PANNA

PANNA

Written by Kamala Das.
Cover and Illustrations by Puja Ahuja.
A Puffin original published by Penguin Books Ltd.
Ages: 5+ to read to. 8+ for self-readers.

Cover image: Courtesy Penguin books India.

Panna is a very beautiful girl who lives in a fishing village in India with her brother Moti. They are orphans and have only one another. The villagers think she is like a princess.

Moti would go fishing everyday with the other fishermen, and Panna would wait on the beach for him. Everyday he would return with his catch and sell it, and get lovely things for his sister.

One day, she waited for him like everyday. All the others came back, but there was no sign of Moti. She waited till it was night, and tired out, fell asleep on the beach. "The tide came alive. It hit the shore like a hissing serpent..."  The waves came up the beach, stronger every time, and pulled the sleeping Panna into the sea.

Here begins an adventure. Panna finds herself in a strange land under the sea where there was a moving green sky, pearl-studded lanes, fish-ladies in their coral houses and oystermen who spewed pearls every time they laughed. She enters the Fish-King's palace, where both he and the Fish-Queen are asleep on their thrones. They wake up to the jingle of her anklets.When asked Panna says that someone brought her there while she was asleep. "I want to go home."  But the Fish-King does not want her to. She would stay there forever, at the bottom of the sea.

The conversation between the three is very funny, and has a irreverence about it reminiscent of a mixture of the 'Queen of Hearts' and the 'Mad Hatter' from "Alice in Wonderland."  One almost expects one of them to shout: "Off with her head!"

When the king falls asleep, the queen takes Panna to her 'bed-chamber'. On the way, she sees a great black monster howling, chained down. On asking, the queen tells her that it is the wind, who creates a lot of mischief, and sinks boats. Rambling around the sea-world, Panna forgets all about Moti.

But Moti has reached the sea-shore by now, and is searching for Panna. The tide is out and the waves gentle. There is no sign of Panna. Moti runs around, looking for her, wading out into the sea, calling her name. The Fish-King hears him calling out, and does not want Panna to hear. He wants Panna to stay in the sea and not leave. So he casts a magic spell on the water. This illuminates the water around Moti and he is changed into an eagle. A black eagle with yellow eyes. The eagle flies over and around the waves, searching for any sign of Panna.

In the morning the fishermen came out of their huts and saw the huge bird flying in circles over the sea.

"An eagle. Perhaps we will be lucky today," they said.
Every day, even today, the black eagle flies in circles over the sea calling out for the little girl who went down to the sea world.

A beautifully written fairy tale of the love of a brother for his little sister, and his continuing search for her. In the time honoured tradition of Indian legends and folk-tales, this is a story from the coasts of Kerala. It is written by one of Kerala's greatest women poets, Kamala Das.  She was born on 31st March 1934 in a family of writers. She has written prolifically in Malayalam and English. She died on 31st May 2009 at the age of seventy-five years. Today, 31st May 2010, is her first death anniversary. Panna was her first book for children in English, and was published after her death.

This is what  Ruskin Bond has to say about the book on its cover page. "A famous poet gives us a lovely story of fairy-tale magic set along the sea coast near her home in Kerala. Just right for reading aloud to your children, or starting them off as readers in their own right. Kids will love the Fish King and the Fish Queen, and little Panna will steal your heart . . . "

The illustrations by Puja Ahuja are in the Madhubani style and add to the unreal and lyrical quality of the tale. The story itself reminds one of Hans Christian Anderson's 'The Little Mermaid' with its sad ending.

Picture of Black Eagle: Courtesy Wikipedia.

Crossposted here.

Myths

Myths are traditional stories, that have been passed on through generations, largely un-proven, but are accepted as a part of our history. Myths often have a religious element in it. Myths talk about the process of creation, right and wrong, demi-gods and traditions. Though the content is different from culture to culture, the existence of myths are common across cultures.

While growing up, the myths I read are the Amar Chitra Katha series and it has a special place in my heart. However, when it comes to my children, I was looking for something different and did succeed finding some very interesting ones.

Vyasa’s Mahabaratha
Author: Chitra Krishnan
Illustration: Arun Kumar
Translation: Aasai
Pulisher: Tulika Books
Self-Readers: 8+, Read along: 5+
Have you seen Jackie Chan movies?! After the movie, the rolling credits invariably show scenes from the making of the movie. It shows the bloopers. Silly, but always puts a smile on my face. That is the same effect this book had on me.

Tulika’s Vyasa Mahabaratha is not Mahabaratha, but the events leading to the writing of the epic. Vyasa’s search for a scribe and how Vyasa and Ganesha entered in to an agreement is the crux of this book.

I ordered the tamil version of the book. The tamil used in this book is certainly not the spoken tamil, but what my tamil class students will call as, ‘news reader’ tamil. I read it for my children and have to make sure that I translate. When what they hear is different from what they read, it is tough for children to understand. So it was up to me to make it interesting.

The story is narrated in a fun, lively manner. The illustrations are cartoonish with a Dumbledore looking Vyasa and a ‘thinni pandaram’(translates to: glutton ) Ganesha. I loved it. My children are getting used to it.



Hanuman’s Ramayana
Author: Devdutt Pattanaik
Illustrator: Nancy Raj
Translation: Shankarramasubramaniyan
Publishers: Tulika Books
Self-Readers: 8+, Read along: 5+
Mythology is considered as a symbolism. Myths were originally passed on through the tradition of oral story telling. In the days of yore, story telling was a form of entertainment. Story telling, I am sure, was cause of much excitement, celebration and was often associated with a religious occasion. Tulika’s Sweet And Salty talks about how the people in the village of Narasannapeta get excited when the story teller Gorannagaru visits to tell the story of Ramayana.

