human protector. The city folks finally relent and leave.

The story has been inspired by the Chipko movement, in which the peasant folks of Uttaranchal saved their trees from being cut down. It became 'a turning point in the history of eco-development struggles in the region and also across the world'. Read more about the movement here.

By the end of the book I found myself humming Karadi Rhymes' delightful Neem Peepal Banyan song that ends like this:

Plant trees everywhere

For trees are precious friends rare

Too Many Toys

Title : Too Many Toys (Scholastic Book)
Author and Illustrator : David Shannon

I guess all "grownup" minds(atleast I have) must have wondered at some point seeing the young minds in action - why and how do they prefer playing with the boxes, the covers, the wrappers, the thermocol toy holders, the tags of new clothes, the small manuals/handbooks that come with the toys - than with the actual toys. I remember during our move to Bangalore, our kids were having the best playtime ever with so many boxes/cartons of all sizes, shapes and colours around us all the time.

Here is a story of Spencer, who has plenty of toys thanks to his parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, teachers and the list goes on and on, who keep gifting him toys on almost all occasions. Now the state of the house is such that the living room, bedroom, bathroom, backyard and even the stairs - have his toys strewn all around. But there is a limit to everything. One fine day Mommy decides to do some filtering of the toys and takes the help of Spencer. As expected Spencer doesn't want to part with any of his toys even the headless figures or one-eared bunnies but after a lot of haggling, warnings, arguments, discussions and trading Mommy comes out victorious and they pack a box full of toys which can be given away. After all this long and arduous exercise when she finally goes to pick up the box to load the car with, she gets the shock of her life because there is something that Spencer has selected from those toys which he cannot give away.

The best thing I like about the scholastic books is the neat clear text and beautiful illustrations.

My son just loved this book. I could easily guess why, whenever I clean their room, I make a bag ready to be thrown in the trash can and he manages to find his treasures from that bag and keeps them safely in a big box which has been christened by me as "Kachara dabba (garbage box) of maximum utility". I am sure he can even find the utility (some project idea) of dead flies (some day) and would not allow me to throw them either.

Crossposted at LiterarySojourn

The Three Dots

Author and Illustrator: Elise Primavera
Publisher : Putnam Juvenile
Ages: 4-8

This has to be the most popular book in our household in the last couple of weeks or so. Even after we have long returned it to the library, my daughter keeps talking about the characters or draws parallels with parts of the story to her own days.

Three Dots is a familiar story to anyone who's ever followed a musical band (I admit to listening to Backstreet Boys and Spice Girls growing up). A Band is created by like minded people, they become hugely popular and then differences set in, they break up.

It does seem like an adult topic for a four year old child right? Or not. After all she has a group of friends, who are constantly falling out with each other and making up over the silliest squabbles.

So coming back to the story - The Three Dots is set in New York, and is a story about three musicians who are from different places but have one thing in common - you guessed it - Polka Dots.

This one fact makes them different from their peers, for who has seen a duck or a frog or a moose with dots? And being so unique makes them misfits, they have no friends and each one turns to music instead. When the three DOTS meet, they click, form a band, and soon they make it big. What happens next is the inevitable.

Things we loved about the story itself are the messages : Different is also equal to Unique. Popularity is great but true friendship is rare and must be cherished. Not to mention the opportunity to talk about ego, loneliness and jealousy.

However more than the story it's the illustrations that take the cake, the bun and the bakery. All done in a oversized caricature-style with a lot of cute details thrown in. The part where the band (The Three Dots) become popular and go to all the talk shows with an Oprah looking hostess or where they play for a pouting Madonna and the Queen of England - had me laughing out loud.

This is a book for all ages, the adults will enjoy the quirky details and the story is engrossing enough for children young and old. However I think 4-8 year olds will enjoy it the most.

Introducing Sowmya Rajendran

Introducing Sowmya Rajendran. This young writer, all of 24 years, has published two books under Tulika- Aana and Chena and The Snow King's daughter, and six in the very entertaining Forgot and Kattabomman series for ThinkBig books.

What made you take up writing?

I've been interested in writing since childhood. I wrote my share of 'angsty' poetry and slowly graduated into prose writing when I got to college. I did consider options like doing medicine or dentistry for a career but I was cured of that pretty soon. Writing was what I was good at and I was lucky enough to end up doing just that. And I'm making enough money doing it!

I love walking into book stores and seeing my books on the shelf. It makes me happy.

How do you go about writing a story?
I choose my subjects from the everyday and the ordinary. As a reader, I love reading writing in which I'm able to say 'Hey, I know exactly what you're talking about!' It is that sense of identification with the story that I try to create in my stories for the readers. If you look at people and what they do with a fond eye, you will find plenty of things worth writing about.

