Angela and the Baby Jesus

Title : Angela and the Baby Jesus
Author : Frank McCourt
Illustrated by : Raul Colon (Kids' edition) and Loren Long (Adult edition)
Publisher : Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

The author Frank McCourt reminisces about one incidence from his mother - Angela's childhood when she was six years old. Most of the stories that we have read so far on Christmas theme are written with either the Christmas eve or the Christmas day in focus but this small book is very different.

It happens a few days before the Christmas day. Baby Jesus is already in the Limmerick Church where little Angela gets to see him - an infant in the crib, but what makes her heart sad, very sad is the fact that little Jesus is lying in the crib in cool, wet, dark December nights without any cover or blanket to keep him warm. She wonders why nobody thought of keeping the baby Jesus warm and so she decides to take this task upon herself. She thinks of a plan to take the baby home with her and keep him warm and cosy. But materialising the plan is not going to be easy when there are a whole bunch of hurdles on the way - she has to keep her plan a secret, she has to pick the baby when the Church is empty, she is aware that stealing is bad thing and she could get punishment for stealing the baby. No matter what, Angela is convinced, she is determined, she has to take care of poor and cold Jesus because she knows how it is to be cold in these chilly nights. Now carrying the baby in her arms, she has to be extra careful. She surely cannot enter her home through the main door which means she has to climb the backyard wall with the baby. She is in despair and asks the baby for help and she does get the help. She is told in her head by the Jesus - "throw the baby over the wall and recover him on the other side". She throws once, she throws twice but her attempts are unsuccessful, finally in the third attempt he goes over but a very terrible thing happens this time, he lands in the wrong backyard. Angela now talks to the baby very sternly and asks him to cooperate and not fly like angles so that he is warm soon. This time baby Jesus obediently obeys the instructions and lands in the right courtyard sporting the same smile on his face all through. She heaves a sigh of relief but the trouble is not over yet, her brother Pat comes out in the backyard and starts questioning her. What would Pat tell the mother and how can Angela still manage to keep the Baby Jesus safe and warm with her on this chilly December night? Who would assure her that the baby is safe? You must read to know the following sequence of events.

Frank McCourt, an author par excellence has an unparalleled ability of weaving extra-ordinary tales from the ordinary situations. A very heartfelt tender story full of love and emotions that is sure to reach out to every little heart and tug some strings there. There are two editions of this book - one for kids and one for the adults. I picked up the one which is for the kids. The riveting drawings by Raul Colon, portraying Angela's emotions are a treat for the readers to savor. Just the title page picture gives an idea what to expect inside the book.

Gooney Bird Greene

We stumbled across Gooney Bird Greene series by Lois Lowry. Thanks to Sandhya, Lois Lowry was a familiar name. I thumbed through the book and quickly digested that the book was about a quirky little girl in second grade. Gooney Bird tells tall tales, has an ‘interesting’ fashion sense and has an exceptionally high level of confidence. At first it reminded me of Pippi Longstokings, but Lois Lowry does manage to differentiate this very Pippi-like character, well at least in my mind.

While Pippi made me a little sad, I did not have this lump in my throat and a heavy heart when I read Gooney Bird. While Pippi leaves you wondering if her claim that she has super human strength and that she can bake a 100 dozen cookies in an hour are true, Gooney Bird assures that all her stories are 100% real. Though her stories are ‘HOW GOONEY BIRD CAME TO THE TOWN OF WATERTOWER, USA FROM CHINA ON A FLYING CARPET’, ‘HOW GOONEY BIRD’S BELOVED PET CAT, CATMAN, GOT CONSUMED BY A COW’, ‘HOW SHE GOT LATE FOR SCHOOL BECAUSE SHE WAS DIRECTING THE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’.

And yes, all of Gooney’s stories are true. For those of you asking me are flying carpets true? can cows eat cats? can a second grader conduct an orchestra? All I can say is, pick a book and find out for yourself.

I loved Gooney because of her confidence, her curiosity to be in the middle of things, her genuine effort to help her friends and her ability to transforms and inspire even the shiest child in the classroom. Also through Gooney Bird, Lois Lowry tells her readers how to write a story! She talks about the components of a story - how to choose a title, how to keep the audience interested, when to add ‘suddenly’ and give a twist in the story, descriptions etc. She also talk about how to tell a true story full of facts and numbers without boring the audience, how to write a fiction based on real historical characters, ambiguous endings which open up different possibilities and such. In a nutshell, it is creative writing 101 geared to kids.

What endeared Gooney Bird to my younger child was Gooney’s fashion sense. With her three pony tails, cowboy boots on pajama pants, velvet coats etc, she found a soul sister in Gooney Bird. Gooney has inspired her to think deeply about emotions. When ever I read, ‘she slumped her shoulders’ or ‘he scowled’, she asks me to act out slumping shoulders or scowling and she is processing the information. My older child adores Gooney Bird because of her stories. She is inspired and wants to write her own stories.

