Full Speed Ahead

Full Speed Ahead!  (À toute vitesse)
How Fast Things Go
by Cruschiform


The seven year old prefers non-fiction and likes to know facts and more facts. So, when I brought home Full Speed Ahead! he was quite taken up with its simple format of showing how fast things go, in increasing speeds starting with Galapagos tortoise and Seahorses at 0.3 km/hr to a shooting star +100,000 km/hr.

Retro design with each double page spread showing the objects on the right side with the bare bones speed plus the name of the objects on the left hand page is easy on the eyes.

The French origins of the book explains some of the unfamiliar vehicles for the U.S. audience. Back of the book has more information about each of the objects.

[The blog post tells more about the book and has some lovely inside look]



Biggest, Strongest, Fastest
by Steve Jenkins


A permanent favorite in our house, Steve Jenkins' books are the perfect combination of visual artistry and nuggets of digestible facts.

As the title suggests, it lists fourteen members of the animal kingdom and their fascinating claim to fame, be it biggest or fastest, or like the anaconda which can swallow a deer or a goat whole.

The trademark cut-paper collage, plus minimum words that pack maximum impact, books like these are a must for every library.

Of course, we have many more books by Steve Jenkins on our bookshelf which are much loved even after a zillion reads over the last few years: Hottest, Coldest, Highest, Deepest; Just a Second; The Beetle Book; Eye to Eye; Down Down Down... just about every book by Steve Jenkins is much enjoyed and appreciated.

[image source: multcolib.org]

Interview with storyteller, Vikram Sridhar

An author, an illustrator, a publisher, a book seller, a reviewer - all are important in getting us closer to stories! However, in addition to a book, the role of a story teller is seldom looked at seriously.

We, in Bangalore, are blessed to have some amazingly committed and creative story tellers and Vikram Sridhar, is one of them! Here Is an interview with Vikram, that we hope all will enjoy!

Welcome to Saffron Tree, Vikram.

Tahatto - please tell us more about the name of your theatre group?

Tahatto is a like a sound .. Tahatto dhim tha dhimmi thakka thaha thaha tho dim thath thai .

It can be sound in multiple ways and that’s were the word comes from . The chant goes back to some say to the kings era where they were welcomed using the chant.

What are we if not for the sounds through which we communicate

You have two distinct lives - each using your brain and your heart in different proportions. How did you reach this happy place of balancing the two? Was the journey a tough one?

It is an ongoing journey. But it was essential for me to identify it at every point of time , and its like a see saw, which gets priority at which point of time as there are other stake holders involved at every point . Right through my school and college days I realized there is a difference in what some people study and what you want to pursue. I can go on rattling on this .. While there was a safe journey through the brain , there was the journey through the heart which I kept and keep nourishing . Be it conservation , theatre or social work . Having no direct precedence in my family or people around , I tried my best balancing them . And you always keep hearing certain words like "Its an hobby " , "you can do these in your college days" etc. . But the fact is I start pursuing these deeper only after my under graduation.

While reading A Bhil Story by Tulika recently, you invited the children attending an event to name the rooster based on colours - red, blue, purple? So how do you start a session typically?

Ha ha , yes , At the end of - it these are folktales ( the bhil story) and they come to us, being passed from generation to generation. So, in order to give it to the next, we have to make it theirs . Typically, some parts of the story I open it out and take names from the audience if it’s a folktale . And most of my sessions will start with an audience interaction and between themselves . How often do we connect with unknown people . Be it children or adults , we’ll always find something to connect and this gives me a great start to the session

You like animals, you mentioned. Why do you sit on the back of an elephant's back - please share with our readers!

The part of animals I like is ETHOLOGY. To put it in a sentence, ethology is the science of animal behaviour. It has nothing to do with anatomy or evolution, just their natural behaviour . I was someone who scored least marks in biology but wanted to be a doctor I take a chance, wherever and whenever, to spend time observing them. Be it dogs , elephants, even a dragonfly . And without a camera. It’s a great feeling and connection to just observe. On a deeper context, there is something called Inter Species communication which we are making redundant now. This just helps me to connect with that. For example, wilder beast and zebra, langur and deer, egret and buffalo, cats and dogs etc. .

