Planets

Author: Ellen Hasbrouck
Illustrator: Scott McDougall
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Little Simon (November 1, 2001)


In my quest for a non-fiction picture book about planets for the preschool-aged, (with easy to follow text and attractive pictures being the two criteria for selection), I stumbled upon Planets by Ellen Hasbrouck and Scott McDougall.

I purchased the hardcover book purely to inspire my older one who around her third birthday was obsessed with identifying planets, and wouldn't simply stop talking about the solar system. Now with my little one who is turning four soon, the obsession for celestial objects has been repeating itself or should I say, we're back on the same orbit yet again. This review is certainly one that's been long overdue.

The most striking aspect of the book is that the text flows as short poems starting from the sun followed by the planets in the solar system along the order of their orbits. The subtle repetition of facts in the form of rhymes all through helps re-inforce the order in which the planets appear in their orbital path around the sun. The first page opens with an illustration of the sun and a short and simple poem that goes -

"This is the sun, shining so bright,
giving us the energy of heat and light."

The next page, the size of which is slightly larger than the previous, describes Mercury through another short poem. The following page, larger than the previous show Mercury and Venus, and the lines for Venus ending with repeating lines of Mercury. The next page grows in size and the pattern repeats itself so on and so forth, until the very last page, the size being the largest showing all nine planets and the lines for Pluto and Neptune. The unique way in which the pages were cut and layered was indeed a neat surprise element in design.

The vivid illustrations of the planets and the uncluttered black background render a space-like feel throughout the book. Overall, a thoughtfully written, unique book in nonfiction for teaching the basics of our solar system to preschoolers and early elementary graders.

No doubt, this book has helped me introduce some basic, interesting facts about the nine planets to my children in a fun way. Both have enjoyed gazing at the pictures and listening to the poems. While the experience is certainly not close to experiencing the actual night sky in all its glory, I must comfortably say the book can provide an excellent preview to the little astronomers in the making.

Note: Ours was a regular hardcover copy and not a sticker book.

All Free

Title - All Free : a folktale from Gujarat
Author - Mamata Pandya
Illustrated by - Srividya Natarajan

Publisher - Tulika ('Under the Banyan' series)

The story starts with Bhikhubhai's heart craving for fresh, juicy, delicious, grated coconut but there is a small problem - he will have to part with a little money which he would rather not. He does not mind walking some extra distance if he could get a coconut at a little reduced price and what a blessing if he could get as many coconuts as he wants from the coconut grove itself - ALL FREE!!!
Too good an offer to be actually true.

But for that he would have to climb the tree himself to satisfy his specific requirement of not spending a single paisa but getting to enjoy the coconuts. So Bhikhubhai decides to climb the tall tree and in an attempt to grab the biggest fruit, does his foot slip? And he finds himself hanging from the fruit of his desire. Another man comes and hangs onto the feet of Bhikhubahi and to make the matter even more interesting one more man joins the chain by holding onto the feet of the person below Bhikhubhai. Now there are three men hanging from the big fruit, swinging in the air. In order to save their dear lives, the two men want Bhikhubhai to not leave the coconut and what happens when Bhikhubahi is offered a reward of three hundred rupees for providing this service?? Can he keep focusing on holding the coconut tight when his mind is thinking about the unbelievable - getting coconuts and three hundred rupees - all free?

Simply a laugh riot.

The illustrations by Srividya are influenced by the Garoda (story tellers of Gujarat) style of folk art. Beautiful figures in bright colours are accentuated with thick black outlines. Simple patterns in the illustrations depicting village scene are magnificent. Traditional tie-and-dye border on the cover page gives a glimpse of the signature art of that region.

Other titles in 'Under the Banyan' series -

Mazzoo Mazzoo, a folktale from Kashmir
Wrestling Mania, a folktale from Punjab
Sweet and Salty, a folktale from Andhra Pradesh
Eyes on the Peacock's Tail, a folktale from Rajasthan
Magic Vessels, a folktale from Tamilnadu (Reviewed by Ranjani here)
Hiss, Don't Bite ! a folktale from Bengal
A Curly Tale, a folktale from Bihar

The Great Kapok Tree

The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest
by Lynne Cherry

I picked up this book from the library recently, not knowing much about it. Reading it has turned out to be quite a beautiful experience for me and Ana.

The story opens with the lively sounds of howler monkeys and macaws in the Amazon Rain Forest suddenly hushed by the appearance of two men. One of them points to a tree and walks away, leaving the other man striding purposefully, axe in hand, towards the indicated tree. A Kapok Tree. An ancient, enormous Kapok Tree.

Feeling a little tired after the first few whacks with his axe, the man lays down to rest under this very same Kapok tree he is trying to chop down, and is lulled into sleep by the heat and hum of the rain forest.

One by one, the amazing animals of the rain forest pay him a visit and whisper their plea in his ear, becoming a spokesperson for the tree, and in turn their forest.

A boa slithers down and hisses in his ear: Senhor*... this is my home... generations of my ancestors have lived here... do not chop it down.