Yay to Gooney Bird! We are sad that we have only one more Gooney bird book that we haven’t read.

Yay to Lois Lowry for her faith and respect in young people and her ability to simplify information without being condescending.

The Three Questions

Pic source google

The Three Questions - Based on a Story by Leo Tolstoy
Author/ Illustrator- Jon Muth
Scholastic Press
Ages 5 to 10

This reflective tale for children is an adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's story of the same name published in 1903. To make it easier for children to relate to it, the author uses a young boy Nikolai and his animal friends as the key characters.

Nikolai is looking for answers to three rather profound questions- since he feels that they would be the key to being a good person at all times. His friends- a monkey, a heron and a dog- with amusing name choices (explained by the author in his note) - provide what they think are the answers. The boy remains dissatisfied with these answers and goes seeking a wise old turtle .

He does not get any direct answers from Leo the turtle, to his questions-
When is the best time to do things?
Who is the most important one?
What is the right thing to do?"

But when a storm strikes and Nikolai rescues a panda and its baby, he finds the answers in his actions, with Leo's help. The messages are clear- live in the moment, focus on what is immediate and be kind and selfless.

As Leo says, "There is only one important time, and that time is now. The most important one is always the one you are with. And the most important thing is to do good for the one who is standing at your side."

The nicest thing about the book is that the reader is also allowed to conclude that following the above would lead to peace and joy.

As an adult, I thoroughly enjoyed the afterword which describes Tolstoy briefly and this author's adaptation. It also provided me a good opening to introduce Tolstoy Thaatha ( grandpa) and also Russia to my daughter.

While younger kids may not be as introspective and philosophical as Nikolai, they will still enjoy the story and get the message at some level. They may also be amused at Nikolai carrying a huge panda in his arms or the monkey's funny answers.

The visuals are captivating and done in muted water colour. There is misty feel that lends a bit of space and poetry with just a dash of bright colour in the form of a red kite which finally soars high at the end of the tale.

The text is easy to read. Simple and no frills. This is a story that will grow with you and on you.

Grandpa's Angel

Grandpa's Angel

Illustrator and Writer - Jutta Bauer

Recently during a discussion with a few friends, we wondered how our parents from the earlier generation let us loose - seemingly without worrying about us. We were left to wander around the streets, walk to the school by ourselves, no drop and pick ups, go for any extra classes by ourselves, play in the roads without adult supervision and hang out in some playground, street corner without informing them. Were they not paranoid parents like us? Or is it a simple case of parents keeping a watch on us discreetly?

Jutta Bauer, a German illustrator and writer of children's books observed kids in great thought going around and arriving safely wherever they have to be. Based on her observation, she conjured up an idea of a guardian angel who keeps these kids safe.

This book is a story about grandpa, lying in the hospital, who tells his grand kid about this rather adventurous life. The grandpa was a brave kid who climbed the tallest of trees, dived the deepest of lakes and had a riot of a time with his friends. The words of the picture book follow the words of the grandpa, while illustrations tell a different story. In striking contrast, the pictures tells us that the grandpa climbed the tallest of trees because there was a guardian angel who kept him from falling. Every page we turn, the guardian angel is omnipresent to keep grandpa from falling into deeper trouble.

There are multiple layers of story built in the book. The words of the ever happy grandpa, thinking he had a great time during his life and story of illustrations that says he was being helped constantly by an angel. There is another story that unfolds as we read further - a story of hope. It is not as if the grandpa had a great time and lived happily always - He had his fair share of miseries - he was jobless during the war, his friends taken away by Nazis, he struggled to earn a meal for a few years, begged for money, shelter and so on. This thought process that author brings in a subtle manner makes one wonder whether there was a really a guardian angel or is it just the hope and enthusiasm of life that carried the grandpa so long?

There are a few other threads that are worth exploring - what happened to the guardian angels for kids taken away by Nazis? Is there a story of faith lying underneath all the action? There are a few other interesting pictures(like a big sculpture of a magnet) thrown at us intentionally or unintentionally to keep us thinking.

Is Jutta Bauer, the writer telling us the real story or is it Jutta Bauer, the illustrator showing us the real story or is the story something else?

The illustrations are simple and cartoon-like with simple, easy strokes and mild colors. The book is around 45 pages, more that the usual 32 pages. It is a fast read and makes one go back to it again and again.

All this begs the question - is it a book for kids? I would vociferously say - "Yes". Why not? Why should kids always have books that are cute-sy and the story always laid straightforward? Here is a book that is easily accessible but keeps them thinking. The best kind of book!

Cloud Tea Monkeys

4th sunday in September is Daughters' Day. Now for me every day is my daughter's day. But I had not reckoned with the power of peer pressure.

So daughter comes home from school armed with the information that it will be Daughters' Day this sunday, 26th Sept. "And what have you got for me?"  She will not be distracted by promises, as she knows I will already be having something ready, today being a friday.

