Saffron Tree

If I Built A Car

2012-01-25T13:18:00.000-08:00

If I Built a Car
by Chris Van Dusen

James Bond's gadget man Q probably had the same idea as the little boy in this book: to build a car that has everything he likes and does whatever he wants.

Imagine a car made out of a special polymer gel that absorbs shock on impact, a car with Plexiglass dome for an all round view, a car whose floor slides open to reveal a cool pool, a car that has an Instant Snack Bar to dole out goodies at the push of a button, a car that has a robot driver who can take over when you feel drowsy, a car that emits perfumed fumes rather than noxious burnt gasoline, a car which can submerge under water at the push of a button and fly up high in the air for long distance travel...

This book sparked the imagination of the 3 yo with a lot of "What if...", and made the 6 yo rather skeptical initially asking, "A pool in the car? Well, we can only use it when the car is not moving, else it will splash around".

The rhyming text is an easy read, even if quite a few of the words were beyond the 3 yo - gave us a chance to learn them, or at least get exposed to them. (I like to read to the kids at a level slightly higher than their current anyway).

The illustrations are bright, colorful, playful, and complement the text well. Front and Back inside covers have design drawings of cars that gave the 6 yo ideas for designing her own car (and trying to build it out of cardboard we were recycling).

[image source: http://www.chrisvandusen.com/books/if-i-built-a-car]

Year of the Dragon.

2012-01-22T18:52:00.000-08:00

Today marks the beginning of the Year of the Dragon in Chinese New Year. We at Saffron Tree, have found many wonderful books that celebrate children and Chinese culture. Sharing them once again, we thought might be a great way to ring in the Year of the Dragon. Happy Reading!

When it comes to picture books, Roseanne Thong has created some delightful ones that vibrantly capture Chinese culture. Red is a Dragon, Round is a Mooncake are great books that introduce concepts for preschoolers using Chinese traditional words and images as a backdrop. Anusha has neatly "drummed up" a review of Red is a Dragon here. Don't miss it!

Grace Lin's portrayal of Taiwanese culture in her middle grade readers have always been devoured like dumplings! Here they are for a taste of oriental flavor!

Year of the Rat - recently reviewed by Artnavy

Year of the Dog that I had reviewed earlier in 2010.

Also in the pipe is a cluster on some amazing "dragon" books that we have reviewed in the past, which are sure to capture your child's imagination! Do stay tuned! :)

The Year of the Rat

2012-01-20T00:15:00.000-08:00

The Year of the Rat , Author/ Illustrator- Grace Lin

Here is a tribute to the children of today- coming from a certain origin, making homes in a different culture. What happens when parents hold on to old traditions which may not be of much significance/ appeal to them. How much of the current new context do the children / parents adopt to be part of the mainstream?

The Year of the Rat, a sequel to the book - The Year of the Dog, is a chapter book that works even if you have not read its predecessor. It is a semi autobiographical work by Grace Lin who very subtly prods young readers to be tolerant of other cultures and be proud of your own heritage.

The protagonist, Pacy Lin, is a typical American kid- going to school and field trips, trying to complete projects, celebrating Christmas and New year and even having her first secret crush. But she is of Taiwanese origin. Does that make her odd or exotic? Neither. The author keeps her normal and therein lies the beauty of the tale.

New years are about wishes and resolutions. The Year of the Rat in Chinese mythology is about change. Pacy Lin faces separation from her best friend who moves to California. She suffers from self doubt in her ambition to become an author illustrator. She makes mistakes too. She sees prejudice against a new comer, who is different from the rest of her class because he is Chinese and barely speaks English but also similar to her for the very same reason.

But Pacy has the love and support of her family. She learns life lessons through
Chinese myths/ folklore and her family anecdotes. And we too learn a bit more about Chinese customs, festivals and food as an intrinsic part of any culture and every celebration.

The black and white illustrations by the author add to the narrative and keep it engaging for the younger reader.

********

Here is wishing all readers a Happy Year of the Dragon!!

Welcome is a Wonderful Word

2012-01-18T08:14:00.000-08:00

Welcome is a Wonderful Word
Written and Illustrated by Gyo Fujikawa
Ages 3+
Published by Grosset and Dunlap

All of us, be it adults or children, approach any change in our lives with mixed feelings. Be it a school change, a locality change, a move to another country- each of these experiences bring with them the excitement as well as some amount of nervousness.The anxiety about, how the people would be and whether we would be able to become a part of the new group comfortably, is quite normal.

The author Gyo Fujikawa has taken this significant emotion and come up with a beautiful children's book. Jenny is a fun loving little girl, who loves to collect old things from the people in her small neighbourhood. She uses these old dresses, hats, purses and tiny titbits for her play pretend games with two of her close friends- Sam and Nicholas. Reading about Jenny each time makes me pause and smile, as my five year old daughter does exactly the same things. My old duppatas, hand bags, purses, weave their way into her treasure chest and these get magically transformed into - a teacher making sure the children recite their alphabets one day, Sita of Ramayana the next day and a doctor advising her patients another day :-).

One day Jenny notices that one of the houses in their neighbourhood which had been empty for long, seemed to have new occupants.She earnestly wishes that a little girl like her, has moved in there. As she finishes her round of collecting old things from other houses, she notices a little girl peeking out of the windows of that house. Thrilled, she walks up to their door and knocks.But the girl does not open the door. Confused, she goes back to her friends Sam and Nicholas and explains what happened.

It is then that Sam suggests that may be the girl did not feel welcome in the new area. So they brain storm and come up with a brilliant idea. They decide to create a Welcome Wagon, filled with all their favourite things, to offer to the little girl as a welcome present. Armed with these goodies, the children go and invite the little girl to come out, saying they want to give her a welcome gift. The shy little Mei Su comes out and she is thrilled with all the knick knacks her new friends have brought her. The friendship is cemented right that day, with a lovely picnic. When the friends get ready to leave, Mei su says that she felt very sad when she had to move out of her old house, but now she is very happy to have been welcomed so lovingly into her new neighbourhood.

This was a feeling I could readily identify with, having moved last year to a new place.The gnawing feeling about leaving familiar people,apprehension about the new neighbours,the comfort feeling which slowly started enveloping me and finally a sense of relief, that comes with familiarity.

The illustrations are also by Gyo Fujikawa. The pictures of the characters are very expressive and even the houses that have been sketched exude a lot of personality.The pages alternate between colour and black-white sketches throughout the book. It is difficult to say which is more gorgeous, though the back and white sketches have an undeniable charm !

This is a cute little picture book which has been read many times in our house and is enjoyed by everyone.