Similarly a bee, a toucan, a macaw, a cock-of-the-rock, a green tree frog, a troupe of monkeys, tree porcupines, anteaters, three-toed sloth, even a jaguar, all take their turn to urge the man to look at the kapok tree with a fresh perspective.

The unstriped anteater asks: Senhor... surely you know that what you do today changes what happens tomorrow... children of tomorrow would have to live in a world without trees.

Tree porcupines reminds him: Senhor, what do we all need in order to live? Oxygen. And, Senhor, what do trees produce? Oxygen! Would you chop down and destroy that which gives us all life.

The three-toed sloth asks: Senhor, what is life without beauty? If the beauty of the rain forest is gone, what would you feast your eyes on?

Finally, a Yanomamo child of the rain forest pleads: When you wake up, please look upon us with new eyes.

The man wakes up with a start to see these marvelous animals staring at him. Animals that depend on this Kapok tree, an integral part of the rain forest. And what wondrous and rare animals they were!

Needless to say, he drops his axe and walks away, leaving the animals safe in their habitat.

The illustrations by Lynne Cherry are superbly lush, colorful and magical. They capture the verdant beauty of the rain forest - dense and luxurious, teeming with wildlife big and small. Each page shows an array of indigenous animals in their habitat - being where they need to be, doing what they are designed to do.

For the last one week, Ana has requested this book once every night. She listens to the plea/warning from each animal, telling me in her own way, why it would be sad if the man cut the tree down. She excitedly identifies the rain forest animals in each page, from the gorgeous and elusive blue Morpho butterflies she encountered in Over In The Jungle to the slow-and-sluggish sloths. I didn't know a toucan from macaw from cock-of-the-rock at her age, but, am glad she does, thanks to the wonderful book. Best part of the book according to this soon-to-be-five-year-old? When the man throws his axe down and walks away without cutting the tree!

The text is very direct yet simple. And, thanks to The Magic Tree House #6 Afternoon At The Amazon that we read a while back, we learnt about the layers of the rain forest - forest floor, understory, canopy and the emergent layer. And, it was interesting to note the order in which the animals stopped by to talk to the slumbering man, starting from the bottom-most layer to the top.

There are many things to talk about in this book, and as the kids grow, I hope to revisit this book periodically and see what we can add to our experience. There are always two sides to every issue and it would be interesting to see if they can understand why trees get cut and what we do with them... non-replenishable resources vs. renewable and alternative solutions... Lots to talk about. In good time.

The map at the front and back shows the rain forest regions of the world, indicating original extent and the depletion when this book was published in 1990. This gave a great perspective for Ana. She wondered how long it took for the rain forest to become smaller as shown, and how did they know how big it was in the first place, and did the rain forest shrink only because the trees were cut down? Also, she was able to see rain forests lined up along the Equator (middle, as she put it) and that led to a whole different set of topics to introduce and discuss. Plus, on the border of these maps are pictures of the rain forest animals with their names that makes it interesting to look back and spot them in the other pages.

As a fledgling parent, I try to temper my passion to create awareness about issues with age-appropriateness. I want to take my kids to exotic places, show them what a beautiful world we live in. And, at the same time, help them realize what it takes to preserve, protect, and promote what we have. Lynne Cherry's classic book makes it easy for me to present at least a few of these issues in a child-friendly way, with irresistible visual appeal that is sure to catch their attention and maybe even make an impression.

The book is dedicated to Chico Mendes, who gave his life to preserve a part of the rain forest.

*Brazilian spelling senhor has been used in this book as this story is about the Amazon rain forest. Also, the text from the book is paraphrased here to preserve copyright. The original text in the book is superbly crisp and evocative.

The Desert Contest

Author/Illustrator: Muriel Kakani

Publisher: Spirit of India Books

Ages: 4-8, 8+

Some weeks ago, we watched a puppet show called The Little Blue Planet by Katkatha. Earth was a happy creature and skipped and danced around creating wonderful forms of life. Then he decided to make something out of the world and with a lot of thought created Man. Man was brainy and evolved quickly into a very intelligent being. He wanted more and more and destroyed pretty much everything around thanks to his greed. Earth became a sad and miserable creature. Man realized his mistakes and eventually set about reversing the damage. 

The show had such an impact on my little one that she has converted into a very vocal eco-warrior. You dare not leave the taps running even for a moment. The Desert Contest talks about water conservation and its importance, and is needless to say, one of her current favourites.

The book is part of a series called Ecological Tales from India by Muriel Kakani. Sultan is a well-travelled camel from Arabia - he has been to the Sahara desert which is the hottest and largest, the Sonoran desert which is the greenest, the Namib desert which has high sand dunes and the Thar desert which is the most densely populated desert in the world. He understands, better than most folks, how difficult life is in these arid regions and also the fact that its inhabitants - plant, animal and human, have evolved and adapted to survive in these tough climes. After all the elixir of life - water - is scarce here. Sultan decides to celebrate the ingenuity of the desert creatures by holding a contest to choose the best water conservation method.

The giant Saguaro cactus from Sonoran narrates his story in rhyme - tells us that he can collect up to 200 gallons in a single rainfall. The long-legged beetle from Namib says that her only source of water is the morning dew and elaborates on how she harvests it. Then the desert tortoise from Mojave desert talks about how he can survive with near zero water sources and that he can even live off plant juices.