I form the story as I'm writing. In most instances, I don't plan the conclusion. I try and let the story lead to it. Once I'm done, I read it, add, delete, edit...or sometimes close the file without saving it!

How do you weave humor into a story?
When I started out writing, I usually chose heavy subjects that bordered on the morbid. Somehow, writing about profound things seemed to be more important than being funny. My brother made a huge contribution to my life by laughing at me at all the right moments. He told me plainly that being whiny didn't make good reading...I was not very inclined to take his feedback at that point, but as I grew as a writer and as a reader, I began to understand that the saddest things in life are often tragicomic. And when you add that bit of irony to your tale, it rings genuine. It's the tone I'm most comfortable with since it's the tone I look for in the books I buy.

What kind of work do you want to do? Which is your next project?
I love doing picture books. I love the simplicity of it and the delight that these books are capable of providing. They are fun to write and hone your writing skills- you learn to appreciate the beauty of saying the minimal in the most entertaining way possible.

Two picture books with Tulika are in the pipeline.

How is children's writing different from writing for adults?
Writing for children teaches you to not be a bore. It's an audience that doesn't care how big a writer you are or how intellectual is the subject matter you've discussed. I like the sense of honesty that this genre gives one. It's a great learning experience.

Children's literature has traditionally been didactic. Moral stories and instructive tales have been the average fodder. But the trend is changing. Maybe not fast enough, but I definitely see more books around me that I wish I had when I was growing up!

Is there a lot of opportunity for amateur writers now ?
The more number of publishing houses there is, the more opportunities there will be. So yes, there are more opportunities. But if you want to graduate from amateur to published, you have to be willing to do the groundwork. Write, refine, send, wait, wait some more, pester your publisher, be open to editing...and finally relish the moment you see your first book!

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
If writing is what you want to do, don't aspire to write. Just write. Don't wait for the Muses or for inspiration to strike you...choose what you see around you and write. Telling a story that you know really well, that you see around you every day, is difficult, fulfilling, and rewarding.

Sowmya is a BA in English from Stella Maris College, Chennai, and an MA in Gender Studies from the University of Sussex, UK. She also happens to be my editor at Chandamama, where she manages the English edition.

Andaman's Boy

Andaman's Boy 

Author: Zai Whitaker

Publisher: Tulika

Illustrators: Ashok Rajagopalan, Indraneil Das

Ages: 10+

The other day while skimming through the newspaper this headline caught my eye. The last surviving speaker of an Andamanese language called Bo died recently and with the death of the language a key to knowledge of the local environment, collected perhaps over centuries, is gone forever. Following this there has been much deliberation in the media about the wisdom of trying to 'civilize' the indigenous people of the islands. One hopes they will be allowed to do what they want - be left alone, that is perhaps the only chance they have to survive and thrive once again.

Coincidentally we had come across a wonderful book called Andaman's Boy by Zai Whitaker just a few weeks back. It is about the adventures of Arif, a 10-year old boy who lives in Mumbai with his uncle and aunt who are waiting for him to turn 18 so that he will inherit his dead parents' money. Arif manages to escape from their clutches and lands up in Chennai only to be pursued by cops, so he smuggles himself on to a ship headed to the Andamans and eventually ends up in a Jarawa reserve. What happens next is the rest of this story, one that you will not want to put down till the end.

Whitaker weaves in glimpses of life in the Andamans, the efforts of various parties to 'develop' the tribals living there for centuries, and how and why they are resisting these efforts. At no point is the tone preachy, in fact it led to a discussion in my daughter's class about what being civilized means and what is the 'correct' way of life. Precisely the sort that is urgently required in a world that is in the danger of losing out on ancient knowledge and wisdom thanks to a misplaced sense of superiority in self-defined progress.

The beautiful soft pencil sketches by Ashok Rajagopalan and the detailed nature drawings by Indraneil Das  further bring the story to life. Though the recommended age group is 10+, this is a book that will be much appreciated by both younger and older readers.

Over In The Jungle

Over In The Jungle
A Rainforest Rhyme
By Marianne Berkes
Illustrated by Jeanette Canyon

Ages 4-8


Over In The Meadow, the classic late-19th-century poem by Olive A. Wadsworth, was one of my daughter's favorites when she was two... and mine as well, when I started reading singing it to her. It had all the elements: counting, rhyme, music, animals... and the book we had was pretty nicely illustrated, nothing eye-popping, but, eye-catching, nonetheless.