Sigh! It is for such days, I think, I get books to give her 'later.' (Of course, books! That goes without saying.) So I dig into my kitty of books after suitably distracting her with homework. And I do come up with something suitable for a mother-daughter duo to savour, something wonderful that I wanted to share here.



Image Courtesy Amazon

CLOUD TEA MONKEYS
Written by Mal Peet & Elspeth Graham
Illustrations by Juan Wijngaard
Published by Walker books
Ages 5+

Tashi is a little girl staying on the tea-growing slopes of the Himalayas, with her mother who works as a picker on the plantation. Her mother's basket which she puts on her back to put the tender tea shoots into is larger than Tashi.

Every morning, Tashi gets ready with her mother to go to work, with a hot cup of sweet tea, watching as the sun '...was coming (up): a light the colour of lemons was soaking into the sky and painting out the stars....As the stars went out, small squares of light appeared on the dark hillside above her: lamps were being lit in the village.'

Every day as her mother and the other women work, hard, back-breaking work that ends only after the sun has gone down, Tashi amuses herself with the monkeys who come down the mountains every day. They know her and trust her; the babies climb up on her and share her little food, and the mothers relax around her.

But now her mother is too ill to go to work, and if she does not work, they do not eat.

So Tashi picks up the (bigger than herself) basket, and goes with the other women to pick her share of tea. She is, however, too little to reach the very tips which have to be picked. Frightened of the loud, big Overseer, she starts to cry, not knowing what to do. How does she pick a whole basketful so that she can help her mother to pay for the doctor, the medicines and food?

The monkeys, who are her friends, and who trust her, help her out. And they never have to worry about picking tea again. How? That makes up the rest of this magical story, which ends like this:

'There are only three people in the world who drink Cloud Tea. One of them is a little old woman who is called the Empress of All the Known World and Other Bits That Have Not Been Discovered Yet. The other two are a retired tea-picker and her daughter, who live in a village among mountains whose tops are lost in clouds.'

A very heart-warming tale from the Himalayan regions of India. In a note at the end of the book, the authors write: 'Cloud Tea Monkeys is set in the past, but you can still buy "monkey-picked tea", though whether or not it is really picked by monkeys is another story again...'  

You know you have picked up a book that you will like from the minute you set eyes on it. The book is hardcover, with a jacket- an indicator that it is will be a keepsake, with full page, framed pictures in full-colour on one page corresponding to the story on the opposite page, where the  often lyrical text is also embellished with a relevant black-and-white sketch. Some of the paintings of the rolling tea plantations have a photographic quality as if painted from life.

Needless to say, the daughter was extremely pleased with this one!

The Butt Book by Artie Bennett

The Butt Book

Author: Artie Bennett

Illustrator: Mike Lester

Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Ages: All

There are all kinds of picture books. Some initiate the early reader into the mysteries of spelling and counting, others offer a peek into the lives and customs of people from around the world. Some gently address the worries and anxieties of growing up, others teach us to celebrate the little quirks and many differences that make each one of us special.


And then there is 'The Butt Book', Artie Bennett’s humorous ode to that much ignored part of our anatomy.


‘Would the butt please take a bow’, Bennett begins, before whisking the reader off on a ‘behind the scenes’ tour of sorts, past a motley lineup of derrieres - anglophone and foreign, human and animal, royal and common. Don’t let your behind be the butt of jokes, he urges and then proceeds to do just that as he quite literally get to the bottom of things, discussing the butt’s indispensability to every creature graced with one.


Mike Lester's illustrations do more than just complement Bennett’s verse; they take off on their own zany trajectory, imaginatively translating the author’s words into hilarious images. Be it a cheery landscape of trees and clouds absolutely brimming with, well, cheek, a bawling newborn with a head of hair Elvis would have approved of, or a concise diagram of the evolution of man (and his mutation-resistant behind) from aquatic beastie to bipedal Bob, each page is a gleeful celebration of the book’s subject.


I imagine The Butt Book might ruffle a few parental feathers; certainly, most moms and dads I know would probably roll their eyes and mutter disapprovingly of its effect on impressionable minds. And yet, what child does not delight in the rude and absurd mysteries of its own body – fleshy rumps, unseemly noises, treasure-filled nostrils- and a vocabulary enriched with colourful synonyms for them? And what parent, for all her eye rolling and disapproval, does not remember savouring that very same delight, as the booger-obsessed, raspberry-blowing, bumptious kid she once was?


Here is a book that recognizes that simple and priceless delight.


Thanks to Artie for sending me a copy of the book to review.

Image

A Blessing from Above

A Blessing from Above

By Patti Henderson
Illustrated by Liz Edge

Ages 0-3, 3-6

Little Golden Books are a popular series of books with a distinctive look and feel (especially the gold foil spine). We have enjoyed several Little Golden books in the past, most of them making for very pleasant and gentle reading - perfect for night time. A Blessing from Above is also a very warm and sentimental book. What sets it apart from the others however, is the topic : Adoption.