Hanuman’s Ramayana is not the story of Rama, but tells the readers that mythological stories might have different versions and the possibility of stories getting lost over time. I have personally heard two versions of Ramayana, one in which Ravana is the cruel villain and one in which he is Sita’s original father and took Sita captive for the good of the divine couple.

Basic things that I took away from this book is that a story can be molded to suit the ideas of the story teller. It changes and flows with the interpretation of the narrater. The story is bigger than the teller. It is not the who but the how and what that matters.

Nancy Raj’s illustrations are in Madhubani style. Lovely, intricate and in beautiful colors. We have three Tulika books illustrated by Nancy Raj(Village Fair, A-vil Yirundhu Ak-varai and Hanuman’s Ramayana) and each has its own style to suit the nature of the story. The concept of Hanuman’s Ramayana – ‘what is important is the story, not the story teller’. Nancy’s concept seems to be, ‘what is important is the art that compliments the story, not the artist’ and as a result the illustrations shine through.



Ramayana The Divine Loophole
Author/Illustrator: Sanjay Patel
Self Readers: 5+
How can I talk about Ramayana and not talk about this book?! The key attraction for our family in this book are the illustrations. Sanjay Patel has used vector point illustrations to translate his sketches in to digital format using adobe illustrator. Four years of hard work, each page taking approximately seven days to finish and the result is this vibrant 185 page eye candy. I literally drooled. I have never see Ramyana illustrated like this before. Considering that this book came at the time, I was struggling to translate some of my sketches in to digital format using illustrator and photoshop and was throughly frustrated with the result, my respect for the book doubled. And of course, Sanjay Patel saying that Rama kneeled before Sita’s feet asking her forgiveness for having suspected her faithfulness and the authors note that ‘Times have changed, as have customs, but love has always been complicated’ agreed well with me

The tone of the book is very casual and the target audience is definitely the ‘non-hindu but is curious about the monkey god and such’ category. So if you are seeking deep spiritual advice and an insight in to hinduism then you are barking up the wrong tree.

Both my daughters love looking at the pictures in this book. They can sit for a good hour, just turning the glossy pages, absorbing the pictures.

My only gripe is about the illustration of Ravanan. In order to make him symmetrical Sanjay Patel took poetic license and shows only nine heads. In my humble opinion, Ravanan = ten heads. End of discussion.

See you around, Sam

Since I joined so late in the month, I thought I would post one more review before the month is up. This has been crossposted from here.

I had been introduced to Lois Lowry a few years back by a teen-aged niece who lent me her copy of 'The Giver'. It was a very powerfully told story, which distressed me with its mind-numbing intensity. How could this be a children's writer? I decided to find out. A visit to my favourite bookstore soon reassured me. I was introduced to the delightful Krupnik family. Mr. and Mrs. Krupnik have two children, Anastasia, the older one, who delights us through the first few books in the series, and her younger brother Sam, who is born when Anastasia is 10, and then wows us with his escapades. I am featuring here the latest that I have found in the series:

SEE YOU AROUND, SAM.

Written by Lois Lowry.

Illustrated by Diane deGroat.

Published by Yearling books.

Ages 9-12yrs.

Image courtesy: Amazon.com

Sam is a 4 yr old, who now feels offended if he is told what he may or may not do. He comes back from school one day, the proud owner of a set of plastic fangs that he traded his set of Etch-A-Sketch for. Putting them on makes him "look like Dracula. He felt like the coolest guy in the whole world." He would like to keep them on at home, but his mother thinks otherwise. She tells him that she has "fangophobia" and makes him promise not to wear them inside the house.

Now what is Sam to do? "His day was ruined!" He decides to run away to a place where people didn't have fangophobia. He packs his bag with the things he thinks he may need- mittens, a towel, his teddy bear, band-aids put on his forehead and cheeks in case he fell and needed protection, a fireman's badge, etc. He goes out of his house all the while announcing to anyone who will hear that he was "running far away! Because of the fangs!"

His mother does hear, of course, but feigns mild interest. When asked, she says that she doesn't think she will cry when he is gone, but that she, Daddy and Anastasia will miss him. She also suggests that Sam pack some Kleenex as he might need them if he cries. She matter-of-factly asks him where he may be going, "in case we want to write to you." The fangs make Sam think of walruses, and he tells her that he would be going to Alaska, to "lie around in a pile with walruses."  His mother just nods and bids him good-bye. "See you around, Sam. I'll miss you at dinner, though, as we're having lasagna tonight."

Then begins a very conspirational series of events in which the neighbours, duly warned by Sam's mother of Sam's 'running away,' actually encourage him to run away, giving him their own suggestions on other things to take with him, and speaking brightly of all the animals he might meet out in the wild in Alaska. All the while making sure that he is fed and taken care of, they talk of forthcoming events which Sam, "of course, will miss, because he no longer will be here. He will be in Alaska, lying around in a pile with the walruses, eating (very unappetising sounding) fish and blubber sandwiches," while they will be having lasagna and apple pie, and cake at a birthday, and candy at Halloween, and turkey at Thanksgiving and so many other yummy things.

His sister Anastasia also joins in. She comes to meet him at Mrs. Sheehan's, a neighbour's house, as Sam will not go home, being mad at his mother. She gives suggestions on what he could eat in Alaska-'bearwiches', which he can eat if the bears don't eat 'samwiches' instead. She takes him with her to Mr Fosburgh's to invite him for dinner as their mother has already invited the whole neighbourhood for lasagna and apple pie by phone, (making them aware of Sam's running away, of course) and Mr Fosburgh's phone is out of order. There they all look up Alaska on the globe, and Sam is secretly frightened by the vast wilderness he will be going to. All the while Mr Fosburgh suggests things like a flashlight in case of the dark ("Alaska has six months of night") and a pair of sunglasses to protect his eyes.("six months of day").