And to the fact of sitting behind the elephant, here is the story. I had been to one of the grand puram’s in Kerala to witness it from the magnitude and also to understand how the elephants were being treated. And you’ll always find crowds in the front, huge ones . And on the back side it will always be empty . And I always love that spot. For one, there is so much of the elephant that I could observe from the back side ( I am not going to go deeper !!) like how it stands, what this mahout is doing etc .

Recently I did something like that in Gujarat to observe Flamingoes. They were hundreds of them on a sewage drain. And there was no way for me to get closer unless I find a way to enter. I found a safe stone amidst the drain. And its only human poop I can't bear the smell . So I sat there - right amidst those flamingoes - with my nose closed . A lot of things in nature are not picture perfect ..

You also conduct theatre workshops for adults. Are you trained or self taught? Any Tips for those who want to do it but either cannot decide or cannot find time?

As a group yes, we do workshops for adults. My training is from various productions, workshops, spending time with artists over the last 10 + years . And just being in the space over time. If you really like to do something - now is the time. You have to make time for it, if not a week long workshop, do a 3 hour one. Bangalore has a lot of workshops happening which will give you an introduction to the form and you can take it on from there. There is no tomorrow for something you like now right . What if you don’t like it tomorrow.

Storytelling - why is it important in today's day and age of television and internet?

The shortest distance between two humans is a story. Be it TV or internet - we are still seeing human forms in them or using them to connect with other humans. And over time, it is like the filling in a sandwich. Initially we add butter or cheese to bind the 2 breads, and now there are 10 layers of vegetables and butter and cheese that the mouth cant handle the 2 breads and we might have to remove one of the breads . That’s how I see technology, sometimes. In the current world, where technology is flying in the air, Storytelling just does the simple act of connecting 2 people. Like Ayn Rand said . "Money is a tool and it cant be a driver". I’m rephrasing it to "Technology is a tool , it cant be a driver."

It is like water. We drank from streams long back, then wells , now bottles. Stories can't be obsolete. Their forms might change but the root cant be changed

Your views on change (that we discussed once) were fascinating. You said "this generation has a choice - unlike previous ones. We can choose what we wish of the past and discard what we wish of the future." Please elaborate.

It's like this. Today we have a choice to drink coconut water from a coconut from a coconut vendor for about Rs.20/- or go to a super market and buy it in a tetra pack for about Rs.75/- which can be even stored. No previous generation had this choice. This is a generation of choices, be it the number of TV channels, variety of clothes, communication gadgets, eating options etc . Never before this was there. You can just look back 20 years. Even 3 meals is a new age concept. Having said this, we are still confused and bored at many levels. That’s what I meant. Choices have made us more confused. And that’s where the responsibility comes in. We have the best of the past and it is what we choose and pass on that will make a better future. Some statistics say the rate of extinction is the highest now. So the worst of the future is also ours. SO its us to make the right choices for a better tomorrow because this is an era of choices.

Thank you, Rachna for this delightful interview with Vikram!

Mara and the Clay Cows

Mara and the Clay Cows

 Art and Story: Parismita Singh

Tulika Publishers

Ages 8 to 12

Mara and the Clay Cows combines two things that Indian publishing still doesn’t see enough of – one, an original graphic narrative (as opposed to the innumerable graphic retellings of classics/popular international series and  TV series spinoffs currently weighing down the shelves at a bookstore near you),  and two, a story set in the North- eastern regions of the country.  Drawing from a Tanghkul Naga folktale, it tells the story of Mara, a young orphan with strange powers. Lonely and friendless, Mara fashions himself a couple of cows out of clay, only to have them come magically to life.  The cows, Rocky and Areiwon, are chatty and wise, and help Mara set out on a quest to discover himself and the purpose of his powers . Before long, he meets Shiroi,  who agrees to take Mara to meet her teacher, the Chief Magician, in return for a small favour.   But before he can find the magician, Mara is assigned a series of chores by a strange old woman who lives on a floating rock (‘Avatar’, anyone?). Are these merely chores, or tests of some kind? Will Mara ever meet the Chief Magician? And what exactly is Mara’s destiny?