This is the story of a Kangaroo (Momma-Roo) who has an empty pouch and prays everyday for a baby that she can love and hold and care. One day Momma-Roo goes for a walk, all the time looking at other animals and their babies, wishing that she had one of her own.

After her walk, she rests under a tree and notices a nest of bluebird eggs above. While she is watching, all the eggs hatch one after the other but now the nest is getting too crowded. The littlest bluebird falls down from the nest but luckily lands into Momma-Roo's pouch!

Literally, a Blessing from Above.

What does Momma-Roo do? What about the bluebird baby? And when Momma Blue Bird comes back what does she say? For the adult, it's all as expected of course, but the child asks questions - how can a baby bird become a joey? Why didn't Momma Blue Bird ask for her baby back? Delightful questions leading to delightful conversations!

I looked up the internet later to find that the author of this book, Patti Henderson is a mother to two adopted children and the illustrator - Elizabeth Edge is an adoptee herself, A complex topic, simplified to a child's level, this book will warm your heart even if your family has not been touched by adoption.

Wangari's Trees of Peace

Wangari's Trees of Peace
A True Story from Africa

by Jeanette Winter

Ages 4-8

"The Earth was naked.
For me the mission was to try to cover it with green."
- Wangari Maathai, Environmentalist and winner of Nobel Peace Prize (2004)


What is peace? It is a hard concept for my five year old to fathom. Peace is living in harmony with oneself, one's neighbors, one's environment. Peace is acting kindly towards all beings, respectful and nurturing, not destroying mindlessly. Not acting violently wreaking damage that we can't repair, but acting with love, tolerance, and empathy.

In African tradition, a tree is a symbol of peace.

The book is about the life of Wangari Maathai, a brilliant student from Kenya who won the Kennedy Scholarship to pursue her studies in America, returned to Kenya to attend University of Nairobi, and became the first woman from East Africa to earn a Ph.D. 

When she returned to Kenya, Wangari was shocked to see the lush green trees destroyed to give way to new buildings. The effects of deforestation were drastic enough to jolt her into action. In 1977, on World Environment Day, she started the Green Belt Movement Kenya, with a simple goal of getting the greenery back in her backyard by planting nine seedlings.

She enlisted women from her community, village, to plant more seedlings, started a nursery, even paid women if their seedlings survived and established themselves for over three months. For many of these women, this is the first salary they earned, for doing what they normally would have done.

The clear-cutting leading to desertification, bringing along with it erosion and lack of firewood made life more challenging and tedious, especially for women who had to walk miles to gather a few sticks of firewood for daily needs.

Soon the word spread like wind traveling through leaves, and women in other villages, towns and cities were planting seedlings fighting against the continued cutting. Wangari tries to protect these mighty trees and gets put in jail for being a troublemaker. She doesn't wilt, she stands tall.

Her fight against the denuding of Earth inspires many others to spring to action. Soon the greenery is restored enough to make a difference all over Kenya. The world hears of Wangari's relentless campaign to bring the green back to Kenya, to reestablish the symbol of peace that was indiscriminately ravaged.

The illustrations are stark, colorful and complement the text well. And the book itself is published in recycled paper.

While the story of her life is simplified in this presentation, the fact that one person can make a difference, can effect a dramatic change, comes across loud and clear. She did not have to plant all the thousands of trees herself, but, through her actions, leadership, vision, dedication and perseverance, she managed to inspire others to take charge and do the needful, do the right thing.

 "Who was cutting down the trees?" was her first question and it was hard for the five year old to understand who exactly the "government men" were and why they could cut down trees when Wangari tried to protect the trees.

However, the page showing Wangari beaten by the policeman and thrown in jail did disturb my daughter a bit, especially the drops of blood trickling from her forehead. But, a subsequent discussion managed to ease her mind enough to get past it and reconcile it by stating that the policeman should have apologized to her for being so mean and hurtful, and promised never to do that again.

The Author's Note mentions that true to her passion, the first act Wangari did when she heard about winning the Nobel Peace Prize was to plant a Nandi flame tree at the base of Mount Kenya.

On this International Day of Peace (Sept 21), as we ask ourselves, "what does peace mean to me?" and explore this topic with our kids, we can share one aspect of it via Wangari Maathai's life and her words in her acceptance speech:

"We are called to assist the Earth to heal her wounds and in the process heal our own - indeed, to embrace the whole creation in all its diversity, beauty and wonder".

The Sun Egg

The Sun Egg
Elsa Maartman Beskow (1874-1953)

Ages 4 to 8


There once was an elf who lived in a hollow tree in the woods.

When a story starts like this, showing a beautiful little elf on the first page, dancing through the seasons doing her Welcome-Back-Sun dance in Spring , Swirling-Yellow-Leaves dance in Autumn , Falling-Snow dance in Winter, I am hooked, and my five year old faerie-phile daughter is mesmerized.