At the same time, Anastasia also tells Sam of the time when she had decided to run away. When Sam was going to be born, and she was very angry at having had to share her parents with another child. When Sam asks her why she changed her mind, she told him that their parents promised that she could name the baby if she did.

"You know what else, Sam?"
"What?"
"It's considered very grown-up to change your mind after you've thought something over."

This is the crux of the story, the gem we find after reading it. Something a lot of 'grown-ups' too may benefit from being reminded of, I am sure.

By the end of all this, Sam is tired, scared, overloaded with things given by his well-wishing neighbours to carry to Alaska, missing his mother, and in desperate need of the bathroom. The fangs too, have become bothersome, unwieldy, sticky, smelly, and not worth all this trouble.

The book ends with Sam taking the 'grown-up' way out about the fangs. He throws them away, comes back home to mother, a warm bath and a yummy dinner, with all his favourite people around.

Both A and I loved this book. The obvious conspiracy amongst the grown-ups, (not so obvious to Sam, of course!), the individual conversations they have with Sam, Sam's perception of the situation from the point of view of a 4-yr-old and Anastasia's 'big sister talk' to Sam are truely heart-warming. A lovely way of introducing a very gifted writer, Lois Lowry. Will be reviewing some other books by her in the future.

In the meantime, see you around!

Guess Who ?

Title : Guess Who?
Author : Geeta Dharmarajan
Illustrations by the Children of Katha Lab School

For Age : 3 years and above

This new book by Katha reached me when I was in Chandigarh (my hometown) on annual holidays. 'Guess Who?' is a very small book written in verse but this book sent me in the memory lanes of the times when I was my kids' age - 7-8 years. In those simpler times the summer vacation meant just playing and playing in the open and a little bit of leisure reading. Most of the time was spent in or around nature. Since there was no television or computer, so no staring at any screen for long hours, there were no coolers or Air conditioners, so no artificially modified air entered our systems and in contrast to that, the children of today are in close proximity to one or the other electronic gadget, artificial/machine-produced environment almost all the time. It’s a pity they are losing touch with the rich and abundant nature on daily basis.

The books like 'Guess Who?' provide the much needed speed-breakers in our lives, which make us halt for a while (even though for a very little while) and appreciate the beautiful scene around us. The book draws our attention to the colorful friends in the sky symbolizing the free spirits, bright colored butterflies amazing us by exhibiting unlimited range of nature's color palette, innumerable creatures in the deep blue waters of our oceans and unimaginable range of plants and animals.

When we start noticing just a bit of them, we marvel at the creativity and passion of the great magician who made this all possible and who is gracing all of us with His divine presence. So isn’t this a good time to bow down in gratitude for these unmatched gifts!!

A lovely attempt to connect the children to the nature all over again and to encourage them to offer gratefulness to the great creator of this whole magic. My appreciation for publishers like Katha increases manifolds when I come across such sparkling pearls. The beauty of the written words has been accentuated by the art work by children of Katha Lab school.

Riddle of the Ridley

Riddle of the Ridley

by Shekar Dattatri

Published by Tulika Publishers

Ages: 8+

At a friend's place in Chennai last year, I met an unassuming gentleman who I was told was a wildlife film-maker/conservationist. He told us many interesting anecdotes about his work, including those to do with the Olive Ridley turtles. I was most impressed by the passion he had for what he did.

Shekar Dattatri. The name rang a loud bell when many months later I was browsing through some Tulika books for the kids. Of course - he was the wildlife guy I'd met. Leafing through the book in question, Riddle of the Riddley, I was soon fascinated by the story. The photographs, all taken on location, said what a million words could not have. There are many facts about the Olive Ridley turtle, all woven into the narrative which will certainly hold a child's interest mainly because it is the author's own experiences that have been penned down.

For example, did you know that these sea turtles return year after year to the same three places to nest? One is in Costa Rica, the other in Mexico and the third on our own eastern coast in Orissa. Dattatri says the spectacle of thousands of the creatures coming ashore and crawling up the beach is the most incredible he has ever seen, and that must be something given that he must have seen very many amazing things! The pregnant females lay their eggs in the sand and return to the sea. The males never come to the land. After a month or two, the eggs hatch and the hatchlings make their way towards their home - the sea.

Like many awesome things that Nature has carefully created, this phenomenon is also threatened by the most powerful predator of them all - Man! Lights from the highways confuse these creatures and they end up going away from the sea, a fatal move. They inadvertently get caught in the huge fishing nets of mechanized boats near the shores. Developments very close to the sea impact them adversely.

Dattatri makes a plea to save the turtle and lists the ways in which it is possible to revert their mindless annihilation. He tells us that they have been around for millions of years and are a vital part of the delicate balance of nature and hence must be protected. There are, he says, initiatives like Operation Kachhapa and the Student's Sea Turtle Conservation Network that are working towards this but more needs to be done. This could be something as simple as switching off lights near the nesting beaches during nesting/hatching season and also some other measures that would mean stricter implementation of laws to protect them. At the end of the book is a list of Why? What? Where? type of questions which will fill any gaps you might have about these awesome reptiles.

Dattatri has also made an award-winning film called The Ridley's Last Stand, and I hope to be able to watch it some time. For many interesting posts about the Olive Ridley that includes an author post of another awesome book called The Turtle Story published by Pratham Books, please go here.

Perhaps if we understand why we must live in harmony with other creatures, we may not need to celebrate the likes of World Turtle Day (which happens to be today) to bring attention to these issues.

FRINDLE

Hello! This is my first post on Saffrontree. We are a family of compulsive readers, who consider a day wasted if we have not got our teeth into a good book for at least some time in the day. I have one daughter who has just turned 9, whom I'll call A. My house is overflowing with books, and I have long ago given up any attempts to fit them into bookshelves. As long as we find the book we want when we want it!