Author and illustrator Parismita Singh has a very distinctive style of drawing I have enjoyed in her earlier work – ‘The Hotel at the End of the World’, an acclaimed graphic novel that came out in 2009, ‘Joro’ (a comic serialized for a while in a Tamil newspaper supplement) and her contribution to the ‘Pao Anthology of Comics’.   In Mara.., the author moves from dramatic black and white art to softer pencil colour illustrations. I enjoyed the textured art; however,  handwritten text might have been a better choice to the rather cold font used throughout the book.   

Mara… moves along at a brisk pace, and is easily read in a single sitting. The panels in which the illustrations are set are played with in innovative ways, making the first half of the book very dynamic – tight insets, artwork occasionally seeping to the corners of the page, and lovingly depicting the region’s hilly terrain. The book is driven almost entirely by dialogue, and I enjoyed the way subtle shades to a character are revealed entirely through the banter between its human and magical characters.  The author has a good ear for background noise, and some entertaining Aiees, Mhrruus, Hhhnnngguus and Shweesh’s punctuate the narrative.  

The mild, open- ended finale  might leave some readers a little dissatisfied – I know I was expecting the book to end with more drama. But Mara.. is a layered story and I found myself discovering facets to the book long after I had finished it. It is, of course, a story of magic and adventure, and a child’s quest for family. It also humorously questions  gender stereotypes, asserts the need for non violence and environmental preservation – oh, and reminds you never to underestimate  the powers of a really good burp as well.   I found myself smiling at the way  the book’s main characters , despite being powerful magicians, nonetheless  keep it real – the greatest of sorcerers must still  finish their household chores the hard way (unlike Mrs. Weasley’s  enchanted dishwashing brush) , and flying girls walk when the weather turns. And even young boys  on the threshold of a bright, magical future must first go home and make sure the cows are secure.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher. The views expressed here, however, are my own.

Image courtesy

Jumpstart 2015 - Bangalore & Delhi

Jumpstart 2015

JUMPSTART is a two-day event aimed at creating an ideal meeting place for professionals and aspirants involved in children’s content across media. Jumpstart’s audience comprises writers, artists, designers, filmmakers, illustrators, storytellers, librarians, animators, innovators and educators. 

The previous 6 editions held in New Delhi since 2009 and in Bangalore in 2014, attracted hundreds of creators and dozens of acknowledged speakers from all over the world. This year, there will be speakers from India, Israel, Australia and Germany.

My experience as a participant:
The highpoint of Jumpstart 2013 was meeting Emily Gravett in person and listening to her speak about the incredible story of her life and her journey as a book maker. She walked us through her first book, Wolves, telling us what she had intended to do on each spread and how it had evolved.
Getting feedback on your work is next to impossible, but there was a lot of that happening at Jumpstart. It was a great opportunity for me to reflect on what I had been doing and how I could improve. Publishers expressed interest in the manuscripts I had taken along – picture books as well as chapter books. I came back with a better understanding of what each publisher is looking for.
Many writers and illustrators whose work I had admired were there, and they were all very inspiring. Writing can get lonesome; an opportunity like this to exchange notes is welcome once in a while.

Jumpstart Bangalore:
Jumpstart first came to Bangalore as a one-day event in 2014. The response exceeded everyone’s expectations; the auditorium was packed and the masterclasses were full. This time it’s a two-day fest and there’s a lot of enthusiasm.

What to expect:
An opportunity to network, make connections, exchange ideas, learn from and get inspired by some of the best creative minds, from India and abroad.
There will be masterclasses on writing (led by Leonie Norrington, Writer and Television Presenter, Australia), illustration (led by Nicki Greenberg, writer and illustrator, Australia) and screenwriting (led by Motti Aviram, a leading figure in the Israeli children's television industry), an opportunity to present your idea to a panel and interact with experts in publishing and media.

Each city is different, every year is different. It’s always a lot of fun.

For the complete schedule, go to www.jumpstartfest.com

Facebook event: www.facebook.com/events/1449545175363615

To register: www.jumpstartfest.com