The elf finds a yellow-ish orange egg one day. She thinks it might be the sun's egg and the sun cannot see it as the clouds are obstructing her view. She runs to tell her friend Larch who just teases her. She runs to Happy Frog who laughs heartily as he serves his customers at The Happy Frog restaurant. Soon, along with a few more forest friends, the gang reluctantly follows the elf to see what all the fuss is about.

But guess what? A chaffinch comes along and reveals that this mysterious orange-ish yellow orb is actually a fruit called Orange. She shows them how to drink its sweet juice with a straw. But a greedy crow comes along and snatches the sun egg err.. orange and flies away. (He chokes on it and drops it. Serves him right). When the little elf begins to cry about losing the sun egg, a mistle-thrush offers to take her along to an orange grove in the land of the sun.

The elf has a magical time in the land of the sun. Finally it is time to come back to her forest and she does.

As we begin to wonder what's there in this run-of-the-mill story, the last page reveals a happy little boy out to pick wild strawberries in the very same forest, his picnic lunch bag hanging open and a round (orange) fruit falling off quite unbeknownst to him as he walks away!

The illustrations are charming and delightful, each one worth savoring. The hardcover large format with a full-page image on each spread makes it impossible to read this book in a hurry.

Elsa Beskow was a Swedish writer of children's books. She has some twenty books to her credit and was well-received early on. However, to quote from this article, "In the 1960s and 1970s Beskow's work was considered by many critics old-fashioned. Her idyllic pictures, full of good-natured children, animals, brownies, and flowers, were seen to present false ideals. Also her gender roles were seen as too narrow: "the father is strong and brave, and the mother is obedient and loving" (from Tomtebobarnen)."

However, The Sun Egg (Sol Agget, in the original Swedish) instantly became a favorite at home thanks to the sweet and simple story that has a bit of adventure, a bit of mystery, a bit of twist at the end, and a lot of elf magic which is hard to resist in these parts.

How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?

Written by Jane Yolen
Illustrated by Mark Teague
Scholastic Inc. USA
Ages 3-6 yrs


Cuddling up and being read to/ reading probably features high in most children's bedtime routine. Parents play different roles depending on the child's need and their own energy levels. Some kids need to be coaxed to sleep and some sung to. And some kids do not develop a routine at all!  

How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? uses young dinosaurs to highlight desirable bed time rituals. My daughter rightly observed, "Oh they are showing dinosaurs as babies right?"

As the title suggests, the scenes are set in a child's bedroom or to be specific, a child dinosaur's bedroom. The room's wallpaper has dinosaur motifs and the dinosaurs though large indulge in childlike play and activities, even tantrums.

Each spread is dedicated to one single dinosaur. The name of the dinosaur is cleverly hidden in the illustration sometimes spelt out on the rug or in the form of ABC blocks on the floor and so on. This provides for some engaging activity.

The dinosaurs' bedtime shenanigans are posed as questions - "Do dinosaurs cry/ throw their teddy bear about/ slam their tail and pout?..." . Though not recommended, your child may decide to add it to his antic collection and tomfoolery to postpone sleep time!

The story ends with the affirmation of good behaviour before one falls asleep- kiss- hug- turn out the light ( with the tail!)- snuggle in. The pictures on these pages make the formidable creature look extremely endearing.

The text is simple and rhymes, making it fun to read aloud. The dinosaur names remain tongue twisters for adults and kids alike- be it Triceratops or Pteranodon. They are rounded up on one single page for ready reference.

This delightful book works at many levels:
It will garner more than a few amused looks and even some chuckles.
It will prompt your child to read aloud.
It will provoke her to look for the name of the particular dinosaur on every page
It subtly shows people from various cultures as the parents.
It emphasises good bed time behaviour and even goads a reluctant child to try sleeping in her own bed!!

Two books from Pratham

Author: Sridala Swami

Illustrator : Sanjay Sarkar

Publisher : Read India (Pratham)

Ages : 7- 10 years

Since I first discovered Pratham books right here on Saffron tree, I've acquired - and greatly enjoyed - several of their books. So when they put out a call, some time ago, for reviews of their picture books, I was quite delighted to write in. And look what arrived in the mail a few days later - two little lovelies that the Imp and I have read over and over again. Brought out by Read India, an imprint of Pratham's, both are written by Sridala Swami and illustrated by Sanjay Sarkar, and are picture books for 7 to 10 year olds.

'Cheenu's Gift'gives us a peek at a day in the life of a boy who accompanies his father to work after school. For Cheenu's naana ('father' in Telugu) is a kabaadiwalla (junk dealer), and Cheenu enjoys his daily trips to collect old newspapers, books, magazines and bottles from peoples' houses. He gets to ride in lifts too and , best of all, there are new books to be discovered among the things they collect!