A and I have had some wonderful times reading together ever since she was old enough to sit. She is now majorly into reading by herself, but we still find time to read together.  When I visit bookstores, I usually buy by author, especially when I buy for A. She tends to have phases in which she reads all that she can lay her hands on by the flavour of the season. During a sale I went to some time back, I picked some books by different writers, some of which I had previously not tried. I decided to read them myself before handing them over to her. They were quick reads, and I had soon finished the 1st. It had proved to be un-put-downable, and I was enchanted by it. Not to mention that A loved it when she finally got her hands onto it!;

FRINDLE

Written by Andrew Clements.

Illustrations: Brian Selznick.

Published by Simon & Schuster.

Ages:8-12 yrs.

Image: Courtesy Wikipedia. 

Nicholas (Nick) Allen is your regular tween in the fifth grade at Lincoln Elementary school. He is a bright child, with plenty of original ideas, and never at a loss for words. He could have been called a troublemaker in a more conservative era, prone as he was to stirring up his classmates to get down to some mischief. He had had easygoing teachers until he reached the fifth grade and encountered Mrs. Granger.

Now Mrs. Granger is a strict disciplinarian, the no nonsense sort, with a fondness for dictionaries, "Look it up!" is one of her favourite phrases.

One day, Nick decides to play the fool in Mrs. Granger's class so that he can help the class to avoid an assignment. He asks her how the words in the dictionary came to be there in the first place. She is aware of his reputation, and does not let him distract her. Instead, she asks him to take it up as an assignment. He will have to make a presentation at the next class about the origin of words.

Nick knows he is cornered, but rises to the occasion. He does his reference work, and puts together a presentation. Mrs. Granger realises that she is up against a very original mind. In the discussion which follows, Mrs Granger remarks that it is we, people who decide what to call a thing by some word. Which is how most words originated and evolved. "If all of us decided to call a dog something else, that would become the word for it. We decide what goes in that book."

This gives Nick an idea. He gets his friends together, and tells them that from that day on, they should all call a pen a 'frindle'. Every time they speak of a pen, between themselves, at home, in class, even in a shop while buying a pen, they were to call it a frindle. Until one day, the shopowner too called it a frindle. Soon word spreads and all children at school begin to call it a frindle.

Mrs. Granger fights against this onslaught on her beloved dictionary, till she stands against the whole school. Whole hordes of students are made to stay back after school and write lines with...you guessed it-frindles. Parents think that there is much ado being made about nothing. Everywhere the topic being discussed is the battle between Nick and Mrs. Granger. The matter escalates until one day there appears a story in the local newspaper, then the national newspapers, and then on the CBS evening news. Through it all, Nick and Mrs. Granger stick to their positions and do not back off. An enterpreneur makes millions of 'frindles' with that name written on them, patents them, and Nick has a bank account opened in his name with millions of dollars pouring in as his percentage from the sale of these frindles.

One day, Mrs. Granger calls him and shows him a sealed envelope with a letter inside it. She asks him to write his name, address, and the date on it in his handwriting. She tells him that the battle is far from over, and that she would give him the letter when it finally was.

What happens further in the book is for the reader to find out. What is the issue at hand? Why is Mrs. Granger so dead set against Nick? What does the letter inside the envelope say? And what happens to Nick's word, FRINDLE? Wouldn't you like to know?

It is a wonderful story about the student-teacher relationship, and the commitment of a good teacher to educating the worthy student, not just teaching him.

The 105 page book is an un-put-downable easy read. It keeps the reader interested in wanting to find out what happens next. Warning: Do not read the ending first. It will detract from the pleasure of finding out.

Crossposted from here.

The Gudbuds Get Out of a Mess

Story by Swati Jalnapurkar, Art by Jeyanthi Manokaran
Published by The Centre for Learning Resources , Supported by Parag Initiative

Age 3 plus

The Gudbuds get out of a mess was a book that I picked up because it looked different and interesting visually. The 3D characters looked like photographs of clay sculptures moulded not too carefully, but rather lovingly. The title Gudbud ( meaning confusion, muddle) was also inviting.


The book opens with an introduction to a family of four - Mama Gudbud, Papa Gudbud, Gauri Gudbud and Gundu Gudbud. Did I hear you say this is like the Berenstein Bears ?? Well, in some ways. Just like the bears, there is a series of Gudbud books and all of them focus on some basic human value.

In this episode, the seemingly self centred members face a domestic crisis, a huge mound of unwashed clothes. They overcome the same by working together. Even a chore-washing clothes-becomes bearable when all chip in.

More importantly it clarifies that some things just need to be done for a family to function efficiently, even if it is not an enjoyable activity.

A nicely executed, crisp book, the characters are endearing and not too stereotypical. For instance, the mother loves to read, the daughter loves to climb trees (but the father thinks washing clothes is not for men.)

And it is not just the kids who are in need of the lesson. The parents are also in the wrong. It is thus collective learning and finally wisdom that prevails in the end. Makes it much more palatable for children in my opinion.

I am waiting to get hold of the rest of the series.

A few Counting Books for Toddlers

There is no dearth of good counting books for babies and toddlers - be it simple board books or fantastic picture books with gorgeous illustrations and catchy rhymes.

Judging by repeat reads and pore-over-pictures-alone, it seems like these books have made an impression recently and before they get pushed into oblivion by other wonderful books we continue to read, I wanted to list them here for quick reference.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, nor a top-10 list of any kind... just what we've been reading recently and found delightful.

1. The Water Hole by Graeme Base
   
   This book is simply brilliant. Animalia is one of our favorites, first the book, and now the TV show that my daughter watches on weekends. However, this book has so much to offer that I am glad it is on our bookshelf to cherish and treasure.
   