Lessons in Manners

2012-01-11T06:33:00.000-08:00

To start off the New Year on the right note, brushing off the dust from the past, and reinforcing priorities, the family felt in need of a revision of basic manners. We were looking for best ways to communicate this to the 6 and 3yo ones, for anything preachy turns them off. The local library pointed us to this collection of simple, no-nonsense books, conveying the message using monsters and animals. Both kids related to them, and I'm happy to say, are responding well.

How do Dinsoaurs series, one of which was reviewed here by Artnavy, and No, David, reviewed by Satish, are perfect starters for the young preschooler. Here are a few more for all ages.

Please Say Please - Penguin's Guide to Manners
Margery Cuyler
Will Hillenbrand
Scholastic, 2004

Looking at themselves during worst behavior is often enough
for young kids to avoid repeat offenses. Please Say Please uses this to its advantage. Seeing inappropriate behavior among cuddly, adorable animals prompts them to admonish it. Penguin has visitors; his friends Elephant, Hippo, Lion all come to dinner. The animals should barge in and knock over the unsuspecting host. They should slurp and splat all over the table. They should loudly demand seconds. Each page makes an outrageous statement like this, followed by "Is that Right?" prompting attentive listeners to shake their head in disapproval. Turn the page and a more appropriate behavior for the moment is illustrated. I was grateful to see this included -

When a lion is served cauliflower, he should say, "I hate cauliflower." Ew! Is that right?

..and the question is answered on the next page...

No that's wrong. When a lion is served cauliflower, he should say, "I'll try some." Mm, not bad!

A good set of guidelines to practice at home every day.

Excuse Me

Lisa Kopelke
Pocket Children's Books, 2004

A loud, happy burp - signature of a satisfactory meal, and of social embarassment. The title character Frog can't help himself. How could he not love food - when there was a repertoire of gourmet choices -
fly noodles, dragonfly soup, worm burgers. He loves to eat and he punctuates his meals with loud, satisfied burps, so they would make room for dessert. He is so engulfed in his eat-burp-eat routine that he doesn't notice signs of revolt from his companions. The townsfolk have had enough, and one day, vote him out. Hurt, Frog goes on to live with fellow frogs in another city who are just as happy burpers. Who never say excuse me or pardon.
Who also live in the blissful oblivion of the effect their gastronomical excess has on creatures around them. Living amongst his like, Frog sees the disgust in his own behavior, returns home reformed, but will he be forgiven? Flamboyant illustrations in earth tones paint cartoonish facial expressions of frogs in all sizes. What I liked about Excuse Me is that it does not demean the natural biological reaction that even grown-ups sometimes have little control over. Instead, it teaches a socially appropriate way to deal with the aftermath, should a burp escape you despite your best efforts.

Monster Manners
Bethany Roberts
Andrew Glass
Houghton Mifflin, 1996

Monster Manners understands that even for the most well behaved kid, it is hard, if not impossible, to adhere to a strict guideline for behavior every hour of every day, in every circumstance. While the inconsistency and monstrous behavior might make it seem like they have no manners, it is just that they sometimes forget, and sometimes they get ahead of themselves. Sometimes they don't clean up after themselves, but other times, they are so good that they make amends for it. Ridiculous comical illustrations that show monsters behaving their best and worst, brilliantly pair the text. A dining table scene, for example, shows one monster eating another's sock. Another has a monster dressed in spaghetti sauce. Both had the kids in giggles, and they nodded approvingly when they saw on the next page how the monsters had cleaned up nicely. The point conveyed is that the whole game of manners is not to enforce an unforgiving, uptight style of living, it is okay to err, as long as the intention is right, you are willing to make quick amends and learn from past mistakes. That's a lesson in life itself, I'd say!

The Jewel Fish of Karnak

2012-01-07T00:24:00.000-08:00

The Jewel Fish of Karnak
by Graeme Base

Graeme Base needs no introduction. Best known for Animalia, every page of every book he has illustrated so far is a breathtakingly amazing work of art! And, no wonder, considering he takes a couple of years or more to complete each book.

From our favorites like The Waterhole, Jungle Drums, Uno's Garden, My Grandma Lives in Googligulch (first book Base wrote and illustrated), The Eleventh Hour: A Curious Mystery, it was interesting to note that the books are not necessarily written for the age group for which they are marketed. I remember reading an excerpt that quoted the author regarding his books: "I write them for myself in order to fulfil a creative desire and only after these considerations do I look at the requirements of a 'children's book,' whatever that might be!"

Anthropomorphic Animals and Fantasy - an irresistible combination seen in many of his books - describe The Jewel Fish of Karnak as well. If just four main characters - a Female Feline Pharaoh, The Crocodile Prince, and two thieves Ibis and Jackal - in an exotic land doesn't sound intriguing enough, then, Graeme Base has more for you: a puzzle with clues in the story and a gorgeous last page to figure out the answer.

Jackal and Ibis, thieves as they are, are caught stealing a trinket in the marketplace at Asyut, and brought to Cat Pharaoh for justice. They beg for pardon. So Cat Pharaoh sets them on a quest: Bring back the Jewel Fish of Karnak, and

Do not take anything else while you are in Karnak. And know that the Jewel Fish is magical. Be sure it does not get wet.

If they succeed and do as told, they will be pardoned and set free.

While the quest itself may not be terribly perilous, the temptations are. They are warned sufficiently. But can thieves resist thieving?

Of course, not, or we wouldn't have a story. They take something they are not supposed to and so are pursued savagely by Crocodile Prince. In the confusion that ensues, Ibis and Jackal lose the Jewel Fish of Karnak in the River Nile which mingles among the other fish, hard to recover.

Are they doomed? Not really, that's where we come in, we the reader. The last page is a note from Cat Pharaoh which says:

Jackal and Ibis were not clever, were they?
...
But I am a merciful cat. If you bring the Jewel Fish to my palace at www. graemebase.com, I shall release Jackal and Ibis from their endless task - and reward you as well.

But be warned, I shall demand proof that you have brought me the right fish!

And, how exactly can we help? There is a code on the first page - a set of symbols - pictogram of sorts, which we use to find the encoded clue(s) that points us to the one and only Jewel Fish of Karnak.

Did we go to the palace of Cat Pharaoh and get rewarded for retrieving the right Jewel Fish? Indeed!

The inside of the jacket is full of tidbits about ancient Egypt. All in all, another fantastic book from a master.