Considering how integral a kabadiwala (junk dealer) is to urban India - and what an unsung ecowarrior he is, helping recycle a vast variety of household discards that would otherwise end up in landfills - I can't remember the last time one featured in contemporary writing for children. For that matter, our cities and our everyday lives are propped up by the services of a million 'invisible' people - domestic help, vegetable vendors, car cleaners, presswallahs, tea boys, daycare helpers - who seldom feature as much more than background detail in Indian books for children . So 'Cheenu' is memorable in that it sets the focus squarely on one such 'invisible' person.


'Cheenu' does not preach a message of any kind, but it does neatly reflect the two Indias- rich and poor- that coexist in every one of our towns and cities, and their interdependence. It got the Imp talking about the children she sees around her - on construction sites, delivering milk and the daily paper - and wondering about their lives. The book also waves a gentle flag for education - Cheenu does work, but only after school. Not only that, he loves to read, a love that his father recognizes and supports.


The text mixes in Hindi and Telugu words, helpfully explained in footnotes.The story itself is simple, letting Sanjay Sarkar's vibrant illustrations do most of the 'talking'. His drawings are full of little details that kept us engrossed through each reading, be it the textures of the walls and floors, the changing landscape as Cheenu and his father travel from their village to the city and back, or the interior of their own little house. Sarkar even sneaks in a plug for his other book with Swami....



'Phani's Funny Chappals'

One of six books by Pratham nominated for this year's Vodafone Crossword Book Awards, 'Phani' is a tongue-in-cheek look at a boy with a strange predicament. For Phani is helpless captive to a pair of slippers with a mind all their own - they make him late for school, keep him indoors (and TV-bound) at playtime, and won't let him finish chores. And can you blame them?

For the slippers know all kinds of lovely alternate routes to school- routes that pass by mango trees and cool ponds- and don't really enjoy being hurled at piles of stones or being sent on errands. "I can't help it", Phani says pitifully, to a world that just won't understand his plight. Sadly, no one believes poor Phani, until his mother decides to solve his problem.

In a mere handful of wry words (this review is longer than the book) , author Swami delightfully captures Phani's imaginative world. You can just hear this little boy's voice as you read, trying to explain his sorry state to his parents and teacher. Sarkar does the rest, bringing Phani's world alive with his lively eye, peopling it with a host of incredulous, annoyed or just plain amused characters, trying to deal with one happy hostage. Until, of course, the tables are turned, and it is Phani's turn to look puzzled.


A big thank you to Maya at Pratham for sending me these books to review!

A Voice Of Her Own

We have been doing a bit of African-American history in our discussions at home. Being a history buff myself, I have been trying to get hold of child-friendly books on all such subjects at every book sale I go to. Here is one of the books we enjoyed reading on the topic of slavery in the American context.

Image Courtesy Amazon

A VOICE OF HER OWN
The story of Phillis Wheatley, Slave Poet
Written by Kathryn Lasky
Illustrated by Paul Lee
Published by Candlewick Press
Ages 8-12

This is a biography of Phillis Wheatley, a girl born on the west coast of Africa, who was brought to the Americas and sold as a slave. Her New England owners were good people, who recognised her intelligence, and taught her to read and write.

The little girl proved to be a willing and able pupil, and soon learnt all that she was taught- English, Latin, Greek, Geography, Math. She soon began to write poetry, and was published when she was just 14.

It was very unusual for slaves to be able to read and write at that time, as it was against the law in most parts of the country, let alone be writing poetry and getting published! Her volume of poetry was actually attested to as authentic poetry written by a slave, by seventeen well-known white men!

Phillis Wheatley was witness to some important moments in American History, and has lived through key events in the American Revolution for Independence. She also had the good fortune (!!!) to be sold as a slave in New England, which was more liberal than the South as far as slavery was concerned, and to be owned by people who treated her more like a daughter, than as a slave.

'Phillis felt confused...Black on the outside, educated like a white, yet not permitted, except in the Wheatley family, to join whites at the table-- was there any place that she really belonged? It seemed to Phillis she was halfway between two worlds.'

In her note at the end of the book, the author, a Newberry Honor winner, has said : What slavery and every other form of oppression have in common is that they impose silence. To be voiceless is to be dehumanised. That was one of the reasons slaves were not permitted to learn to read and write.

The story of Phillis is the story of a disadvantaged child, a girl slave, rising above her situation and touching great heights that most people can only dream of. It is a story of hope in the direst of situations, told in a way young people can understand, and appreciate. And as we discovered at home, can be used to broach bigger topics.

The illustrations are worth a mention, full page, sometimes double page, in muted tones, and taking us pictorially through what could have become 'something only grown-ups can understand'.

Phillis' poetry is typical of the period in which she lived, with religion as its mainstay, and with both her African memories and American reality potrayed in it. It also reflects the beliefs she learnt during her education. Here is just one example.

 On Being Brought From Africa to America
'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land,
Taught my benighted soul to understand
That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too:
Once I redemption neither sought nor knew.
Some view our sable race with scornful eye,
"Their colour is a diabolic die."
Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain,
May be refin'd and join th'angelic train.