   The text is unusual in that it is not really rhyming and not necessarily profound, but short and catchy nonetheless - the toddler's favorite is the Catfish that go blub, blub, blub. Plus, like die-cut books, the water hole is cut out on each page, progressively getting smaller till there is no water left.
   
   And, on each page, the illustration hints at the region of the world the animal on that page is from. The hint of a Taj Mahal on the 2 Tigers page wasn't missed by Ana. Plus, the numeral and the exact number of animals can be spotted on each page, progressively moving from 1 to 10.
   
   And, on the border/frame of each page, we have the bonus of other animals presented as a sort of silhouette, with their names. And these animals are hidden in the picture on that page very cleverly. It is almost a game with Ana and me to see who spots them first in the picture. The 2-yr-old is catching on slowly.
   
   The last page shows which part of the world the animals from 1 through 10 inhabit. This is more than just a counting book. The fact that the water hole dries up was a shock on first read - to watch the animals go away, leaving a barren land. And of course, magically, it rains and rains and the water hole is back. And so are the animals. This certainly cheered up Ana.
   
   The illustrations are stunning. The message about water getting dried up and animals leaving, and coming back after the rains... it is lost on the 2-year old, but, the book has so much to offer visually, that it has become a firm favorite.
   
   And, Uno's Garden, (reviewed at Saffron Tree), is soon becoming a favorite as well.
   
   
   
   
2. Forest Bright, Forest Night
   by Jennifer Ward, illustrations by Jamichael Henterly
   
   The turn-it-over (or upside down book, as Ana calls it) format, gorgeous illustration, simple text all make this book interesting. But, what captivated me was that, the same animals we see bustling and active at daytime, on the Forest Bright side of the book, appear in the Forest Night side, sleeping fitfully, while the nocturnal creatures carry the counting book through the night. And vice versa.
   
   It is clever and well-done. Counting the number of animals in each page is made challenging by concealing some of them so we only see parts of the animals we are counting, not to mention the slumbering animals who are part of the other half of the book. In addition, we get to spot the numeral on the page, which of course is not terribly easy either.
   
   While the text was simple, the illustrations blew me away. Exceptionally entertaining book with amazing pictures makes this a favorite with me, as well as my kids.
   
   
   
   
3. Ten Apples Up On Top by Dr.Seuss (Theo.LeSieg)
   
   Dr.Seuss' inimitable style makes this a delightful read, every time. The meter, the illustrations, the fun of balancing one more apple than the other, and not letting them fall, the friendly competition between the dog, lion and tiger, not to mention the sight words and the conclusion, the joy of working together... the book easily stands out.
   
   
   
   
4. Over in the Jungle and Over in the Coral Reef by Marianne Berkes, illustrated by Jeanette Canyon
   
   
   As reviewed for Saffron Tree, these books are both well-loved and oft-read ones from our bookshelf.
   
   The illustrations by Jeanette Canyon are truly inspiring. Each page was specially created with polymer clay, and a section at the back of the book explains it.
   
   It is no surprise that these two books have appealed equally to both the kids. Whereas the 5-year old pores over art work, reads the words, and drinks in the composition, the 2-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.
   
   The last page is a treat: the two-page spread juxtaposes the whole gamut 55 enchanting animals in a lush rainforest (creatures in the coral reef) 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.
   
   
   
   
5. My Granny Went To Market by Stella Blackstone, illustrations by Christopher Corr
   
   As reviewed for Saffron Tree, this was Ana's favorite and soon becoming a hit with the toddler. I love this book. I wish I was that granny, flying in the magic carpet around the world collecting exotic things...
   
   The book offers not just a lesson in counting, but in geography, culture, pleasures of travel, exotic items from different regions of the world... this is a book that has many layers, each gradually revealing itself as the child grows and is ready to see it.
   
   The illustrations and rhyme, and the many aspects we are exposed to, has made this an all-time favorite with me.
   
   
   
   
6. 
   Way up In the Arctic, Over in the Garden by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Kenneth J. Spengler
   
   The toddler seems to like it - especially spotting the hidden numerals on each page, not to mention the various bugs and animals. I like it because he does, and pesters me to read them over and over.
   
   Using the familiar Over In The Meadow style verses, these two books seem a lot of fun to read/sing aloud. At the back, there are some notes on the animals featured in the book.
   
   In Way Up In The Arctic, for some reason, the page with the Owls (Eight) seems to excite unmuffled giggles - particularly one small owlet that sports a distinctly inebriated look :)
   
   
   
   
7. 
   
   Ten Terrible Dinosaurs by Paul Stickland
   
   Ten Little Sleepyheads by Elisabeth Provost and Donald Saaf
   
   Countdown books are fun and challenging. We start with ten lively dinosaurs all in a line. As they drop off one by one, we scramble to figure out which one is missing. It is especially challenging for the little one to state with confidence when I pause at "... then there were?" The rhyme helps, of course.
   
   The dinosaurs romp and stomp, nearly pop, do goofy tricks and crazy jives, until the last one begins to snore. His friends sneak up behind him and suddenly yell... ROAR! Sure enough, this gets the expected response from the 2-year old.
   
   In Ten Little Sleepyheads, the one-of-a-kind, cute-looking bugs are tired and start falling asleep one by one as we count down. And, at the end, we get to cycle back and read this book again when the last little sleepy head who is counting back from ten is not asleep... here we go again.
   
   
   
   
8. Fish Eyes by Lois Ehlert
   
   I love the illustrations, and apparently so do the kids. I am not fond of the text. It feels a bit awkward to read... now, I am not sold on rhyming text always, but, it does help to have some sort of meter especially when reading to the 2 year old. I like the subtle layering of arithmetic concepts so this book can continue to appeal 1 to 3 year olds. The die-cut pages and bright colors are certainly eye-catching and interesting.
   