Finally Ran Singh from a Rajasthani desert comes forward. Sultan the camel is not very hopeful about him - after all Man has been an expert at ravaging the planet's water resources. Raj Singh however convinces him that this was not always the case and that people in the Thar region revered water. He further elaborates on the water harvesting methods they have been practising since centuries - for example in kunds, nadis, from the roof-tops and through khadin, where water is harvested from the farmlands.

So who wins the contest?! Read the book to find out! An excellent resource to highlight the importance of water conservation on World Water Day!

ETA: Anupam Mishra's TED talk - totally worth checking out if you haven't already. Also Muriel Kakani's post on her blog where she talks about water harvesting. Thanks Sathish and Ranjani for the links.

Handmade in India

Handmade in India
Author/Illustrator: Olivia Fraser

Publisher: Pratham Books
Ages: All 

I first came across this book almost five years ago as I was browsing the online catalogue of Pratham Books. I was fascinated by whatever little I could figure out and called their office to find out if they had a copy. They did not, it was out of print. They have finally done a reprint and I suddenly came across a copy last week. Both the testers in these parts have given it a big thumbs-up, its been worth the wait.

Olivia Fraser is a Scottish artist married to William Dalrymple - one of my favourite authors, and they spend their time between Delhi, London and Edinburgh. The book in question is a travelogue of sorts - Fraser takes us on a delightful journey around the various states of the country and gives us a glimpse of some of the many things that are handmade in India. The illustrations are each a work of art.

In the hills of Himachal Pradesh she met two women who were spinning wool and knitting it. She tells us in detail what the women are doing, and on top of the page is an outline of India with the state highlighted. The corresponding full page illustration shows two women in traditional garb made of the wool similar to what they are working on and surrounded by sheep.

On the next page Fraser takes us to Haryana where she met women drawing water from wells. She tells us how these amazing women balance two pots one on top of the other on their heads and asks the reader if (s)he can do that. The illustration shows women in vibrant clothes around a well.

Then there is the sculptor she met in Karnataka who she saw was making a statue - can you guess whose she asks. My little reader guessed correctly - the elephant-headed god! The picture  of the man as he is working is framed by the various statues he has made and the tools he uses to create his magic.

And on she goes. She travels through Karnataka where she met workers in paddy fields and Banjara women collecting firewood in forests. Their backs must ache by the end of the day she thinks. In Goa she meets workers mending a railway track. The picture is stunning - you have to see it to know what I mean. In Orissa she meets crafts-folk who are creating beautiful images of Jagannath and also elephant masks. She asks us what we like best. We meet a 'thathera', brick-makers and fisherwomen in Bengal, and finally a group of women preparing a huge feast for a wedding in Rajasthan.

I showed it to a friend and she loved it as expected. She did not know how much it cost and when asked how much she would be willing to buy it for, said between two and three hundred rupees. Well the book is priced at a tenth of that, so go get a copy!

Edited to add: Take a peek - here's a visual trailer.

Pic courtesy

Poems, rhymes and more

The many sights, sounds and smells of changing seasons can be uniquely inspiring. They never fail to evoke in me feelings of wonder and awe for the unassuming manner in which nature works in rhythmic cycles. With spring around the corner here, the world around me seethes with expectations and the prospect of new life.

My fondest springtime memory in the US I recall is seeing daffodils for the first time(which of course a friend had pointed out to me during a long walk). The golden yellow beauties instantly reminded me of the poem Daffodils by William Wordsworth, I had read growing up in India.

With no clue whatsoever about how daffodils looked like until that point, it certainly was a joyful moment to gaze upon the sunny stems and get a little sentimental about the poem, alongside. Sure enough, each spring these pretty yellow flowers never fail to lift up my spirit.

Poetry came into my life well past my childhood years. Whether it was in the form of many centuries old, didactic verses in Tamil or as the unable-to-relate-to countryside scenes and sights in English poetry, I recall dreading the heavy-handed manner in which poetry was offered in the curriculum, during the middle and high school years.

Poetry can be deeply personal, and can touch and move different people in different ways. Offering this powerful form of expression early on to children in a fun and not dreary or heavy way can open their minds for more complex, peel-the-layers kind of ideas and feelings in poetry for the later years.

Letting children discover poetry and rhymes in the early childhood years need not necessarily be done through rigid memorization or recitation. Simple tales set in verses and rhyming text can be equally fun for little ones.

I was curious to find out from members of the Saffron Tree family contemporary books set in verses/rhymes/poetry collections that their children had enjoyed listening to, or any poets/poems they themselves were inspired by growing up. I also wanted to learn about modern day poets writing for children in India in English or in any other Indian language, while sharing a bit about modern poets writing for children here in the US. I thought this would be a fun sequel to the list of Dr.Seuss' books we offered earlier this month, a continuation of the tribute to the clever crafter, master of nonsense verses in modern children's literature.

In part 1 of our poetry series, we have four of our contributors in India who have shared with us some very interesting picks in poetry and tales set in verse and rhymes.