Over In The Jungle mimics Over In The Meadow in concept but presents a rainforest buzzing with activity thanks to 10 Howler Monkeys, 9 Super-slow Sloths, 8 Waiting Ocelots, 7 Poison Dart Frogs, 6 Boa Constrictors, 5 Honey Bears, 4 Leaf-cutter Ants, 3 Squawking Parrots, 2 Morpho Butterflies and a Swinging Marmoset who are there with their moms. Except for the Howler Monkeys who are there with their dad.

Each double-page spread is carefully constructed to showcase not just the animals but their habitat and food.

As a bonus, the back of the book has notes on each of the ten animals. As well as, Tips From The Author, Marianne Berkes, about related activities. I particularly liked the Body Movements suggested for each animal's action as we sing the verse.

The Tips From The Artist by Jeanette Canyon was truly inspiring. The illustrations for this book were created with polymer clay. Just reading about the process made it exciting and exhausting at the same time - to realize the amount of work and dedication that has gone into each page. And it shows!

The last page is a treat: the two-page spread juxtaposes the whole gamut 55 enchanting animals in a lush rainforest and invites us to spot them all. Very much like "I Spy". And the clever artist has made it quite challenging for the wee ones to spot them easily which naturally makes it a delightful and engaging activity.

Over In The Ocean
In a Coral Reef
By Marianne Berkes
Illustrated by Jeanette Canyon

Ages 4-8

Over In The Ocean: In a Coral Reef is just as appealing - thanks to the same team. And everything mentioned above for the Rainforest Rhyme applies to this book as well: just replace the rainforest animals with bright and beautiful creatures in the coral reef - 10 Octopuses, 9 Parrotfish, 8 Clownfish, 7 Stingrays, 6 Pufferfish, 5 Dolphins, 4 Angelfish, 3 Needlefish, 2 Gruntfish and a Sea Horse.

The back of the books suggest activities including "Story Stretcher" using puppets and making a diorama using polymer clay or even just Model Magic clay.

It is fun to sing/read this book with accompanying music, if at all possible. The dad in our household joins us when possible with his tin whistle to make this an experience to cherish.

When the kids got these two books as Christmas presents, I elbowed them out of my way to pore over the gorgeous art work. I savored it alone for the first few days, reading the notes from the artist about how she created the scenes for each page.

It is no surprise that these two books have appealed equally to both the kids. Whereas the 4¾ year old pores over art work, reads the words, and drinks in the composition, the 1¾ year old stares with jaw-dropping wonder at the various animals, their expressions, their stance/action/colors and shouts the numerals on each page as we move along from 1 to 10.

Two more books by Marianne Berkes along these lines Over in the Arctic: Where the Cold Winds Blow (illustrated by Jill Dubin), as well as Going Around the Sun: Some Planetary Fun (illustrated by Janeen Mason) are a lot of fun to read, especially for the 4¾ year old. It was exciting to read that the swirling cosmic landscape in the tour of the Solar System was created with melted crayons. After reading about the wonderful Arctic flora and fauna in Polar Bear, Arctic Hare in verse, the creatures of the Tundra brought to life via cut-paper art in Over in the Arctic resonated with us.

Every one knows What a Dragon Looks Like

Every one knows What a Dragon Looks Like

Written by Jay Williams

Illustrated by Mercer Mayer

Ages: 4+

Do you think you know how a dragon looks like? Are you sure? I was always sure about it - long sinuous body, fiery eyes, blood curdling sound, a long tail, gnashing teeth and scary! But, this book made me re-think; now, I am not so sure.

The city of Wu is on the borders of China. If you cross it, one would be in the great plains of Wild Horsemen. The city of Wu is the last bastion of China and also the first city that could get attacked if the Wild Horsemen decide to do so. In this city lived a poor orphan kid called Han, the gate-sweeper of the city. He was always cheerful and lived near the gates of the cities in a small hut.

One day a messenger races into the city to inform to the mandarin, the leader of the Merchants, Captain of the Army and other wise men of the town about the imminent danger to their city. The wild Horsemen are planning a war with China and city of Wu was their first target. The wise men of the city decide to pray to the Great Cloud dragon for help.

Every one prays and the next day an old man with a staff claiming to be the cloud dragon arrives at the city gates. Han, the gate-sweeper receives him initially with skepticism, but warms up to the idea that this old man could be the dragon and takes him to meet the elders of the city. Every one rolls in laughter and makes fun of the old man. The rest of the story deals with how one boy's open-mindedness saves the city of Wu.

It is an amazing story on how we are enemies of our mind - our preconceived notions. As adults, our minds are made up of various ideas and rarely are we prepared to question them. Every argument against our ideas are challenged and most of us refuse to accept some thing that is different and at odds with our belief system.