   
   
   
9. Seven Little Rabbits by John E. Becker, Illustrations by Barbara Cooney (Miss Rumphius)
   
   While not strictly a counting book, we start off with seven rabbits and end up with none. The repetitive words, rhythm, and structure makes this a good bedtime read.
   
   The cute part is the cycling back up to seven and getting into an endless loop of reading this book. The illustrations are beautiful, almost magical.
   
   This book gets pulled out from our bookshelf more often than I expected. And, the repetitive nature makes it easy for my daughter, a beginner reader, to carry on confidently, even if she stops to study the pictures.
   
   Naturally, I get tired after the second or the third cyclic reading back-to-back, but, by then it seems to have done its trick and am free to turn out the lights and walk away from the gentle snores.
   
   
   
   
10. The Busy Tree by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Lisa Falkenstern
    
    While not a counting book, this has become a recent hit with the 5-and 2-year old, as well as me for its beautiful illustrations and presentation. Various parts of the tree are introduced, in rhyming couplets, showing how interconnected all creatures are.
    
    I am a tree, a busy tree, come and see invites the book. We start at the root of an imposing oak tree, then move to the trunk, branches, leaves... get to know the tree and who lives in it and how they form a part of a greater whole.
    
    Hear my green leaves as they shake in the wind, Breathing out air for all to breathe in has left a powerful impression on Ana. Along with Lynne Cherry's The Great Kapok Tree, this book has impressed upon Ana the role trees play, while seeming to just stand there doing nothing.
    
    Also, she likes the part where the little girl sows the seed which turns into a large tree, a busy tree, for all to come and see. Going a full circle.
    
    I enjoy reading this aloud, taking the time to study the pictures and marvel at the beauty of it all.
    

As it happens, this list has quite a few books by Jennifer Ward. When I read The Busy Tree first, I was interested in exploring more by this author and found Forest Bright, Forest Night. And we've read a few more since then.

Chandu Pottu

Story & Illustrations by Sheila Dhir
Published- Tumbi- an imprint of DC books
Ages- 3 plus

Anushka, my daughter, loves bindis. Till recently she only had the sticker variety. A few days ago, I chanced up on a multi coloured liquid set and got it for her. Each day she wants a new motif in matching colours with her outfit. While we avoid it on western outfits, it does look glorious with a paavadai ( South Indian full length skirt).

Yesterday she discovered an extra large round maroon bindi and stuck it on her forehead and said ” This is the third eye of Shiva!!”

It was then that I recollected the book we had read a while ago. We read it again and found it as charming as ever. Presenting Chandu Pottu.

Sheila Dhir’s informative and imaginative tale opens with a little child asking her mother in wonder:
“Amma, what is that great big SPOT? It's gigantic, it's HUGE -this BIG round BLACK DOT. Right in the middle of your forehead It has changed colour today to a bright RED.”

The child compares the dot with the sun and the moon. She is enchanted as to how the bindi, chandu pottu, tilak, teep, kumkum makes her mother look like a fairy and comes in the colours of a traffic signal.

The mother talks of her childhood yearning to play adult by wearing a sari and a bindi. This is complimented by the visual of a child in a sari playing hopscotch. The mother indulges her daughter’s inquisitiveness and also talks of how often in houses you see old sticker bindis gracing mirror corners and clocks and concludes with the sentimental value of a bindi.

The illustrations are bright and uncluttered. The backgrounds abound in solid colours. The main protagonist, an adorable little girl in a shift like frock, leads you through the book. She does not wear a bindi. . Somehow the bindi is made out to be more for adults than for children. Though there is a reference to the kala tikka ( anti jinx ) for children.

We loved this book. Anush now tries to recollect the equivalents of bindi across languages and continues to want them in various colours as well.

I am sure this unpretentious and delightful book would appeal to any reader who is curious about one of India’s oldest traditions.

The Snow King's Daughter

The Snow King's Daughter

Author: Sowmya Rajendran

Pictures: Proiti Roy

Publishers: Tulika

www.tulikabooks.com

With special thanks to Tulika for a free copy of the book for my participation in the Tulika Blogathon.

Nearly sixty years back, China declared Tibet as a part of PRC. This caused a world wide stir. Countries and people made their stand. But China did not relent.

Now comes in the time entity. Time is designed to make people move on, to forget and to forgive. Sometimes it is for the good. Sometimes it is not so good. Like in the case of Tibet, the passing of more than half a century has made Tibetian exiles make compromises in order to face day-to-day realities. Time has made countries change their stand. The common man who is not from Tibet shifts focus and gets excited about whatever is happening currently. The next generation comes and Tibet sometimes becomes an untold story. Author Sowmya Rajendran's THE SNOW KING'S DAUGHTER is an attempt to pass on the facts about Tibet to the next generation.

The Snow King's Daughter is set in India, where Keshav, a typical ten year old boy is spending his summer holidays pretend travelling to different places marked in his atlas. When Keshav finds that his neighbor Lobsang is from Tibet, he gets excited. From this flows the story of Tibet and its fight for independence.

Proiti Roy's illustrations are spot on. I was especially moved by the illustration on the page where baby Lobsang and her sister bid farewell to their parents, in order to come to India, leaving their parents to stay back in Tibet and fight for Tibet. The picture was powerful, adding a new dimension, making a compounded impact on me. When my five year old asked, "But Lobsang is just a baby. How can she go away with strangers?", I realized that it made the same impact on her too. I loved Proiti's touch where she added picture of Gandhiji where the book talks about Indian independence.

The book ends with Keshav putting his finger on 'Sri Lanka which looks like a giant teardrop'.

I can't wait to find out what Keshav finds when he pretend travels to Sri Lanka.