1) Vibha Sharma's picks:

World's Funniest Book of Poems by Sam Jam.



We haven't read many books on poetry but this book held my attention mainly because of the challenge given by Sam on the back cover of the book - 'Read without Smiling'. I picked it up.

I could see a little bit of nonsensical Roald Dahl-kind flavour in his poems. A few poems are really clever and hilarious. The ones that we liked the most are:

Template of a Perfect Day - where the words are actually substituted by the different parts of speech. The fun is in decoding the grammatical code and enjoying it. We had a great time trying out different options in words.

Just to give you an idea -

'I went out verbal nouning
On the second day of the plural noun.

I bought a noun, a noun, and a pair of nouns.
The noun was adjective, the noun adjective
And the nouns were adjective but nice.'

The World's Pickiest Eater. Secret revealed by the one maintaining a perfect shape - literally counting every grain that is popped in the mouth - Four hundred and ninety seven Choco Pops for breakfast, six hundred grains of fried rice for lunch three hundred blobs of sago as dessert… and on and on he goes about the strict regimen that he follows.

Illustrations by Eamonu O'Boyle are wacky and interesting, go very well with the poems.



Raja Nang Dhadanga Hai (Pratham Book)
Author : Kamala Bakaya
Illustrator : Audrey Kumar

I have /heard/read/told this story many times as a child and now as a parent while watching my children growing up but when I saw this story retold in verse, I had to pick it up. Read it to my children and thoroughly enjoyed myself.
A king who is befooled into wearing a dress which is visible only to 'people with brains' !!

2)Wordjunkie's picks

I’ve always loved nonsense verse, and read quite a lot of it to the Imp when she was younger. Apart from the humour, I think this is an excellent way to introduce a child to the sheer joys of language and the endless possibilities of playing around with words and phonetics.

Here are some old faithfuls, always good for a giggle and a rollicking bedtime read:

The poetry of Edward Lear, notably gems like ‘The Pobble Who has no Toes’, ‘The Mad Gardener’s Song’, and ‘The Quangle Wangle’s Hat’.

The poetry of Lewis Carroll, best exemplified by the verse in Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass - especially my favourite,’ Jabberwocky’.

I discovered the poems of A. A. Milne as a schoolgirl, through the hilarious ‘The King’s Breakfast’, where a king is driven to tears over a simple pat of butter . I went on to discover – and love - such gems as ‘Disobedience”, about a silly woman who disobeys her infinitely wiser three year old, and ‘Buckingham Palace’ which stars his son Christopher Robin.

The poetry of Sukumar Ray. Now Ray wrote in Bengali, and I have only read –and been astounded by- his ‘Abol Tabol’ in translation (which, in turn, points to the brilliance of his translator, Sukanta Choudhary), but I think his genius remains unparalleled.



Older readers will love our other nightstand dependable – Vikram Seth’s ‘Beastly Tales from Here ad There’. A collection of retold fables ad folktales, as well as one original story, this is a terrific collection of poems revolving around animal protagonists.

Another poet I recommend for older readers is Edward Gorey. Gorey’s work tilts toward the macabre . That is to say, kids (and sometimes their parents) usually undergo all manner of unfortunate fates The all time classic, ‘The Gashlycrumb Tinies’, his best known work, is a good example - an alphabet primer about children and their , um, deaths …A for Amy who fell down the stairs, B for Basil assaulted by bears, C for Clara who wasted away..” need I go on? And yet, laugh-out-loud hilarious, and combined with his lovely woodcut-style illustrations, a huge favourite at the Imp's.


3) Artnavy's picks



Our perennial favourites, Karadi Rhymes and any Dr Seuss book, have already been reviewed here.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is the next lively tale in rhyme that Anushka latched on to. Written by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault and illustrated by Lois Ehlert, this quirky, colorful, alphabet adventure is about foolhardy letters, who climb up a coconut tree!

" a told b, and b told c, I'll meet you at the top of the coconut tree"

Ambitious and eager, the letters race up until the tree bends, the coconuts fall and the alphabets themselves tumble down. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. 'Older' capital letters come to help the wounded letters. The injuries are delightfully described and illustrated with aplomb- stub toed E and black eyed P and so on. The naughty end involving the alphabet A, leaves the reader in splits.

Anushka loves to whoop out- "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!" and other nonsense words such as " skit skat skoodle doo" with great fervor.

Ray Charles renders the book in the CD that accompanies this book. There are also number versions and the alphabet in reverse as part of the CD. If your child is learning phonics it may be wiser to only read aloud to her or have her listen to the CD. So make sure you "have enough room" for "Chicka Chicka boom Boom" in your library.



Orient BlackSwan's The Sun All Golden And Round, is a Kannada folk tale retold in English, in rhyme. Written by Jane Sahi and illustrated by Harriet Mayo, it is a cumulative tale about the cycles in nature.

"The sun is all golden and round, warming the rice in the fields around....."
Put together rice fields, clouds, rain, thunder, rice pounding, the sun and a grandma who is old but strong and works all day long. Guaranteed to be a hit with kids as it is with Anushka - they will clamor to finish the lines and find it easy to dramatize as well.