[image source: www.penguin.com.au]

The World of Anahi and Vir

2012-01-05T21:31:00.000-08:00

Author- Kalpana Subramanian
Illustrator- Prashant Miranda
Publisher- Little Latitude
Ages- 3-6 yrs

The World of Anahi and Vir is a set of three board books that caught our eye due to the delightful water colour illustrations by Prashant Miranda. He was doing an art show at the venue and readily autographed the copy we bought!

If there was one place I could be captures the Wonders of the Sea, as seen through the mesmerised eyes of a young girl. The words rhyme and are easy even for early readers. The illustrations are simply captivating.

If I lived in A Treehouse captures the various living environs and finally affirms that home is best when loved ones keep us company. Here you see both kids, Anahi and Vir in action.

If there was one thing I could be takes flight in a boy's imagination as he visualises himself as a bird. A good introduction to birds and their distinctive features apart from indulging most children's fantasy- to fly and be free.

The collection is thus a child's journey as she absorbs the magic of creation- animal habitats, ocean life and birds. My six year old enjoyed these books and gifted them to her two year old sister who loves seeing the pictures in it.

Wonderfully Warli!

2012-01-04T14:00:00.001-08:00

Art appreciation has always been a favorite topic for us here on Saffron Tree. For this new year, I am delighted to share with you all a cluster post on some of the books we have enjoyed reviewing on Warli Artform.

Over the years, we've read a number of folk art oriented picture books from India, along with a few western art oriented books. Books incorporating folk art are always a hit in the homefront as they offer culturally enriching visuals that are meaningful.

Warli holds a special place among all. That's because the simplicity of the artform lends itself easily to different age-groups making it universally accessible.

At the storytime program last month here at a local children's activity center, I was thrilled to create Wonderfully Warli as a new theme for children in the 4-8 year age-group.

After a brief introduction to the simple ways of drawing Warli figures, I read to the small group that had gathered for my session, two of my favorite Warli picture books. Both by Tulika books.

One titled It's Only a Story by Cathy Spagnoli. Warli illustrations by Uma Krishnaswamy.

The book has been reviewed here by Tharini on Saffron Tree.

And here's the blurb from Tulika's website -

"An ant’s curiosity leads to adventure in this chain story of repetition and cumulative images. The illustrations within illustrations drawn in stark white on brown are adapted from the art of the Warli storytellers. Chain stories are fascinatingly illustrated in a flowing river-like fashion, capturing the pattern of the cumulative tale visually as well."

Shamim Padamsee's Dancing on Walls is yet another story featuring one delightful take on the origin of the artform. This book is again illustrated by the talented Uma Krishnaswamy (an interview with the illustrator on Paper Tiger and also an engaging review by Poppy on the book here on Saffrontree.)

The artform is so popular in modern India that it is not a coincidence that many more Warli stories have been done by other Indian publishers working for children.

It's therefore a pleasure to present here a list of what seem like equally entertaining books on Warli by other Indian publishers that I simply can't wait to lay my hands on.

1) Karadi Tales - Blue Jackal

2) Tara Books - Do!

3) Mango Books - Tales from the Warli Tribe by Sheila Dhir

4) Pratham Books - The First Farmers
(the book can also be viewed here)

Finally here's something for teachers, storytellers and parents - an entire Warli lesson plan created by our very own UTBTkids for CROCUS 2010!

Overall, I found the books that I read offered a very enriching experience for children. The children also worked together in creating a simple Warli puppet for themselves as an extension activity. I am sure there might be many other choices on Warli based books that I may have missed. If you happen to know of other Warli titles, please do drop us a note on ST. Thanks!

Much-loved Books 2011: Part 2

2011-12-30T20:55:00.000-08:00

This is the second part of the two-part compilation of books our beloved ST family child(ren) enjoyed the most - a book that possibly had the most impact, perhaps became an all-time favorite, or maybe just a book that came into their hands at the right time.

Choxbox's picks:

Like my other ST friends, I find it a rather tough task to pick out a favourite among the books we have read this year. Before I launch into it, here's a wish - may the task get trickier next year!

For my younger child, the Humphrey series by Betty G.Birney have found particular favour. These delightful tales of a hamster who is a class pet, are full of wise and witty observations of things that fill up a 6-year old’s life, like friendship, school and holidays.

For my older child, I think I'll just plug the last set of books she has read – the Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage. But oh wait, I cannot – I haven't finished the series myself. All I can tell you is that the books and the child could not separated for quite a while.

Maybe I should review the ones she is currently reading (I mean re-reading) – The Magic Thief series by Sarah Prineas, except that I haven't read these either.

Inkheart series – now we are talking. I have managed to read just the first one and can tell you it is stupendous. All about a bookbinder who finds out quite by accident that he has the magical ability to bring to life characters of stories that he reads aloud.

Enough for a master storyteller like Cornelia Funke to take off and create a thrilling saga that has been a hit world-wide, even been made into a film recently. The child tells me the first is the best of the lot, but that is not going to stop me from reading the other two as soon as I can.

[image source: Betty G. Birney's website, amazon.com]

Praba's picks:

Harry Potter
By J.K. Rowling

It was a year that screamed "POTTER" for us. Thanks to the nine year old discovering the series. We also thanked our cards for not having gotten into it during its hyped-up-heydays. As a family, we joined her to read the books and watch the movies. The books were enjoyed on several levels. Discussions based on the characters, the plot, and the writing were some. Guess-who-the-character-is game being the highlight of all.

And as for the five year old, it was always fun to watch the budding speller and reader make a mental map of characters, from A to Z...A for Arthur Weasley, B for Bellatrix Lestrange, C for Charlie Weasley, and all the way to Peter Pettigrew and Dolores Umbridge and of course, V for Voldemort, which sometimes also found itself morphing as L for Lord Voldemort. Overall, the books were fascinating reads for us filling our year with a fantastic, fantasy focus. :)

[image source: http://openbooksociety.com]

The True Story of Three Little Pigs
Written By Jon Scieszka
Illustrated by Lane Smith

Fairy tales like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Three Little Pigs have always been hot favorites with the five year old. Right since her toddler and preschool years in fact. Any fair tale angle and the story would promptly get picked up. Pictures are pored over while the text read over and over.

As a conscious effort to read something different this year, I picked up The True Story of Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka, in the same genre. The book weaves the classical tale from the wolf's angle.Although I wasn't sure if she fully got the humor. But here too, it was the huffing and puffing part that won the highest points. Overall, a book that begged for attention from the sprightly five year old who has been brimming with opinions and questions this entire year.