The Helping Hand

Title : The Helping Hand
Author : Kamakshi Balasubramanian
Illustrator : Kuntal Dey
Publisher : Spark-India

I always admire the books which sensitively talk about the special children and how they look at the world or how the regular children feel about them. Sometimes people do react in very strange ways when they come across a differently abled person. There may not be any negative feeling but just not being comfortable with the uniqueness creates a big chasm when interacting in such situations so I keep looking for the books which aid in instilling compassion in kids from very early age.

A very tenderly told story of a girl Komal and her brother Tarun. The story starts with Komal anxiously waiting for the arrival of her baby sibling and Tarun is the answer of everybody's prayers. Komal is thrilled to have a younger brother to whom she sings rhymes, teaches counting and wants him to join her school. But gradually she understands that Tarun is not like other regular kids and needs help in almost everything - walking, eating, getting cleaned. He starts going to a special school. With the loving support of the family, both siblings learn different things at different pace as per their abilities. Komal grows up to be a veterinarian doctor and finds a gentle and kind helper in her younger brother and they both form a team together to heal the animals.

There are a lot of things that I appreciated about the book - the subtle way in which the uniqueness of Tarun is explained and how each individual is unique and learns at different pace. It is so very important to recognize these differences of abilities and preferences and not let one's path dictate that of others. Respecting the individuality and sensitively supporting the children can help make every child bloom to his/her maximum potential and spread fragrance in the world.

This book reminded us of one of the Tulika books that we read last year - 'Why are you afraid to hold my hand?' A beautifully written book which brings the perspective of physically challenged child. An attempt to convey to other people how it feels to always receive sympathy and pity when it is not needed and when all that is required is to be treated like the rest of them.

{Images courtesy : Infibeam and Tulika}

Little Girl in a Red Dress with Cat and Dog

Little Girl in a Red Dress with Cat and Dog
by Nicholas B. A. Nicholson
paintings by Cynthia von Buhler

Ages 4-8

Ever wonder what the stories behind the paintings in the museums might be? Other than what we know through art history, that is... something about the subject of the painting, about the circumstances that led to the particular painting, about the painter's inspiration for it... especially for those rather obscure paintings of which we know little, except the artist and the period. Particularly folk art.

Ammi Pillips, an itinerant painter born in the late 18th century, painted a series of portraits of little girls in red dress. The discovery of this fact in itself was quite a revelation as noted in this piece. Apparently, the artist was quite prolific, but finding and attributing his works proved quite a challenge.

Inspired by one of Ammi Phillips' paintings in the Museum of Folk Art in New York City, the author has presented an imaginative tale behind the portrait.

"That's me over the fireplace", starts the book, showing a portrait of a little girl in a red dress, holding a cat, with a dog by her feet.

Imagine being the youngest in the family, a largish family, where everybody has their role carved out and are busy attending to the many chores, leaving very little time for indulging the youngest. You are too noisy, says her dad and sends her away to do something else so he can get his task done in peace. You'll just be in the way when I serve tea, run along now, says her mother. You'll cut yourself, it is too dangerous, so go help you sisters, say her brothers who are chopping wood. You'll only mess up our needlework say her sisters asking her to help the cook in the kitchen. Of course, the cook, Mrs.Tucker is too busy getting things ready that she doesn't even notice the little girl.

So mostly, I ran around with Cat and Dog, she tells us. Naturally, she gets bored when left to her own devices.

Let's face it, all children want more time with their parents, no matter how much time we parents manage to spend with them. And children most certainly want to be included in the activities, not shooed away to amuse themselves somehow. The book explores this topic artfully through the little girl's eyes while showing the typical life of a landed family in 1830s New England.

Now imagine the excitement when a stranger decides to focus all attention on her by having her sit for a portrait, to which she happily agrees. Suddenly she finds herself treated like a princess, with her family proud and beaming.

The description of the activities in the house with the arrival of Mr.Phillips puts us right in the thick of it. We feel the bustling household making room for the stranger - accommodating and hospitable - yet focusing on the tasks at hand, letting nothing come to a standstill.

The kind of relationship Ammi Phillips must have had with his young sitters, traveling as he did, painting to make a living while exercising his artistic muscles, is explored quite interestingly in this book. When the little girl tells Mr.Phillips how much she would miss him, we know that she was not just another still-life subject, distant and inanimate, that he waved good-bye to as he left.

The paintings by Cynthia von Buhler are amazing, very reminiscent of folk art. Each page shows beautiful scenes not just of the people, but, of the clothes and countryside, of the house and farm. It felt like a trip to the museum, just looking at each page in this book. The minute details captured in each painting doesn't let us turn the pages in a hurry. A delightfully charming touch is the portraits on the inside back-flap, of the author and the illustrator, that leaves us smiling.

The clothes of the period naturally intrigued my daughter and we tried to read about what they wore in that period and whether we would find it comfortable today. She was smitten with the bright red dress and wanted one for herself, which as we found out, happens to be the favorite dress of the little girl's sister.

Why was there so much excitement about painting the little girl? Why was there no camera to take pictures and see it in the computer like we do? And, when I explained about how not everybody had cameras in their homes back then, and how paintings were a great way to have artwork of the person created with special care, this fact became the most intriguing part of the book for my daughter. That, and the fact that the little girl had so many brothers and sisters who wouldn't play with her.

Not to mention, the interest in finding a red dress for herself and getting herself painted, possibly by me. All in all, a refreshing book that opened up a few doors of exploration for us.

Dog Detective Ranjha

Dog Detective Ranjha

Written by Partap Sharma

Published by Rupa and Co.