Whenever we say the word dragon - our first instinct and our mind thinks of the same image that we have been fed for years now. Can you imagine a dragon that does not breathe fire or does not have wings or cannot fly? Our myths are already imagined and refuse to be pushed aside. The author Jay Williams uses the allegory of a simple dragon to question our thought process. Why are we not ready to embrace something that is new or different from our assumptions?

An extremely important lesson for parents and children. This book is not only a great book that can be used for some interesting discussions with our kids; it is also an extremely fun book. Sooraj, Shraddha and I rolled in laughter when the old man stepped in as a dragon. We found it very funny, but slowly it dawned on us that the story is not that simple.

Published first in 1976, the book sells at Amazon through some external retailers for a minimum of $83. Amazing, isn't it? One of my friends found it in Bangalore Book Exhibition for Rs. 25/- and I've been trying hard to make him forget the fact that I had borrowed the book from him! He has this great ability of finding interesting books at lowest possible prices. I would have passed the same shop a few minutes earlier and left without a second look. He would walk by the same book store and pick some 20 odd books for Rs. 500/- all together and each one of them a gem.

Do look out for the book in a second hand book shop. If you find it, pick it up immediately and rush before you lose it. You will not regret buying this book.

Pop up books

We were speaking of art appreciation at ST recently and here are a class of books that are art in themselves- pop up books.

Paper constructions are often fragile/ complex and may not withstand our little children's eager handling. But children just need to be requested to exercise caution and/ or insist on adult supervision. In our case, Anushka began to appreciate the marvels a pop up offers at around three years and enjoys unraveling them.

Also, each year the engineering behind these books and the quality of pop ups improve, making them easier to handle.

Author - Richard Scarry
Paper engineering: Keith Finch
Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books
Ages- 3-6years

Our small but growing collection began with a gift- Richard Scarry’s Busiest Pop up book ever.

The story is a simple Scarry classic - Bananas Gorilla steals a truckload of bananas, at a port and is chased by Sergeant Murphy and the rest over the railway station, airport and road junction.

As you can imagine, the locations are ideal for a lot of hide and seek, imparting suspense and surprise on/ in every page. The details are amazing as well.

Action packed scenes unfold literally with a mix of clever pull tabs, lift ups and pop ups. Arrows and pointers make it easy for kids to spot the needful.

Despite the average quality of some of the pop ups (stiff in parts even for adults), the book is a fun ride for children under 5 years and a good introduction to the delights a pop up holds.

Design and paper engineering: Ron van der Meer and Graham Brown

Publisher: Robin Corey Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Ages- 4 upwards

How Many Spectacular Paper Sculptures- a pop-up by Ron van der Meer is truly the union of art and maths- at least counting. Each 3-D paper sculpture is designed to be viewed from all angles and is truly colourful.

On each page, a multitude of a particular shape, in various colours and sizes, is featured. There are lines, circles, squares, triangles and stars among others. All the paper sculptures really are marvellous and awe inspiring but my favourite is the stars one.

Every page comes with questions relating to the shape featured there...eg. How many stars are transparent? ... How many are solid? ......you can improvise and add on your own questions once the child begins enjoying these mind teasers.

A great book - both well executed and engaging !

ABC3D by Marion Bataille

Book Design: Marion Bataille

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Ages- 2 upwards

ABC3D by Marion Bataille is an irresistible, lovely, out of the way alphabet book.

The author of this really clever black, white and red alphabet book was in Chennai as part of the Indo French festival. You will need to take your child through the transitions for some are puzzling and not very obvious, at least in our experience with our 4 year old.

To give you a feel of the very quirky & imaginative transitions the alphabets make- E turns into F with a tab extension, O and P turn into Q and R with a "frosted" see through page or my favourite- V into W with an adjoining mirror page.

This book with its eye catching lenticular cover page ( credited to Michael Yuen) , has already won a couple of awards- Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year; Capitol Choices Noteworthy Titles for Children and Teens.

Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland by Robert Sabuda, said to be THE master paper craftsman, are pending on my shelf. More on them later.

The Missing Piece

The Missing Piece
by Shel Silverstein

All Ages

How often in life have we defined to ourselves what it is we are seeking, and then taken the steps for its fulfilment, only to find that the actual utopia of having it, is far removed from the reality of the happiness we envisioned at the start?

The Missing Piece is the story of such a seeking and finding, and in that it will appeal to us all. There is a Missing Piece (MP). And it is not called MP for nothing. It really is missing a piece. And it is not happy. So it sets off on a quest to find it. Both the missing piece and the happiness. Now it is a happy seeker. It makes up little songs to sing along the way, to keep the journey interesting. It faces all the ups and downs of being on the road. Hot sun, cooling rain, freezing snow, the sun making it warm again. And it has time in the world to stop and say hello to a worm here or smell a flower there, because it cannot go very fast. Sometimes it would pass a beetle, and sometimes the beetle would pass it, and the best times of all, was when a butterfly chose to land on its head, and they enjoy each other's company.