I absolutely loved Lane Smith's sepia-toned, cleverly done, vintage-style illustrations. Jon Scieszka's quirky text offered a riot of a read-aloud.Published in the 80's, it was fun to discover this picture book in the earlier part of 2011 as part of my local library's ready-to-read program for which I used to volunteer. I also found out recently from an ST friend that Lane Smith and Jon Scieska have teamed up for other similar witty ones. Lane won the Caldecott Honor medal for the Stinky Cheese Man.

[image source: http://alibrariansquietramblings.blogspot.com]

Satish and Ranjani's picks:

Sooraj, our 9 year old son, graduated to reading chapter books full time and seems to be more influenced by friends rather than parents this year. He, as usual, went through phases where he kept reading books for days without a break and switched over to a phase where he did not pick up any book for more than a month. Roald Dahl was a favorite the early part of this year, but, it kept changing over the months.

His current all time favorite for the year is the Percy Jackson series. He enjoys reading about the various gods, comparing them with Gods of other mythologies and is fascinated that kids can fight against Gods. This lead to many questions about the nature of Gods and religion.

[image source: http://kapachino.info/reading/2011/04/11/thoughts-on-the-percy-jackson-series-by-rick-riordan/]

Shraddha, our 5 year old daughter, loves to look at the picture books and make up her own stories. She was fascinated by Meerkat Mail by Emily Gravett. But, her favorite of the year remains the Lady Bird Early Learner Series. This book series gives her the confidence that she can also read books. She feels extremely happy when she finishes these books and thinks she can read as well as her parents and brother.

Wordjunkie's picks:

Finding Violet Park
Author: Jenny Valentine
Publisher: Harper Collins
Ages: YA

I read a great deal of YA fiction this year - fantasy sagas, dystopic world views, vampire mushies, coming-of-age tales that ranged from the violent to the whacky, unending trilogies about Chosen Ones on quests - but the unchallenged winner of the lot has to be the quiet, unassuming 'Finding Violet Park'.

Written by British author Jenny Valentine, this is a sweet and sad story about a boy struggling to deal with the absence of his father. Fifteen year old Lucas Swain hasn't seen his dynamic journalist father since the man vanished into thin air five years ago, leaving behind three children, a distraught wife, and a whole lot of unanswered questions. Lucas is convinced his father will return – he clings to this imagined idea of what his father was like, even when evidence suggests otherwise.

'Finding..' had me at hello – narrated by Lucas, it made me laugh and cry and grieve with this awkward teenager desperately holding onto this ideal vision of a father he has never truly known. Lucas has a terrific voice – he is sarcastic and funny, but also capable of some very profound insights into people ( though his blind spot is clearly his dad).

Author Valentine fills the book with interesting, believable characters. I loved how the plot weaves all kinds of little clues together, culminating in an ending as surprising as it is heartwarming.

[Image Source: http://www.harpercollins.co.in/BookDetail.asp?Book_Code=2039]

Right Where You Are Now
Author: Lisa Montierth
Illustrator: Ashley Burke
Publisher: Craigmore Creations
Ages: 3+

Picture books remain an addiction , and I have discovered some terrific writers and illustrators this year - Emily Gravett, Susan Roth, Mo Willems, Marcellus Hall, Don Tate, Romare Bearden. But since I can only pick one for this list, I choose the lusciously coloured 'Right Where You are Now', a bedtime tale about a very unconventional theme - evolution.

Written by Lisa Montierth and illustrated by Ashley Burke, the book conjures up visions of a world where the only constant is change, of an earth ceaselessly shifting, flowing and moving with time. "Can you imagine what may come to be, right where you are now?" the book asks in the end, prompting some very animated bedtime discussions over at my house.

A great book for introducing the concept of evolution to our tiny explorers.

[Image Source: http://www.craigmorecreations.com/right-where-you-are-now/]

Sandhya's picks:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Written by Joanne Kathleen Rowling
Published by Bloomsbury
Age 10+

I don't think my first book requires much of an introduction. Reading the Harry Potter books has been quite an experience, especially with A. I have been a firm believer in the reading aloud of books, and I have always read aloud to A at all stages of her competence - always choosing books a wee bit beyond her. So the Harry Potter books seemed the perfect set when we began with the first when she was just 8 yrs old, finishing with HP7 this year, racing just in time to be able to watch the last movie on the big screen.

HP, I think is about more than just the story, the incredibly wonderful characterisation, the rich imagination and impeccable English. Not all of it has come across in the movies.

It is also a story with a philosophy, with a lot of logic, the interlinking of plots, the way Rowling never introduces anything which may not be significant at some other stage, the way even her comic relief has a place in the larger picture. That mountains can be moved by faith, hope, love, compassion, courage, sacrifice, loyalty, team work and hard work. That even those considered too far gone can get back on the right track if only they wanted to. That there is always a choice.

Deathly Hallows can be read at many levels. A fast paced tale. A story of good versus evil. A coming of age tale. A fantasy, fairy tale, very realistically told. A tale of true and lasting friendships. A beautifully detailed story with plots and subplots that dovetail to tie up most ends.

[Image courtesy flipkart]

A Kick in the Head:An everyday guide to poetic forms
Selected by Paul B Janeczko
Illustrated by Chris Raschka
Published by Candlewick Press

Ages: 8+

Do you know what a couplet is? A quatrain? A haiku? A sonnet? A limerick? A ballad? An elegy? An ode? You do? Great!

Now, do you know what a clerihew is? A roundel? A triolet? A villanelle? A senryu? An aubade? An acrostic? A pantoum? A cinquain? No? Do all those words sound as if they were a set of carpenter's / goldsmith's tools? Or some kind of flowers or herbs? (That is what A thought they were.) Well, they're not. They're forms of poetry, which follow certain rules.

Let's take an acrostic- one of the simplest way for a child to write poetry. "Descriptive poems- when read downward, the first letter of each line must form a word or phrase, usually the subject of the poem." It is a form that any enterprising child can experiment with, using any word that they may. Even their own or their friends' names. And it can be so much fun! An example:

Santa Claus will come out tonight
And deliver presents
Near the
Time of midnight you can hear him
And what you will hear are the words ho ho ho

All these poetic forms have certain rules that have to be followed, for them to fit in the particular category. As Paul Janeczko explains in his foreword, "Knowing the rules makes poetry -- like sports -- more fun, for players and spectators alike."

Beautifully illustrated in quirky watercolours by Chris Raschka, the book can be read as a picture book for younger children too, as the lilt and rhythm will appeal to the little ones too. Older children can appreciate the poems better, the form, the themes and the beauty of them. High school kids? The details of each poetry form will make much sense to the student with a literary bent of mind. Adults too can take a lot away from the book. Great for learning a particular form at a time, researching it, dabbling in it. Or just to keep it on the shelf to dip into a bit of poetic joy from time to time!