The thing with rhymes and tales in verse is that they are delightful and easy for kids to recall and recite. When children complete a line with the apt word it provides them a sense of accomplishment and it is also easier for them when they begin reading by themselves.And while on poetry, I cannot resist naming some of our other favorites, the first part of another Kannada tale The Never Ending Story, the endearing Malu Bhalu and the educative Look, the moon- all from Tulika.

4) Choxbox's picks



We just had a friend over from the US and I handed over two audiobooks for his 4 year old - Karadi Rhymes Book 1 and Book 2. They are among my 'most reliable' items to gift, something that is bound to be a hit.

Growing up in blazing Hyderabad, I wondered why one should ask the rain to go away. Or what hot cross buns were and that they couldn't possibly beat mom's mind-blowing mirchi bhajjis. Some rhymes were positively dark too - Humpty Dumpty falls apart and we are supposed to chant it over and over! And if the bough breaks and the baby falls down, oh God, what will happen to the baby?!

Karadi Rhymes are gentle and make sense to a child living in India - they invite the rain, they talk about yummy mangoes and bhelpuri, tell you how to make onion sambar and describe the chaos on a typical Indian railway station. They celebrate the sari, the national craze that is cricket and the rich diversity of this country. There is a song that acknowledges the fact that even a child can have negative feelings like anger, despair and sadness and suggests how to help him/herself. You get more goodies - the accompanying book has delightful illustrations that are sure to catch even a reluctant reader's eye. Then there is the addictive music and the full-of-life voice of Usha Uthup.

A birthday party is coming up next weekend. See you at the bookshop then, by the Karadi Rhymes rack!
( On the same note an earlier review from 2007, written by Meera Sriram about Karadi Rhymes )

Little Vinayak

Little Vinayak
Narrated By Vidya Balan
Written By Shobha Viswanath
Music By 3 Brothers & A Violin
Art By Shilpa Ranade
Ages 4 -8

Little Vinayak is the story of a baby elephant with a trunk so long that he trips and falls when we walks. Being different makes him feel painful and lonely. One after another, he tries several ideas offered by his mother and friends to fix the problem with his long trunk. But, nothing seems to help poor Vinayak. He continues to trip on his long trunk, until one day, a special somone visits him and shows him a very special way to approach the problem.

With refreshingly simple text paired with bright, bold illustrations, Little Vinayak is an inspiring story, which celebrates differences in a positive way. The endearing tale continues to touch the heart of my preschooler, long after the last page has been turned. Without being melodramatic (but through humor), the story can teach a child that it's OK to be different and a weakness can cease to exist, if you looked at it differently - and of course, what sets you apart can make you special, too!

Karadi has no doubt created some excellent picture books in the Read With Me Series. The storyline is simple enough for children to follow easily, and the illustrations are vibrantly colorful. Vidya Balan engagingly narrates the story in a humorous tone in the audio version of the book. Needless to mention, the music, sound effects and title song by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, are outstanding.

Glo Adventurer Journey to India

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright,

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

Wrote William Blake about tigers. It was and is not yet clear to me if Blake was in awe of this creature or in awe of the creator of this mighty creature. I could never understand this poem, but, these famous lines have always remained in some dark recess in my mind. and Oh! I wonder what he would have written about dinosaurs!! Alright, alright!! I will leave aside my musings about this poem for another day and come to the point regarding why I started thinking about this poem.

Thanks to a friend, Ranjani and I recently came across a new magazine for children everywhere about India called Glo Adventurer Journey to India. We found it interesting and ordered the free trial issue. And we were hooked!

The magazine takes an interesting approach to publishing. Every issue of the magazine would exclusively be oriented towards one subject. The first issue is related to Indian tigers and amazingly well done. It is an all colour magazine. I love the fact that it has no advertisements. I am not sure how long they can keep up with this line of thought, but I love their gumption to try out something different.

We, in India, are currently in midst of a great media onslaught about tigers. Almost every media celebrity comes on the television and says 'Save the Tiger'. None of them seem to answer the question how/what can we, the folks living in cities and have never seen a tiger except in television or a zoo nearby, do to save the tiger. Every one of these celebrities say with great earnestness - "I have joined the fight to save the tiger. Will you?"; What are they doing? What is the action being taken? What are tigers and what do we know about them - apart from the fact that they are striped and India's national animal? The first step towards saving is to understand about them. The first issue of this magazine is a great introduction to tigers and their lives.

The first issue deals with a day in the life of a tiger, the different types of tigers, the tiger reserves of India, what do they eat and the relation ship between them and us(the human beings), a short story(written by Swami) , lots of fun facts, games and a great collection of tiger photographs. There are a few tiny stick-ons spread across the magazine called Words Worth that shares the meaning of a particularly hard English word that was used in the magazine. That sure would be a great help for the kids.

Sooraj enjoyed the magazine and I have noticed him a few times, lazily turning the pages and looking at the various photographs and reading the fun facts spread through the magazine.

I know we should not judge a magazine based on a single issue. But, a good beginning has been made and I am rooting for this team to succeed. One can go to their website( Glo Adventurer) to have a look at some of the sample pages. I suggest that you go to their site and subscribe for the free issue and decide for yourself.