My Feet Are The Wheel-Chair

Title : My Feet are the Wheel-Chair
Author : Franz-joseph Huainigg
Illustrator : Annergret Ritter
English Translator : Dr. Rekha Kamath
Hindi Translator : Arvind Gupta
Published in India by : Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samithi

I admire the books which sensitively deal with the issues of special children and how other normal people should behave around such individuals so as not to make the situation embarrassing or unpleasant for people on either side. But then this is just dealing with half side of the problem. Equally important is the attitude of the differently-abled person and his/her comfort level with the (ab)normality or uniqueness. This attitude removes all possibilities of having any kind of awkwardness.

And this is brought out beautifully in the book - My Feet Are The Wheel-Chair. Margrit is a little girl who cannot walk but she is independent, thanks to her wheel chair, which works as her legs. She is extremely happy this particular day as she has been asked by her mother to visit a super market on her own for the first time. But while on this trip she happens to have some sad and embarrassing encounters. She feels uncomfortable when some people continue to stare, some ask her about her disability, some pity at her, some help her preemptively without her asking for help. This all makes her very sad and very angry as she is not being treated like other children. But then she meets a special friend who is also a little different and who makes her understand - "You and I are different because you and I have something special."

Her friend manages to change Margrit's perspective and she actually starts feeling the happiness and joy of being in the outside world. Now she does not mind people staring at her or people asking her about her disability or anybody pitying at her. In fact, she is very comfortable telling them that she is handicapped and she cannot walk but can ride. And now she does not feel embarrassed asking for help like everyone else does sometimes. But most importantly she wants to convey how she is feeling and that is - No matter what her disability is, she is Happy, very Happy !!

Unfortunately no image of this book is available on the net.

TO SCHOOL, TO A NEW SCHOOL, BACK TO SCHOOL OR JUST ANOTHER DAY AT SCHOOL

We certainly can't prepare ourselves or the little ones enough, to let go and step out. Back to school or in the thick of it, we can always turn to books, picture books, for substantial help.

OWL BABIES by Martin Waddell gives the much needed reassurance to toddlers and preschoolers. Mother owl is away. The babies wonder and worry. Mama swoops in asking What's all the fuss ? You knew I'd come back. The images of the petrified owlets later found flapping in joy is a sheer delight - thanks to Patrick Benson and his wonderful touches with crosshatching to rope in texture and depth. Read the more detailed review here: http://www.saffrontree.org/2006/12/soother.html. Published by Candlewick.


THE KISSING HAND is similar in its intent to reassure. But incorporates a little ritual to get through the first few days of school. Or even moments of sadness on an ordinary day. Now, whenever you feel lonely and need a little loving from home, just press your hand to your cheek and think Mommy loves you says Mrs. Raccoon after embedding a kiss on Chester Raccoon's hand. Audrey Penn's story oozes warmth, especially when Chester makes sure mom has a kissing hand too while he is away. Ruth.E.Harper and Nancy M. Leak have successfully evoked the same fuzzy feeling of warmth with their illustrations in muted tones set mostly in night time. Just the right book to calm the anxieties while saying adieu to the very young during camp, school, day care or sleepover. Published by Child & Family Press


They probably don't need books with gentle promises. They love school! They can't wait to go to school! But that's only because they think school is always fun. Not anymore. Not always. Sometimes things could go wrong, very wrong. Stuff like when people with big hair sit in front of you or when the tattoo you got as a prize comes off in the bath water. We get the picture but we unfortunately can't do much for their childish predicaments. This is where IT'S A BAD DAY comes in handy. Every little school going kid can relate to it and that's the simple beauty of it. Of course its a bad day when the biggest bubble pops without anyone seeing it! A catalog of simple and honest mishaps from May Ellen Friday, that ends with reassurance - But hey, I'm okay. And tomorrow is another day. The typeface of the text is as if handwritten by the little reader. And the exaggerated illustrations of multi ethnic kids in these "situations" will make any child guffaw with a stamp of approval! Published by Rising Moon.


She or He has singled out a friend in class and even seriously labeled her or him "best friend". The two do everything together and create memories for that slice of life on or off campus. There is not a conversation at home without bringing in the counterpart's name. Simply put, this book is about best friends. The layer of interest is that Monifa is African American, and her friend is Mei Jing, whose grandmother had immigrated from China. Their individual cultures dictate their experiences. Narrated in the first person by Monifa, the account is casual, true and very school-centric. Sprinkled with instances of cultural exchange during play dates, at school, and at home, Anna McQuinn's MY FRIEND MEI JING is a great pick to celebrate multicultural friendships, a wholesome experience during the growing up years. Illustrations are by Ben Frey and photographs inside are by Irving Cheung. Published by Annick Press.