And thus the journey continues...over oceans, through swamps and jungles, up and down mountains...until one day, lo and behold!

I've found my missing piece,
I've found my missing piece,
So grease my knees and fleece my bees,
I've found my...

But before we get too excited, there is a twist. What indeed looks like a missing piece for our friend, claims that it is not missing anything, that it is, in fact, its own piece. Sound familiar?

Our MP apologises and rolls on. Along the way it meets several more such pieces, and passes each one by, because one of them is too small to fit in, another too big, one too sharp, another too square! And on and on through several more such encounters and road blocks, until FINALLY, it finds its p.e.r.f.e.c.t piece. At last! And the conversation that the two of them have is endearing. Even more so is how our MP, who has been scorched and burned before, checks with the new piece, ever so gingerly, on so many counts.

Are you anybody else's missing piece?

Do you want to be your own piece?

Well maybe you don't want to be mine?

Maybe we won't fit?

But our New Piece (let's call it NP) truly is a perfect fit in every way. And thus, the two of them join together and become whole. But is this the beginning of the 'happily ever after'? Sadly, not.

Our MP, now whole, is discovering a whole new world of possibilities. Like how he could now roll super fast, but so fast that it could not stop to talk to a worm or smell a flower, too fast even, for a butterfly to land, but at least he could still sing, right? Wrong. Because the words came out all jumbled and incoherent, and you can imagine why. And it is once again time to pause and think and make a decision. And it is one of goodbye. Painful as it is, it sets NP down gently, and slowly rolls away. The pages turn and the song is back. And the butterfly comes to land on its head.

And that is life. Where you start off a certain way, bend and flex to whatever comes along and just keep rolling with it, despite everything.

And that's what is so special about this book. The subtle undercurrent of reality mixed in to the tenors of this story, that makes you take it quite to heart. The flashes of humour that make you want to chuckle out loud...when the MP passes the beetle, and then have the beetle pass it by right in the next page, the way one of the pieces it encounters is a triangle at the end of a sharp arrow, landing neatly in its mouth and so much more.

The illustrations are startlingly simple. Pure white pages, sharp clear drawings in black. A clear contrast of colours saying so much more than if the whole spectrum was used. Most pages showing only one line of text, giving you space to read into all that's left unsaid. These are all hallmarks of pure, unrestrained thought, making it to print. So what more can I say that I haven't already?

That there are several levels on which this book can be experienced. Our adult thoughts that correlate to our individual lives, feeling pinches of the sadness, growing exponentially in the wisdom. And then there is that other level that our kids see. Where they get down to eye level with MP and roll right along with him. Smiling, laughing, being intrigued, singing, watching butterflies, exhilarating and starting every page with a clean slate.

But the real twist is still around. For where you think the story ends, another is just beginning. And that is life too. And we'll let NP share his, the next time!

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Another Shel Silverstein classic reviewed here by Praba - The Giving Tree

The joy of classical dances of India

Author : Leela Samson

Illustrator : Jagdish Joshi

Age group : 10 +

Publisher : National Book Trust, India

This is a book with very interesting information on the classical dances of India. It has been authored by none other than Leela Samson, who is the current director of Kalakshetra in Chennai. The beautiful pencil sketches are by Jagdish Joshi.

I picked this book mainly because it piqued my interest and I do have a soft corner for dance, even if I have never learned it formally.

Leela starts the book about the evolution of the Indian dance over the centuries. The book deals with the main classical dance forms of India and also touches upon the little known dance forms of the North East. So we get to read some very interesting things about - Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Manipuri dance, Odissi, Mohini Attam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, Chhau and Sattriya. She dwells on the origin of the dance, it's significance in the local culture, the evolution of the dance form over the ages, the presentation style and finally it's current form. It makes for a very interesting and insightful read.

The simple sketches are very captivating and bring out the nuances of the dancer so beautifully. This is one of my favourite sketches from the book, giving us a glimpse of the Manipuri dance presentation. You can feel the dancer swirling to the rhythm of the music when you see this picture !

In this picture a drummer is playing an instrument called the pung. When I did a google search for this instrument, to my pleasant surprise I got quite a few You tube videos of Manipuri drummers performing a dance called Pung Cholom. It was a revelation to know so many new things about our own Indian culture.

This is truly one of the gems from National Book Trust, India(NBT) publications. If this book can be adapted by any publisher into a book with simpler text and more such beautiful images, you have a perfect treat for the younger children !