On a related topic, our resident authors have dealt with another endangered animal of India, Asiatic Lions of Gir Forest. Do check out this wonderful book - Dinaben and the Lions of Gir by Meera Sriram and Praba Ram.

The mountain that loved a bird

Written by- Alice Mclerran

Illustrations-Stephen Aitken

Age- 3+ read aloud, 6+ read alone

The mountain that loved a bird is one of the few Tulika books that we own by a foreign writer, in this case- Alice Mclerran. The international edition is illustrated by Eric Carle and has a very different look as compared to this one with illustrations by Stephen Aitken.

A barren and desolate, grey mountain is visited by a bird named Joy. The mountain has never been touched till then. It feels the magic of companionship. ( so poetic and strong was this metaphor that I had goosebumps when I was reading it to Anushka)

The mountain is enchanted by Joy's singing and is so desirous of her warmth, that it asks her to stay on. But the conditions are not conducive for this. However Joy, most thoughtfully, promises that each year she will make a visit. Since a bird's life span is short, she also explains that she would ensure that each generation of her clan will have a bird named Joy, thereby ensuring annual visits to the mountain for the times when her life ends.

The mountain looks forward to the visits but is bereft and lonely, each time Joy leaves. This goes on for years ( 99 years). Then after a visit from Joy, the mountain literally breaks down and cracks inside. It begins to weep and the tears form a stream.

This year Joy brings a seed which thrives on the tears and there grows a tree whose roots fills into the cracks. Joy brings more seeds each year. Each sensation of life brings hope but not joy to the mountain. A whole ecosystem evolves on the now flourishing mountain.

Finally Joy brings a twig making a permanent home on the mountain , never to leave it again. And the mountain is Joyous!

The illustrations are soulful and the use of rich orange makes Joy look very warm. Go here for more art from this book.

The book apart from being a hopeful tale of devoted friendship ( even long distance ones) helped me introduce concepts such as migration and ecosystem to Anushka. It comes at a time when we are moving places and hence is even more dear to us.

The lyrical story is in one word uplifting. I read this book often- as much for myself as for Anushka.

Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain

Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain: A Nandi Tale
by Verna Aardema
Illustrations by Beatriz Vidal
Ages 4-8

I was about the age my toddler is now when my dad held my attention with his inimitable recitation:
This is the house that Jack built
This is the malt that lay in the house that Jack built
This is the rat that ate the malt that lay in the house that Jack built
This is the cat that killed the rat that ate the malt that lay in the house that Jack built...

Well, we all know how that one goes.

When it is my turn, it seems so easy to amuse the kids with the progressively complex tale of The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, along with the House That Jack Built:
There was an old lady who swallowed a fly,
I don't know why she swallowed a fly...

Cumulative stories with rhythm that make it impossible not to tap one's feet while reading/singing have a special appeal. The predictability of the familiar verse compounded by the intrigue of what the new one brings to the story makes it quite challenging and entertaining.

Based on a Kenyan folktale, Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain is one such cumulative story about how a cow-herd Ki-pat brought much-needed rain to the drought-stricken plain one year.

The book starts off with an unassuming:
But one year the rains were so very belated,
That all of the big wild creatures migrated.
Then Ki-pat helped to end that terrible drought-
And this story tells how it all came about!

Just setting this up gets our curiosity and attention. How did he do it?

Sir Claud Hollis, a noted anthropologist, published the story in his book The Nandi: Their Language and Folklore in 1909, now retold in this book in a child-friendly way by Verna Aardema.

In its fundamental form, the story has it that the young lad, torn by the plight of his dying cattle, found a dropped eagle feather, made it into an arrow, and shot it at the fat and heavy rain cloud, piercing it to loosen the rain.

And this simple story, starts simply as:
This is the cloud, all heavy with rain,
That shadowed the ground on Kapiti Plain.

The illustrations are simple, bright, and soothing. The green grass, with a few acacia trees, a few giraffes grazing on the juicy top leaves, a couple of cows napping, a few birds in flight on the title page sets the tone for the rest of the story. The graceful gazelles, giraffes, zebras, and leopards all walking away on the second page beautifully hints at the feeling of emptiness that would be left behind with the migration due to drought. The page depicting the arrow piercing the rain cloud, with the promise of thundering downpour, is electrifying. The last couple of pages are very uplifting: we see Ki-pat with his family (wife and little Ki-pat), a few cows napping, with a calf nursing, cozy hut and goats... and when we flip the page, little Ki-pat is not so little anymore - he stands on one foot, tending the cows, fully capable of shooting down the fat and heavy black cloud that refuses to loosen the rain. Promising. Peaceful.

At the first read, the kids sat spell-bound till the end, except to chime in The big, black cloud, all heavy with rain, That shadowed the ground on Kapiti Plain when I pause at the right place, after the first few pages.

As always, the impromptu questions thrown at me make reading such books rewarding. Why was there no rain? Why do the animals go away (migrate)? Why are the cows wrinkly and dry? What is Ki-pat wearing? Why does he carry a bow? Why is he standing on one leg? Why don't they live in a house? Why can Ki-pat shoot an arrow and make it rain? Can we shoot and arrow and make it rain? How will he stop the rain?