There is that naughty side now. Something up their sleeves all the time. No place better than classroom to showcase the antics. Giggles galore. Everything seems funny, rather hilarious. And just when your child begins to appreciate humor of the tongue-in-cheek sort, its good to grab MISS NELSON IS MISSING. It can well be used as a quick refresher as the lazy summer comes to an end and when school is around the corner. May even lighten things up when he comes home with trouble from school. The children of Room 207 make it very difficult for Miss.Nelson. She disappears. They now have Miss. Viola Swamp who is intolerant to their noise and nuisance. She is portrayed mean and dressed like a witch. The children, now appreciative of Miss.Nelson, yearn for her to come back. She does reappear. But where is Miss Voila Swamp now? Did I mention they even hire a detective? Read it to solve the mystery! With simple text, amusing visuals and quirky humor, it is amazing how it eventually manages to be didactic as well. Miss Nelson is missing is authored by Harry Allard and illustrated by James Marshall. A classic and a joy to read for slightly older elementary school kids, check out the audio versions of the book and the sequel too. Published by Sandpiper.

Most definitely a journey - from fear and anxiety through reassurance and warmth, to when they get comfortable (a little too comfortable in fact), books of all sorts find their way and become part of the experience. With good books, let the journey continue...

Pictures courtesy Amazon.com.

Clara and the Bookwagon

Image Courtesy Amazon 

CLARA AND THE BOOKWAGON
Written by Nancy Smiler Levinson
Illustrations by Carolyn Croll
Published by HarperTrophy
I Can Read Books.
Ages: 4-8yrs

Set in the early 1900s, this is a story of Clara, a girl living on a farm in Maryland.

Clara is a great help to her mother in the house, helping in the kitchen, and with the babies. She is also a great help to her father on the farm, right from planting the corn, to tossing the hay.

But what Clara would most like to do, is to learn to read, and learn about 'the sun and the stars. She wanted to learn how corn grew from seeds...Sometimes she liked to make up her own stories...But there was no money for extra things. And, as her father said, "Books are for rich people. Farm people like us do not have time to read." '

This makes her very very sad, but she has no other options. There is no school, and no way she can get any books.

One day, while Clara was out picking wild blueberries for Mama to make blueberry jam, a big black wagon driven by a lady came by. The lady, whose name was Miss Mary, was a librarian, and the wagon was her mobile library. She made it her business to go from place to place with her books, so that little children like Clara could learn and read.

What happens next? Are Miss Mary and Clara able to convince Mama and Papa that books and reading are not a 'waste of time for farm people?'

This is a story based upon the true account of the USA's first travelling bookwagon. It was started in 1905 by a Mary Lemist Titcomb, for people who lived far from cities, and did not have access to books. By 1912, it was no longer horsedriven, and had a new motor-driven van, which covered longer distances faster, making it a very successful enterprise, and a boon to those, who like Clara, lived on far-flung farming lands.

September 8th is the International Literacy Day. This book is about just such an endeavour. It also reminded me of Pratham books' social publishing strategy of a book in every child's hand.   

The Lizard's Tail

The Lizard's Tail
by Shobha Viswanath
illustrations by Christine Kastl

Audio version:
Narrated by: Vidya Balan
Music by: 3 Brothers & a Violin
Title Song by: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

Published by: Karadi Tales


The story is very simple: A baby lizard loses his tail in an unfortunate accident at the drawer that he was scooting through, having fun. When he asks his mom, she says, well, maybe it is time for you to get a new look, which is rather confusing. The little lizard thinks this meant that he should go find a new tail. So he sets off to find a new one. He meets a host of animals, one by one, squirrel, monkey, cow, dog, cat, and elephant and asks them if they will sell their tail so he can have a new one. They all refuse in their own unique way, while highlighting the virtues and uses of their own tails. Disappointed, he goes back to his mom who laughs gently and asks him to look at his own tail. And guess what? It's not a stump anymore, it has started to grow back!

When I read the book to my kids, I couldn't help but be influenced by Vidya Balan's gentle, warm, and cheerful presentation as I tried to recreate the magic, minus the songs and sound effects. The inviting Will You Read With Me? sets the tone for this series that helps children read-along as they listen to the CD. The Lizard's Tail together with Little Vinayak have become a recent favorite in our household.

The palette-knife illustrations by Christine Kastl are gorgeous and they complement the story well. The texture and crackle-like finish with ridges made my daughter wonder at first if the art work was done with her favorite Watercolor-and-Cling-Wrap method, but after we read the back cover, it gave me a chance to give her some basic information about palette-knife painting which creates great textures.

The music in the audio version is catchy and upbeat. I liked that after hearing this CD, followed by a few more of Karadi Tales' ones that we've listened to, it is almost impossible not to hum/sing the tunes.

While it is true that not all books appeal to all children (and adults) alike, I am quite happy to have found a handful that appeal to both the 2½ and 5 year old at the same time: the text is comfortable enough with just a few challenging words for my five-year-old to read by herself, while the flow of the story and the parade of animals easily hold the 2½ year old's attention.