Silent Music

Image courtesy: Macmillan

Author/Illustrator: James Rumford
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, Macmillan (March 18, 2008)

I was moved to tears when I first read Silent Music in the library. When it was time to check it out, I hesitated. Was my 4yo ready for heavy topics like war? Should he already know that there are kids in parts of the world who survive in the backdrop of battle?

The book does not talk about the war itself, it is not filled with horrific pictures or descriptions. It is in what is the unsaid, the subtleties. It is in how it zooms in to the life of one particular boy and how he copes. That creates a stronger impact than any statistic can.

Author/illustrator, James Rumford excels in presenting a story of such depth in words and brief lines that would reach out to even a preschooler. We are introduced to Ali, a preteen, whom one might find in a street corner of Baghdad, Iraq, playing soccer with his friends. Ali loves loud ‘parent-rattling’ music, and writing.

Of all his hobbies, Ali's favorite is writing in the native art form of calligraphy. The delicate art of holding the pen just at the right angle applying just the right pressure to create beautiful strokes and loops and curves fascinates him so much that he writes on every writable surface – on old receipts, newspapers, used envelopes, fogged bathroom mirrors. The graceful up and down strokes and loops of his pen keep tune with the silent music in his head.

He sees calligraphy even in the rugged game of soccer. The way the ball is tossed from player to player and moves across the field, in loops and curves and straight lines is very similar to the way his ink flows from his pen. He idolizes Yakut Al Musta'asimi, a 13th century calligraphist who locked himself in a tower to shut out the noise of the Mongolian invasion and sought peace in writing poem after poem.

One night in 2003, Ali finds himself in a similar situation. He too hears the loud noises of war ravaging his country. He too shuts himself in and starts writing, seeking the ever elusive solace.

That war has long ended, Ali tells us, only to be replaced with war of another kind. He points out the irony, how easy it is to write the word war, how easily the ink flows from his pen, but that other word, the one he yearns for, that other word that the white dove symbolizes, resists him stubbornly, and demands a lot more practice.

The illustrations deserve a review of their own. It is not black text and color pictures on white paper, but embossed regional designs on gold hued pages. Repeating patterns of hexagonal shapes and minaret domes are interspersed with graceful strokes from the Arabic script. Each page is assembled as a collage of assorted images to supplement the text. One particularly moving page is the one in which Ali compares his situation to Yakut's, and we see him huddled under a dark blanket with his white cat, writing. The background is dark with Arabic verses scattered randomly, much like the chaos of voices that might accompany the beginning of war.

Despite my initial hesitation, I did not water this down for my 4 year old. He is at an age where guns awe him, so I thought he should know the other side of the coin as well. I did have to insert in facts at relevant parts of the story because we'd never discussed the that part of the world before. After the first reading he fell silent and for a long time as he chewed on what he'd just heard. In subsequent readings, we talked about how quickly we can pick a fight with our friends, but how much more difficult it was to use words and make peace, but how the latter leads to happiness for everyone. I'm sure it will need a lot more reinforcing, but I'd go so far as to say that this book was a step up in his emotional maturity.

With us, Silent Music left a profound, thought provoking echo.

Interview with Shilo Shiv Suleman

Illustrations are an indespensable part in the world of books for young readers. They have the magic of invoking wide range of emotions in children (and adults too). And if the illustrations are like those done by Shilo, they become a beautifully laid out feast for the eyes and source of inspiration for many people. It is marvellous to see that a girl who is just out of her teens is so imaginative and mature in her expression through her strokes of brush.

I am glad that Shilo (illustrator - Pampasutra) took some time out from her busy schedule and agreed to do this interview with ST.

1. What is the best part about what you do?

The best part about what is possibly in the process of illustrating a book - In visualizing each word and watching it become a tapestry of images woven together and trying to experience the text and imagine the text a way a child would - with wide-eyed wonder and love. As Antoine de Saint Exupéry says in the ‘Little Prince’.

Here is my secret. It is very simple. ‘It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. Only children know what they are looking for'. I can't even begin to express how grateful I am to be doing something I love with all my heart everyday. Just dreaming in full colour.

2. How long have you been working as an artist/illustrator?

The first book started when I was 16. A book of Children's poems in Hindi that I illustrated, post that there have been 3 other children's books- two for Karadi Tales (one of which is a super spooky Tim-Burtonesque book called Tak Tak) and the latest (and possibly the closest to my heart) was released last month- Pampasutra by Arshia Sattar, about the river goddess of Hampi. It flows through the Tunghabadhra River’s mythology, history, and finally environmental perspective on what's happening to the river right now. The Dam, the motorboats, the plastic, the dumping - all of it.