I naturally didn't have convincing answers for some of the questions, but, this certainly made learning about Africa, co-existence of animals and humans, how nature affects our lives, how we influence the weather and such rather interesting, even if highly simplified and maybe even idealized. It's a start.

Thanks to CROCUS 2009, I was introduced to Verna Aardema, Storyteller Supreme, through her Caldecott-winning Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears (illustrated by the Dillons). And, usually, just to bask in the magic, when we find an author/illustrator we like, we tend to explore other works by them. That's how we came upon this book. And, incidentally, Behind the Back of the Mountain, also was beautiful, another Aardema-Dillon collaboration.

Dear Popat

Title : Dear Popat
Author : Madhu Limaye
Illustrated by : Keerti Ramchandran
Publisher : National Book Trust

The beautiful day which dawned with India's freedom - 15th August 1947, unfortunately did not bring the same for the smallest but probably the most beautiful state of our country - Goa, which continued its struggle under the oppressive regime of Portugese, for many more years after 1947.

Madhu Limaye, a freedom fighter, initiated a Satyagraha movement against Portugese Government in 1955. For his protest, he was beaten mercilessly and was sentenced to a twelve year imprisonment. From the Fort Aguada Jail, he started writing letters to his 1 year old son - Popat (Aniruddh) - his way of filling the loneliness of his days by steering his mind and thoughts to the memory lanes of his family and his beloved son. He attempted to bridge the gap that physical distance had brought between a father and a son by sending a capsule of his affection regularly in written form.

The affectionate letters that he wrote to Popat must have been Popat's prized possessions throughout his life and now for us to savour the loving words of a father to his son. I simply enjoyed the diverse and disjoint topics, finding their mention in his letters - the way a child's attention moves from one thing to another - jerkily but enthusiastically.

In some letters he mentions about the fireflies coming through the window of his room and the conversation he had with them, the birds and animals which are being coaxed by him to convey his messages to his dear son Popat but they just eat the treat he offers and do not obey him. Sometimes he talks about mother sea and his son, who are engaged in a game of hide and seek and other times he describes about the huge ocean waves crashing against the rocks near the prison.

Besides being in captivity, Limaye and his small group of friends, enjoyed and celebrated all special festivals and occasions including Popat's birthday and his father getting the special treatment of not doing any chores that day and just basking in the sweet memories of Popat.

Madhu Limaye has written some very profound pieces but he has neatly managed to bring his writing style to a very comfortable level where his son could understand the written matter when his mother read these letters to him. One thing which I liked the most is the tone of third person narrative which Limaye has used in most of his letters, the way children talk about themselves and while addressing others. Using words like Bho-bho for a dog, miao for a cat, chiu-tai for a sparrow, zhook-zhook for a train etc. lends an extra personal touch to the letters and make the reading very interesting.

XPosted on: Literary Sojourn

Turning the Pot, Tilling the Land: Dignity of Labour in Our Times

Turning the Pot, Tilling the Land: Dignity of Labour in Our Times

Author: Kancha Ilaiah

Illustrator: Durgabai Vyam

Publisher: Navayana Publishing

At a sale recently I was headed towards the billing counter when my eyes fell upon a book with a beautiful illustration on the cover page. Authored by Kancha Ilaiah - had not heard of him before, Turning the Pot, Tilling the Land looked interesting at first glance and I picked it up on a whim. The illustrations are by Durgabai Vyam, an artist belonging to the Gond tribe of central India and are reason enough for one to grab a copy. 

This is how I got hold of this rather unusual book. I say unusual because it addresses a subject that is rarely dealt with in children's literature - the caste system that has plagued our society for centuries, and that too in a very direct manner. I must admit that initially I was slightly hesitant to share it with the under-10 in these parts, mainly because I found the author's opinions a tad stronger than what I felt was okay for her. Ilaiah as I found is a very vocal champion of the dalits. He minces no words to highlight how certain sections of society have been discriminated against and unfairly relegated to the wrong end of the social spectrum while in actual fact it is they who have been instrumental in shaping society. Well the child picked it up herself and read it and I was surprised by her thoughtful observations. 

The book is divided into eleven parts, and each of the first eight explains in detail the contribution of a particular community to how society has evolved. For instance the adivasis (or the tribal forest dwellers) were the ones who through trial and error figured out which forest product was edible and which was to be rejected. They were the ones who developed a deep understanding of the various medicinal properties of leaves and barks, a science which is unfortunately ignored today in the name of development. Then there are cattle-herders - rearing cattle is different from having a pet says Ilaiah and talks in length about the expert knowledge of animal husbandry that these folks possess. He tells the reader about leatherworkers who evolved the science of tanning, farmers who nurture us with their produce, potters who brought clay to life, weavers who are the original fashion designers, dhobis or washerfolk who discovered the first soap and were directly responsible for hygiene in society and barbers who were also surgeons in the pre-modern period. The book is full of well-researched information about all of these processes and their origins in ancient Indian civilizations.