First published in 1978, this book (also called 'Top Dog Ranjha' in reprints) is a collection of stories voiced by a rather unusual narrator - a young German Shepherd called Ranjha who is trained by his master to - quite literally - sniff out crime. I discovered the book when I was around eleven and, being crazy about dogs, it became a huge favourite. Sadly, the author never wrote any sequels, though the book did spawn a comic strip for Tinkle magazine that ran for several years.


I still recall being struck by how different it was from other Indian kidlit at that time. Now talking animals are no novelty in Indian literature, starting with the beasties of the Panchatantra, the various warriors and demigods of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, most beginner level books.... if anything, we can be accused of having way too many of them! Ranjha stood out by being contemporary, realistic and devoid of the moralizing that plagues so much of our books. Like my other favourites,James Herriott and Gerald Durrell, Sharma humanizes his animal characters in a way that is both entertaining and convincing.



We first meet Ranjha as a puppy at Brindia Kennels, vying with his sister for the attention of 'Woof', the interesting young writer who will soon be his owner. Spotting Rajha's potential as a tracker, Woof takes him home and begins training him. Ranjha works at making a place for himself in the new social order around him - Woof, his wife and daughter, the neighbours, the canine patriarch Tughlak who lives next door. Before long, he is solving cases as well, beginning with the rather disturbing "Case of the Sudden Killer". By the end of the book, Ranjha is a famous personality in two towns, has matured into a full grown dog and, most significantly for him - won the respect of his canine peers.


Intelligent and observant, Ranjha is a witty observer of human quirks. " I tell you", he says soon after meeting Woof, "you need patience with human beings." Elsewhere, he remarks that human beings need a lot of training to live with other animals. The book teems with little nuggets of wisdom like these about human behaviour that will have you smiling and grudgingly agreeing as well. I think this is a great way to foster love and respect for animals in children - by looking at human beings not as natural masters, but as one just more , very flawed, species. 'Ranjha's ' dog's -eye -view is gentle and affectionate, yet succeeds in highlighting the casual thoughtlessness people often display in their treatment of other animals.


A great introduction for younger readers to the crime genre, a book dog lovers will enjoy. And while I mark it for readers of eight and above, this is a book with universal appeal - the Imp greatly enjoyed having it read out to her when she was four, and I still dip back into it every now and then. So yes... I know thirty two years have passed -- but can we have that sequel now, Mr Sharma?

Toilet Tales

Author & Illustrator: Andrea Wayne Von Konigslow
Publisher: Annick Press
Ages: 2 to 5

Graduating a toddler from diapers to the potty is no easy feat to accomplish. The transition can often be intensely testing and stressful for both the child and the care-giver. When training strategies fail, it can easily throw the entire household at wit’s end leaving the key players in the process feeling tired, grumpy and overwhelmed.

Even well-meaning comments, albeit clichéd from friends and/or family, to lighten things up, like “you know, no child goes to college in diapers,” can be tad off-putting, particularly when the frustration from the failure turns hitting-the-wall kind of way. All too common in the early years of parenting and sure enough, most of us have our shares of toilet training complaints and woes, and may be, even a few funny stories some of us might like to cling on to for keeps.

Well, in my case, I am almost certain I wasn't aware that books can be useful tools to teach toilet-ready toddlers, until about the time came when I had to research options to train my own. With my older one, when she was exactly two years old, after a readathon session in the bathroom called the read-to-trainathon , we were thrilled to see that reading her favorite Dr.Seuss book actually kept our little one stay put on the throne. And before we knew it, in a few days, thanks to Dr.Seuss, she had trained herself to use the toilet like a pro.

The only downside to this approach, as you can very well imagine...for several days I found myself in an auto mode of repeating Aunt Annie's Alligator, Big B, Little b what begins with B? Barber, Babies, Bubbles and a bumble bee, Camel on a Ceiling,.... I am a Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz, as you can plainly see. And that needless to say, drove everyone around me crazy. Not an exaggeration, but admittedly I was very close to getting a round of professional therapy to help come out of the nonsensical talk mode.:)

Around the second time with my younger daughter, I decided take a deep breath and go a bit slow. While I did get a chance to browse through some instruction based potty books at my local library, I was clear I needed something fun and light-hearted in order to preserve my sanity (and of course, to keep my little one cheery) going through the sensitive process yet again.

I bumped into a Canadian classic titled Toilet Tales, written and illustrated by Andrea Wayne Von Konigslow. With a lively parade of animals, one on each page, paired with simple text focusing on the reason why the animal in focus wouldn’t be able to use the toilet, this book was an instant hit with the toddler in the household.

A goat would eat the toilet paper; A giraffe is too tall to fit in through the bathroom door; An elephant, too heavy he would smash the toilet into pieces….

Can you imagine the fun and amusing illustrations supporting the ideas? After a dozen or so list of animals, and the reasons why they couldn't use the toilet, the book concludes by saying, that is why toilets are meant for "big kids like you" accompanied by a drawing of a child on a potty. I thought that was indeed very clever to offer a toddler the concept in a fun way as opposed to hit-over-the-head. The book did bring many giggles and chuckles during the weeks of training.

This book was certainly a riot. My little one almost three a year ago, simply fell in love with the imagination of critters on a commode as well as the accompanying text that gave her a taste for some stimulating material in critical reasoning. During the training process, each time my little girl ran to the bathroom, it was only natural that our conversation would revolve around, “Can a giraffe use the toilet? And the prompt response from her side would be, “No, because....she's too tall…she can't fit in through the door. Toilets are for big kids like me.” Well, you get the idea as to how the concept must have worked at various levels to help ease the transition.

Reading the book was indeed a pleasurable experience and helped drive the idea home in a silly, yet gentle way. Not to make a big deal, but the only downside to some could be that the drawing on the last page can make it seem like it’s an appropriate choice for reading to little girls. However, in my opinion, I think it’s a very subtle thing that one can overlook seeing the big picture, and still use the book with toddler boys as well.