3. Please elaborate some of your educational qualifications, your experiences and skills related to this field.

I am 21 years old and still studying in Srishti School of Art Design and Technology in Bangalore. Doing my 3rd year in Design and Animation whilst freelancing, painting walls, instruments, posters and Tshirts for NGOs working on different campaigns, wandering around the country, Illustrating for Ads, Magazines as well as (and most importantly) Children's Books.

Right now I'm working on Illustrating, Writing and Animating with Srishti an Interactive Graphic novel for children called 'Khoya'. Using technology called Augmented Reality to enhance storytelling as well as bridge the gap between the technological and the tangible. :)

4. Which medium do you use for the illustrations, which software do you use? Which is your favourite medium and style?

I mainly use watercolours and collages -all sorts of textures and photographs that I find while travelling around the country. I feel watercolour+collage works the best for me because I love layering my paintings both physically and in terms of meaning and content. As for style- I work with what comes most naturally to me and is an almost instinctual and personal form of expression.

5. When did you think that you want to make a career in fine arts and especially being an illustrator?

I'm always learning...career aside..through university, through travel and all the experiences and opportunities that come my way. And all of this comes out through me brush. :)
My mother, Nilofer Suleman (Suleman Chai), is an artist as well and so that's been a big source of inspiration.

That aside, I also studied in Valley School- a hundred and something acres of wild sprawling land. And all I did was wonder-wander-wide-eyed at all the trees and paint.
Another source of inspiration was possibly all the travelling around India.

Beyond colour and form there was so much love in every journey. And after dabbling in a bit of photography- Illustration became the closest way to fulfil the gratitude I felt for those experiences and landscapes encountered. I started to draw incessantly in notebooks that I carry with me. Collecting stories, places, and faces and pressing flowers between the pages.

6. Which kind of projects do you want to do? Which is your next project?

I'm open to anything really but what really catch my eye are things that are imaginative and brimming with imagery as well as things with a social or environmental context.
Right now I'm working on a project called 'Khoya' which is an experimental new-way of storytelling using technology. It’s about a little girl born into a dystopic land who slowly rediscovers the natural world and all its magic.

So yes, other projects that interest me relate to Mythology, Folklore, Fantasy, Love, Magical Realism and Storytelling, New places, Encounters, Animation, and the Natural world. Also, Art in the Social Sphere- Art and Activism. As well as taking Art out of a gallery and onto the streets, which is one of the reasons why the Bangalore Wallflower project happened. :)
The Bangalore Wallflower project is an attempt to make art more accessible. Not just in terms of its location. But also encouraging people who aren't necessarily artists curb their inhibitions and pick up their brushes and create community art. We work as much as possible with children in the community.

WatercolourWars/Artivism is an artists collective that was started similarly to bridge the gap between Activists in need of a Visual Identity and Artists who could provide them with that and more.

7. What is the most fascinating part of being an illustrator and most frustrating part?

The most fascinating part is that it becomes an extension of oneself. Every story I hear I see it play out in my mind's eye. The most frustrating part would be breaking through limitations of technique/skill to create something that evokes the image on has in one's mind.

8. What is your source of motivation? In your opinion - are the artists born or the skills can be acquired too?

My opinion is that everyone is an artist and it has nothing to do with skill. Just feel the freedom from inhibitions. I haven't had very much 'formal' training skill wise. And I don't think it would make a difference if I did.

I find more and more that people are afraid of drawing because they think themselves incapable of doing so. That's another reason why the Wallflower project was initiated so that children and adults could just paint in an extremely public space on a large surface without being afraid.
The source of inspiration and motivation for me is love for what I do. And all the absolute gorgeousness that surrounds me as I travel.

9. What advice would you give to aspiring illustrators?

To just love and stop worrying about what they see and how to draw what they see and draw what they feel. :) as cliche as it might sound. Anything essential is invisible to the eye. Only with the heart one sees clearly.

10. Would you consider taking up interior decor projects such as wall art and murals for children's rooms?
Yes! Doing so as we speak.

Shilo, a big thanks to you.

This interview is crossposted on Literary Sojourn

Pampasutra

Title : Pampasutra
Author : Arshia Sattar
Illustrated by : Shilo Shiv Suleman
Published by : The Kishkinda Trust

A story told by a river - Tungabhadra, more popularly known as Pampa. As all rivers do, Pampa has her lap of waves full of stories. She narrates the saga of her life in her own words - from her birth to various historical times to which she became a witness. She briefly recounts the legends and myths which took shape near her banks and became a part of her life - her marriage to Lord Shiva and her friendship with Hanuman - the magic monkey. Because of her friendship with Hanuman, she got acquainted to Lord Rama and watched his activities when he was in search of Sita. She discusses about various life forms which have been dependent on her water and her health - the fish in her water, birds (including migratory birds) and animals. She briefly touches the history by mentioning about the Vijayanagar Empire and giving a glimpse of the mightiness of that empire.