Acrostics, concrete poems, opposites, riddles, limericks, tanka, haiku...A and I have tried our hand a little bit at each. Why don't you try it?

[Image courtesy flipkart]

Much-loved Books 2011: Part 1

2011-12-29T00:03:00.000-08:00

As I was sifting through the highlights of 2011, focusing on replaying the treasured memories and weeding out the not-so-pleasant ones, it occurred to me that many of the wonderful moments involved reading with my kids. And, if I were to zero in on one book, and only one book, that each of my kids enjoyed reading the most this year, what would the two books be?

That was the inspiration for this post. I decided to ask our beloved ST family to pick one book that their child(ren) enjoyed the most - a book that possibly had the most impact, perhaps became an all-time favorite, or maybe just a book that came into their hands at the right time.

And thanks to their enthusiastic response, I have a wonderful set of books to share, which I am splitting into two posts so as to not overwhelm - part 1 here, and part 2 to follow.

Artnavy's picks:

The Zlooksh
by Dominique Demers
Translated by Sarah Cummins
Illustrated by Fanny

Zachary, a normal enough boy, shuttles easily into a world of make belive. His teacher sets the class a task- to draw their favourite animal. And Zachary gets busy. He lets his imagination fly and Zlooksh seems to be a figment from just that. Or is it? Read the book and you will know.

The story and the illustrations tickled Anushka, my six year old and for a while she was churning out imaginary animals after she read the book.

Picture source

Curly and straight
by Radha HS
illustrated by Ruchi Shah from Pratham

My two year old thinks she likes being read to. She will usually ask for us to read and grab the book back midway, to indulge in her own mock reading of the book. This was the book she actually sat through , pointing at the pictures and at her own curly hair. So it holds a special place for us.

Picture source

The Mad Momma's picks:

Izzy the Lizzy
Author: Renee Riva
Illustrator: Steve Bjorkman
Publisher: Waterbrook Press

Age: 4+

A book that brought much joy to adults and kids alike this year was Izzy the Lizzy. Written in the most subtle verse, Izzy the Lizzy is about a lonely lizard who sets out to explore the beauty of the bog one rainy day. There she espies a delicious looking spider. Just as she is about to attack her, she realizes the spider is actually eyeing a bee for its next meal. What follows is a delightful treatise on the virtue of mercy, told in a way that children will appreciate.

The verse is beautiful and the watercolour illustrations an absolute pleasure to behold. Told clearly and simply it’s a great lesson for kids without being moralizing. A book we return to almost every week at bedtime.

The Owl and The Pussycat
Author: Edward Lear (additional verse by Angela McAllister)
Illustrator: Kevin Waldron
Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Age: 4+

An old favourite, this one has made a comeback with shiny new illustrations and additions to thestoryline. Again, written in verse this tale is of the love of an owl and a pussycat who go to sea in a beautiful pea green boat. Children love the rhyming words, the rhythm when it is recited and the absolute lack of boundaries to imagination as the owl and pussycat set sail with only some honey and money to their name.

The additional verse by Angela McAllister fits in perfectly and gives you that little more you tend to crave when something good comes to an end. The attention to detail is breath taking and it's a particular joy to me to know that my childhood favourite now holds pride of place on my children's bookshelf.

Anusha's pick:

Touchdown Mars!
by Peggy Wethered
illustrated by Michael Chesworth

Ages 4+

In 2011, the resident 6yo spent a considerable time dreaming up living on another planet. What would it be like for the very first human adventurers to step on an uninhabited alien land? What fundamentals of existence that we take for granted here would they have to plan and pack for?

Touchdown Mars! couples imagination with scientific facts offering just enough to feed and inspire a child's inquisitiveness. The vivid watercolor illustrations contrast the bright orange color of the Martian landscape against the stark white of the space suits, and the beauty of Martian sunrise and sunset are captured in picture clarity. We read this several times in the year and learned one new fact about Mars each time.

[image source: openlibrary.org]

Vibha's picks:

The Caterpillar Who Went On A Diet and other stories
Author : Ranjit Lal

How could anyone not want to pick a book whose title goes like this… 'The Caterpillar Who Went On a Diet'? And the best part is, this book is a hilarious treasure box of not one but 14 humorous stories by none other than the great expert on huge array of fauna - Ranjit Lal. All the characters are funny insects and the stories are like a beautiful and delicious spread of all flavours in front of you. The more you savor, the more you are cajoled by them to try further...

Ranjit Lal has shared his deep research of insects through playful storytelling. The fat caterpillar Nimbu who is inspired and challenged by a stick insect to go on a diet for a delicate slim figure, the Cheeni Chor ant who discovers a well stocked refrigerator and gorges on lip smacking goodies, the Dung Beetle Dhamaka and many other such hilarious characters are sure to leave the readers in splits.

How Not To Babysit Your Brother
Author : Cathy Hapka and Ellen Titlebaum

Will's little brother Steve is quite a handful to manage. Once in the absence of their mother and grandmother drifting off to sleep, Will gets to babysit his kid brother. While he is trying to keep Steve busy so that he gets uninterrupted time to play his video game, he inadvertently learns many lessons about what not to do when on the job like this.

Many funny incidents and accidents are sure to happen in such situations and kids would love reading through Will's struggle to keep Steve out of trouble. The lively illustrations and endearing facial expressions of the brothers will keep the readers glued to the book till the very last page.

utbt's picks:

Cock-A-Doodle-Doo!! (Mudpuddle Farm)
By Michael Morpurgo

Farm. Farmer Rafferty. Farm animals that talk. Mossop the very old lazy cat. Mice menace. Mossop about to get kicked out from the farm. All animals come up with an ingenious plan to save Mossop. Fun. Loved it! Highly recommend it!

Hop On Pop
By Dr.Seuss

This book has a special place in our house. It was the first book read by my older child and it is the first book WILLINGLY read by the second child, who in general does not like to read. Now that she has figured out that she can replace the first letter sound and read the next word, she is making up new rhymes! Joy!

[image source: amazon.com, wikipedia]

My picks:

Where the Sidewalk Ends
by Shel Silverstein

Ages 4+

The tattered old hardbound book, full of memories and character, a hand-me-down from her dad, was the one most often chosen from the bookshelf by the six year old at bedtime. It is one of my favorites as well as I am partial to poetry.

From Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout to Unicorn, Yipiyuk to Afraid Of The Dark, Sick to Crocodile's Toothache, this book is full of the absurd, the funny, the weird, and the charming, making for a delightful and amusing read, anytime, every time, as evidenced in our house.

Poems, poems, poems! That's what the 6 yo gravitated towards in 2011.

Flap Your Wings
by P.D. Eastman

Ages 4+

Reading this book was almost an obsession with the 3.75 year old. Every night at bedtime, for about 5 weeks, among the stack of 4 books for the bedtime-read carefully chosen by the pre-schooler, was nestled this irresistible volume.

A little boy walks along a path; he finds an egg without a nest; he finds a nest without an egg; he promptly puts the two together. And thus stars this wonderfully rooted story with Mr. and Mrs. Bird providing the comic and the heart-warming.

While the profound concepts of the nest getting crowded and the young one learning to fly away on his own are lost on the little one, it is an equally amusing book at face-value: from the time the enormous egg hatches and we find out the "baby bird" is a crocodile till the end when "Junior" (as he is fondly called by the Birds) desperately flaps his "wings" clumsily all the way down to the water below... and swims elegantly, feeling at home, the book entertains and provokes giggles.

[image source: amazon.com, google.com book search]

The Twelve Days of Christmas

2011-12-27T09:37:00.000-08:00

The Twelve Days of Christmas

Author: June Williams

Illustrator: John McIntosh

Publisher: Herron Book Distributors

No, this is not the old number about The Twelve Days of Christmas and what the true love gave. It is, instead a fresh take from down under where the true love gives a range of animals from Down Under.

So on the first day of Christmas the true love sent, an Emu up a gum tree. The author goes on to expand on the Emu up a gum tree, pointing out that an Emu in trouble is rather sad to see since everyone knows an Emu cannot fly. On the fourth day came Kookaburras who did nothing but laugh all day. Wombats, Numbats, screaming pink Galahs, Jabirus, Kangaroos and Platypuses are just some of the Australian creatures children are introduced to in a very enjoyable way.

All the animals are working with one purpose - to get the protagonist to help the Emu out of the tree while all he wants to do is kick back and snooze under his hat in peace. Does he get the Emu out of the tree? Does he appreciate the gifts of love sent to him? Only one way to find out!

The children have loved the book and like all such cumulative rhymes have learned it in no time and are taking great joy in exercising their lungs and memories alike. The illustrations by McIntosh are bang on, with a grumpy man in shorts, hidden under a slouchy hat painfully putting up with all the gifts his over enthusiastic true love is sending his way.

Additionally the last page carries the music for the song should you want to play and sing along. Definitely one of our favourite books this Christmas season.

Adam's Crayons

2011-12-27T00:00:00.000-08:00

Adam’s Crayons

Written by Niki Leopold

Illustrated by Barry and Laini Nemett

Galileo Books

Ages 3 and above

I’m teaching myself to draw these days, and leaving the comfort zone of black and white for a wider palette of colours is exciting some days, but quite daunting on most others. Colours don’t behave themselves, do they? They pick favourites, clash and brawl with hues they don’t like, and can wreak havoc when they decide to mingle. Add to that the particular quirks of each medium - subtle watercolour, fickle pastels, quick tempered acrylics – and let’s not even get started on the tantrums your choice of paper can throw! Small wonder then that so many of us novice scribblers rarely venture beyond the safety of the monochrome line drawing. But I digress.

‘Adam’s Crayons’ is a modern fairy tale of sorts, told in free verse. It is the story of a young boy whose love for nature helps him save a lake and its fauna. It is also a gentle ode to the transformative powers of colour in art. The book has an interesting history – it was written almost thirty years ago, for acclaimed artist Barry Nemett’s young son Adam. When author Leopold decided to publish the story, Nemett and his daughter Laini were the natural choice to illustrate it.

A talented artist comes to Loon Lake to sketch the birds and animals that live in its vicinity. But he draws them so well that they literally vanish. Shocked at the consequences of his work, the artist throws away his sketchbook and leaves the lake. All is not lost, however, for little Adam finds the book and, leafing through its pages, realizes that he just might be able to bring the creatures of Loon Lake back. With painstaking care and loving detail, he begins colouring in the artist’s line drawings with his crayons. And sure enough, a miracle does occur!

Author Leopold’s verse is spare and, in keeping with its message about the power of colour, lets the art do all the talking. For the Nemetts’ illustrations are breathtaking; combining gouache, oils and pen and ink drawings,each page is a vibrant explosion of colour, reminiscent of the Impressionist masters. I couldn’t stop myself running my fingers over each page ... and I was reading the e-book version!

I always enjoy a book where a child manages to solve a problem that has adults confused. In ‘Adam’s Crayons’, the two adults – the artist and Adam’s grandfather – give up hope at once; they abandon the things they love (drawing, ice cream) in their inability to cope with their loss. Only little Adam sees what the adults can’t. But much like those two hapless grown ups, I confess I was quite puzzled at the end of this book myself. ‘It’s beautiful!” I said to my eight year old, after we had read it through a couple of times. It’s funny too. But what do you think it means?’

‘It’s about colour, of course!” she said, amazed that I couldn’t see it right away. “Colour is life.”

And so it is.

Image

Nanberry : Black Brother White

2011-12-26T11:25:00.000-08:00

Nanberry
Black Brother White
Written by Jackie French
Published by HarperCollinsPublishers, Australia
YA

It is the story of Nanberry, the 9yr old Eora (aborigine) boy whose life takes an unexpected turn when smallpox brought into Australia by the First Fleet carrying convicts wipes out almost his entire tribe. Surgeon John White, the fleet's surgeon, adopts him as a son, much to the chagrin of his housekeeper, who is surprised to realise that the 'native' is as much a human being as she is!

The rest of the book is a narrative told in the first person by the different characters.

John White, the surgeon of the First Fleet, and later at the newfound colony. A good man of strong convictions and a thirst for knowledge.

Rachel Turner, who survived a wrongly given death sentence and deportation to the convict colony. Who has rather genteel origins, and works as Surgeon White's housekeeper, and later becomes his emotional anchor and mother of his son, Andrew. Who later becomes one of the richest and well-loved women in Australia.

Nanberry himself- the black brother, who, blossoms under the love and care showered on him by his foster father Surgeon White, and Rachel, but is loath to relinquish his roots, and is unable to quite become the 'English gentleman' that his foster father wanted him to become. Especially after he finds himself a target of the other white people's prejudice.

Andrew White, the son, the white brother, who gets a privileged education in England, and becomes a hero in the battle against Napoleon.