Ilaiah dwells at length on how these vital communities have been wrongly labelled as the lower castes. Like I mentioned earlier his tone is direct. He thinks it is extremely unjust that they have been deprived the right to an education and basic dignity for centuries by groups of people who in his opinion have only 'been involved with priesthood, writing and administration'. He says that it is ironical that those who labour are humiliated while those who do not enjoy a high status.

The last three chapters deal with labour itself in relation to the quality of human life, its position in religion and finally the gender issues around it. Ilaiah feels that there is an urgent need to teach the idea of dignity of labour to our children simply because it is essential for basic survival.

This book in some ways is more 'real' than what is usually written for children. Though you might not totally agree with all of the author's views, the book does make you get out of the comfort zone and brings a different perspective to the caste issue. I think it is a good idea for children to read and think about it. That perhaps is our only hope. 

A Book

A Book
by Mordicai Gerstein

Ages : 6-10

Sometimes, when you are bowled over by a particular author or illustrator, you tend to go on a rampage of their work, trying to experience as much of it as you can. And along the way, you form some impressions about their unique style, and get a sense of what they like to repeat in their mode of expression.

With Mordicai Gerstein, its his affinity to show his illustrations within a frame on each page, or in multiple smaller frames, almost like a comic, but more unique. Or the way he likes to begin the story even before the formal title page of the book, making it a part of his outline. In A Book, he uses the latter style.

Once, in A BOOK, by MORDICAI GERSTEIN, published by Roaring Brook Press, New York, there lived a family of characters...

...it begins, on the page where you typically find the inset title, publisher information etc. But there's no preliminaries here. It launches right in. The concept, as usual, is stunning. The book is about the characters in the story, who know fully well that they are characters in a story and know that we are readers looking in to their world. Their world begins on a dark page, and it is dark because it is night. And it is night, because the book has been closed all this while. :)

So when we open the book, day breaks and the action begins. A family of 4, the father is a clown, the mother is a fire-fighter, the brother has aspirations for space, the cat that wants to hunt for small things, the dog who seeks interesting odors, and a fish who is looking for the sea. And last but by no means least, our main character, the Girl. The Girl has a serious question for the family at breakfast. Unlike them all, who have their own theories of what the story in the book is about, she does not know, and wants to find out....what's my story?

And off she goes, to the next page, to find out!

The funnest funnest aspect of the book is that it directly recognizes us as the reader, who is peeping into the world of these interesting characters. And in that it just comes alive, beneath your nose and above the lap in which you hold open the book. Its not just a story that you read about, its a live experience, with recognition from both sides....the character and the reader. Another little quirk that you will recognize and be amused by, is the way the text boxes look. They have this nice cute slope downwards which re-emphasizes your own physical position as the reader, looking down, looking in.

So let's go to the next page.

There she met a large goose.

Oops. Can you figure out where this is going? On every page, she meets a set of characters come alive from books and fairy tales of yonder, and situations that could decidedly set the theme for a story. Let's start with the goose. Because she is definitely the funniest. Let me relay their conversation to you.

The Girl : I'm looking for my story Ms. Goose. I don't know what it is.

Ms. Goose : Oh, you'd better find it. Readers like a good story, else they close the book you know.

(Yes, its alright to laugh out loud at this point!)

The Girl : What are...readers?

Ms. Goose : Look up.

And the goose looks up, right into our faces. Winkie and me burst out guffawing at this point. That super comical expression on her face, coupled with our discovery of how intrinsic a role we actually play in this story, just awakened our keenest senses of delight!

The Girl : EEEEK! What's that huge...blobby thing that looks something like a face?

Ms. Goose : That's a reader. And you might want to be careful. It can read everything you say.

Chances are you are doubling up in laughter at all of this, if you aren't too offended with being called a huge blob, that is. :)

And thus it goes to the next page, with Ms. Goose eager to share her story with the girl, and do you know what that is? Can you guess? Its as good as gold, I can tell you that! And on and on it goes, as the Girl meets more fairy tale characters, which Winkie loved guessing, from their appearances and the little verbal clues. But she wants none of it. And races confusedly to the next page, and bumps into a detective, who takes her through the classic elements of a mystery plot. But that's just a little too scary for her. And she moves on.

Alice in Wonderland, maybe? No. Not that. Her name is not Alice.

Pirates and sharks maybe? Nope. Definitely not the pirates. The sharks maybe, because for once, they are the friendly sort who swim her across to the next page.

A historical novel? No, its too much work for her.

Drifting in outer space, with her brother perhaps? Sigh, no. Its all too much for her, and she finally figures out what her story is, and she goes home to dinner. There, she declares that her story is that of a young girl who doesn't know what her story is and so she becomes an author to write her own story. So she writes and writes and writes, until its time for bed, at which point, she looks straight up at us, and asks....

Dear Reader, now that you've reached the end of the book, would you mind closing it please? I'd like to go to sleep. Thank you.

And of course we close the book.

But because of the huge hit it has become in just one reading, Winkie was all set to read it again, and my pleas to let the Girl sleep after her long and confusing day, were not heeded. He dragged her out of bed all over again, for the whole long crazy ride!

Oh well!