But now she is in a somber state because of all the ill treatment meted to her by humans. Her water has been held back forcibly by building dams, and industrial and other wastes are flushed into her pristine waters. She is imploring the young readers to save her and let her play freely as she has been doing since her birth so that she brings more abundance and bright future for all.

The most striking thing about this book is the gorgeous illustrations of Shilo Shiv Suleman. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the illustrations have actually brought the story to life. The river has been depicted as a lady with extremely expressive eyes. The part where she narrates the story of her marriage and her beautiful past, the twinkle in her eyes expresses her joy and happiness. Towards the end the mournful expression reaches the readers hearts. With the tone of story going from one emotion to another, Shilo's brush moves from one side of the colour spectrum to the other - from bright warm colours celebrating the prosperous past to dull shades in tune with the melancholy present of the river.

Some beautiful Pampasutra stickers are an added bonus on the last page.

An interview with Shilo Shiv Suleman will follow this post.

{Image source : Shilo's blog}

Review crossposted on : Literary Sojourn

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

Author and illustrator - Virginia Lee Burton
Publisher- Houghton Mifflin Books
Ages- 3 to 6 years

An appealing American children's classic, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel- Mary Anne are a pair of man and machine who work in tandem and build roads and airports and buildings too. Mike loves Mary Anne and takes great care and pride in her.

Rendered obsolete, due to the introduction of modern, more efficient machines that run on diesel, Mike needs to find work outside the city because he is unwilling to scrap Mary Anne. ( rather similar to how many of us behave towards our first car )

Mike, not one to be defeated, takes Mary Anne to the town of Popperville. He offers to dig up the cellar for the town hall and that too in a day!! When met with disbelief, Mike in a fit of bravado, declares that if he does not complete the work by sunset he would not expect any payment.

The duo work better when encouraged and watched by others. The entire town of Popperville and even the neighbouring towns gather to motivate the duo to complete the work by sunset. And of course they do.

But there is a glitch. They have not left any way out and are trapped inside the pit they have dug!! An ingenious suggestion from a little boy, makes Mike the janitor for the new town hall and Mary Anne occupies pride of place as the heating system.

A symbol of comradeship and a tribute to hard work , this story is a hit in the artnavy household since the first time we read it. It is rendered even more interesting since the machine is portrayed almost as a human( as children usually imagine).

The author and illustrator, Virginia Lee Burton is said to have written books for her own children, two little boys who loved machines. That possibly explains the extra bit of charm it offers, through both the style of writing and the detailed and colourful crayon illustrations.

The Lion and The Mouse

The Lion and the Mouse
by Jerry Pinkney
Caldecott Medal 2010
Ages 4-8

Jerry Pinkney needs no introduction to children's books fans, I am sure. In this book, his art speaks for itself without the aid of any words.

And, the story probably needs no introduction either: it is the classic fable of the mighty lion sparing a little mouse contrary to his character, forgoing his meal however meager; and in return, the little mouse coming to the lion's aid at the crucial time, to save his life.

It is quite challenging to present a story with just illustrations, no text. The Lion and The Mouse does this quite artistically and successfully. Vivid, expressive watercolors fill the pages, silently moving the story forward in a fluid and dynamic way rather than depicting instant snapshots of the events frozen in time.

I was blown away by the fine details. The intense expressions and the varied perspectives are beautifully rendered to tell an engaging story, while distinctly retaining the innate nature of each of the two protagonists. This is not a quick read. The pages can hold our attention for several minutes, encouraging us to register every detail, placed there by no accident.

The artist's note at the back explains that he chose to set the book in Africa's Serengeti, 'with its wide horizon and abundant wildlife so awesome yet fragile — not unlike the two sides of each of the heroes'.

In the opening page, scuttling to safety from a large predatory owl, a mouse inadvertently finds himself under a huge paw, an easy snack for the mighty lion. This starts our adventure into this age-old fable, retold with warmth and spirit.

Kindness offered is kindness earned. The benevolence and grace that the mighty lion shows to the feeble mouse comes right back to him, sealing an unlikely friendship. No matter how small, a friend in need is a friend indeed.

The lion striding with his mate and cubs at the end is rendered all the more irresistible when we notice the mouse, his mate, and his brood riding piggyback on this majestic beast. The playfulness of the little mice and the cubs complement the regal bearing and harmony the creatures have come to share.

My 4¾ year old managed to glean the story easily, pointing to elements she is familiar with, without really wondering about the absence of words. And, my 1¾ year old probably didn't even notice that each time one of us "read" the book to him, it sounded different... but conveyed the same thing.

[picture courtesy of Jerry Pinkney Studio]