Which, along with a handful more of characters, both English and Eora, makes for a kaleidoscope of emotions, motives, actions, stretching across a period of history from the first British settlement in Australia in 1788 to after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. A piece of history that is in many ways still taking a shape. We see the arrogance of the Europeans in their 'finders-keepers-owners' attitude which has shaped much of the history of colonisation. "Britain did not recognise the country as being inhabited as the natives did not cultivate the land, and were, therefore, 'uncivilized'. " We see the reasoning they used in their ruthless decimation of the original inhabitants of the Australian continent- the aborigines- and their relentless claiming of the land.

We see the utter bewilderment of the Eora who did not have the concept of individual ownership of land and resources- through the voice of Nanberry Buckenau. Who, although fostered by an exceptionally enlightened man for his times, keeps his roots, and returns to his people and their ways from time to time. Even as a child, he refuses to answer to the English name given to him by his foster father, and responds only to his rightful name, Nanberry.

A piece of history that we know really took place, as there are written records of it. All the characters really lived, even Nanberry about whom there are records researched and listed in the bibliography by the author, Jackie French, whose book for children 'Diary of a Wombat' has been reviewed by me earlier. She traces her mother-in-law's ancestry back to the family into which one of Andrew White's daughters married.

In an extensive afterword, she says, "All history books are detective stories, and history writers must track down information and put it together exactly as a detective does....The events in this book are as true as I can make them. The first decades of the colony were an extraordinary and fascinating time. But there comes a point where a historian and author has to say, 'I don't know'. "

"Neither the English nor the Eora understood each other. In most cases, perhaps, they didn't want to...To me, now, Nanberry (Nanbree / Nanbaree in the records found) and Andrew White seem to be the first modern Australians, triumphantly accepting both sides of their heritage."

Image courtesy harpercollins.com.au. Crossposted.

Around the World on Eighty Legs: Animal Poems

2011-12-14T10:25:00.000-08:00

Around the World on Eighty Legs: Animal Poems
by Amy Gibson
illustrated by Daniel Salmieri

From Far Far North to Down Under and Out Back, we travel the world and discover the various animals, some thriving, some extinct. All in charming lilting rhyming verse.

Some are short crisp verses, some are multi-stanza poems, but they all bring out a distinguishing feature about the animal in an unforgettable way.

Anaconda:
Although Anaconda is fond of a hug,
to my liking, his hug is a little too snug —
And a little too strong, and a little too long,
and that's why when I see him, I hurry along.

The illustration for this poem shows a fairly devious-looking anaconda wrapped tightly around a sign that reads "Free Hugs".

We learn about Auk (extinct), Skua, Guillemot (and its wedge-shaped eggs), Proboscis Monkey, Pangolin, Slow Loris, Takin (something she had learnt about thanks to D's Bhutan trip a few years ago), Goanna (thanks to Steve Lattanzi's Goanna Joanna), and even tiny Krill, among other "regulars", of course, like the giraffe, camel, bilby and chinchilla.

Auk:
When moved to talk,
the awkward auk
lets out an awful,
raucous squawk—

No dainty squeak,
no piercing shriek,
no chilling screech
slips past his beak...
(and a couple more verses that reiterate the squawk of the auk).

The illustrations by Daniel Salmieri, combining watercolor, gouache and colored-pencil, complement the text well and are laced with humor and lightness - the expressions on the animals faces, their body language all generate a series of amusing, if not laugh-out-loud, moments as we read the book.

The "Menagerie of Facts" located at the back of the book lists the animals alphabetically with brief notes about them. [Amy Gibson's site has resources for teachers]

Much like Polar Bear, Arctic Hare by Eileen Spinelli, this is a book I'd love to have on my bookshelf to reach for at will and enjoy a random page or two when in the mood. It is delightful and informative, with simple colorful illustrations that lean on the funny side.

There's something in this book each for the budding writer, the curious young zoologist, the quirky goofball, and the seasoned adult.

The Diddakoi

2011-12-11T19:46:00.000-08:00

The Diddakoi
Written by Rumer Godden
Cover illustration by Christian Birmingham
Published by Macmillan Children's Books
Ages 8-12 yrs

A complex, well written book that draws one into it.

A spirited, half-gypsy, half-Irish girl. An orphan. A misfit at school, targeted with some serious bullying for being different. The fact that 'normal, nice' children can, in fact, be very cruel, especially if they reflect the prejudices of their elders. The fact that prejudices can lead to fear of a situation/ person, and that they can become difficult to overcome.

An ordinary 'Miss Marple-ish' British village in the 1960s where everyone knows everybody. A legal care system where the best interests of a child is decided by the letter of the law, and not by what the child would want, or what might be truly best for the child. We see well-meaning adults going wrong. Others unaware of their own ability to give and heal.

'It's good of you, Edna,' Miss Brooke repeated, but it might spoil your holiday. Besides, I don't think Kizzy would go.'
'Heavens, you don't have to ask her.'
'I think I do. People should always be asked before being disposed of.'
'A child?'
'Children are people, Edna,' said Miss Brooke as she had said it to Mrs Blount.
'Well, please yourself,' said Mrs Cuthbert. 'But I tell you, Olivia, that child's too much on your mind.'
'Isn't that what she came for?'
'For what?'
'To be on my mind.'

An ordinary children's story of extraordinary meanings, the book takes one on a roller coaster ride of emotions, which nevertheless unfold very gently at times and with the dramatic quality of a tempest at others. That brings home to us the fact that the human spirit is more resilient than one can imagine, and that we all that the light with the dark in all of us. That patience, love and care can wrought wonders.

Born in 1907, Rumer Godden herself was very difficult, different in many ways as a child, and in this book she writes from her own memories of it. Kizzy Lovell, our central girl character, the 'diddakoi'=half-gypsy, who is picked on by the other children for being different, and who is in the centre of a controversy over who should foster her, and how, is a throwback to that childhood. In some ways Kizzy reminded me of some of Enid Blyton's similar characters- Carlotta from the St. Clare series, and Lotta from her Circus books.

This is her best known book for children, which got the Whitbread Award in 1972. It has been called "the sort of book children had to fight for to get it from adults". The book should be read in the context of the period in which it is set, as there is much that can be considered 'politically incorrect'. And inspite of the many negatives, the many questions it raises, especially in young minds, it is an incredibly uplifting book, with a happy ending. A loved it!

Image courtesy flipkart. Crossposted here.

Mirror, Mirror

2011-12-04T00:20:00.000-08:00

Mirror, Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verses
by Marilyn Singer
illustrated by Josée Masse

Fairy Tales. There is always something new to discover, something to add - a new perspective, an interesting what-if, a hidden agenda... we never seem to tire of them.

Mirror, Mirror takes some of the classic fairy tales and turns them upside down. Literally. In breathtakingly refreshing, clever, and unique reversible verses.

Isn'tthis
a fairy tale?

A fairy tale
thisisn't...

Write a short verse. Read it in reverse, line by line, with perhaps change in punctuation. Does it make sense? If so, does it convey the same idea from a different perspective, an opposite perspective? Then you have a reverso poem.

Sleeping Beauty, Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Cinderella, Princess and the Frog, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel... there are two sides to every story.

Picture a larger than life wolf camouflaged among the trees in the woods in the background. Now imagine him wearing a snazzy suit coat and a hat, lumbering on all fours. Slavering jaw. Front paw raised in motion. Glaring... glaring at the little girl in the foreground. A little girl wearing a red hooded cape. Popping berries into her mouth. One leg kicked high behind her suggesting skipping motion while the basket in her hand swings jauntily. All in bright colors of teal and green and brown and red and yellow, a brilliant blend of warm and cool colors.

In the Hood
In my hood, skipping through the wood, carrying a basket, picking berries to eat — juicy and sweet what a treat! But a girl musn't dawdle. After all, Grandma's waiting.	After all, Grandma's waiting, mustn't dawdle... but a girl! What a treat — juicy and sweet, picking berries to eat, carrying a basket, skipping through the wood in my 'hood.

Illustrations by Josée Masse are bold, bright and gorgeous, cleverly bringing out the two perspectives of the reverso poems. I loved reading this aloud making dramatic pauses to bring out the differences that the same words in reverse order presents, allowing us to discover the two perspectives.

This has become one of my recent top favorite books. [Here's an interview with author Marilyn Singer about her creative process for this book].

Poetrees

2011-12-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

Poetrees
by Douglas Florian

This book is ripe with poetrees,
They're grown to educate and please.
You'll see a cedar,Oak tree too.
Birch and banyan, Pine and yew,
Palm and gum, And willow tree,
Plus more you'll love tree-mendously!

And true to its promise, Poetrees offers seed-sized lessons about the mighty trees. The font spacing and arrangement of text on some of the poems like The Seed, Tree Rings and Roots - reminded me of the concrete poems we've read (Janeczko's A Poke in the I comes to mind).

Some of the words have been spelled creatively to rhyme and I had fun discovering it with my six year old. For example in Tree Rings, "his-tree" at first baffled her but as we replaced it with "history" it made sense.

Plus, we learnt about Heartwood and Sapwood. Two things we didn't know before we read this particular poem.

Imagine a background zoomed in on the tree rings, with the text going around in a circle along one of the rings depicted.

Tree Rings:Tree rings show how trees grow. Wide rings: fast growth. Narrow rings: slow. Heartwood: dead wood. Sapwood: living. A tree's true his-tree free for the giving.

The large format book has huge double-page illustrations for each poem, in portrait orientation (rather than the usual landscape) so that we open the page and hold it up vertically to read and appreciate it in full.

And when I read, "Each poem is printed on a vertical double-page spread illustrated with mixed-media artwork in gouache, watercolor, colored pencil, rubber stamps, oil pastels, and collage on brown paper bags", I was doubly awed by what an interesting canvas the brown paper bag made.

Glossatree (Glossary) at the back of the book provides more information on each tree.

Advaita The Writer

2011-12-01T00:02:00.000-08:00

Please bear with me while I share this with you.

Last year, we had been to Mussoorie during the Christmas vacation, and A had looked forward to meeting one of her favourite (OK, one of my favourite too) writers Ruskin Bond. She had made a booklet of a few of her own stories. We wanted to meet him and present him with this booklet, and get our favourite books ( The Blue Umbrella for A and A Flight of Pigeons for me) signed. Unfortunately, he was out of town, and was to return only after we left Mussoorie. So we requested Mr Arora, who owns a bookstore where Ruskin Bond regularly signed books for his readers, to hand over the booklet to him to sign, and gave him our address. We were extremely disappointed on not being able to meet him in person, but there was nothing we could do about that!

Imagine our delight when, after a few weeks, an envelope arrived at our home, containing the booklet, duly signed by Mr Bond, with a few encouraging words from him. Her book, (never mind that it was an unpublished, handwritten one) signed by Ruskin Bond!

So when I read about Tulika's 'Advaita The Writer', I had to pick it up for A.

Advaita The Writer
Written by Ken Spillman
Illustrated by Soumya Menon
Published by Tulika books
Age 10+

A 13 yr old, Advaita begins school at the prestigious Dunham Girls' School, a residential school in Dehradun, far away from her home and family in New Delhi. A shy person, she finds herself struggling to fit in. Her nearest room-mate is a gadget freak hooked to her ipod, who "could only listen to something if it came through earphones."

The school library is a haven, however. An avid reader, who dreams of becoming a writer one day, Advaita feasts on the books, especially those by her favourite writer, Ruskin Bond. She has no idea that he lives at a stone's throw, just half-an-hour away, at Mussoorie.

"Ruskin Bond was a name as large in her consciousness as Gandhiji, Lutyens and Enid Blyton, and she had assumed that all such names belonged to the dead."

Well, no. He was a living legend, and moreover, someone who she could easily get to meet. So Mrs Kendall, her teacher, and Advaita plan a visit to Cambridge Book Depot, owned by Mr Arora, where Ruskin Bond sat every Saturday afternoon to sign books for his readers.

Does Advaita meet Ruskin Bond? How does she become 'Advaita the writer'?

We get a peek into Advaita's delightful, if a bit sarcastic sense of humour through her letters, in which we see her school life through her eyes. "Apparently, most of the girls here have adapted to survival without breathing - it has something to do with the number of years they spend in cold rarified air. This makes them thoroughly cold, inside and out...You will be pleased to know that I have climbed steadily up the evolutionary scale and that I am striving to reduce my dependence on air."!!

A point to note- (pointed out by Ruskin Bond to Advaita) aloneness, sometimes loneliness, being different, as also the ability to look outwards from within an inner world is something that is necessary for creative expression. The ideas might come from outside, but the feelings have to come from within to really be able to create something worthwhile, and connect with others.

Black-and-white illustrations by Soumya Menon, who has illustrated many books by Tulika, are a treat - they stress on the fact that Advaita the writer is primarily a reader - she is never seen without a book in her hand, lost to the world, busy reading, and sometimes writing!

Ken Spillman has added an afterword in which he tells us about his inspiration for this book, and also introduces us to the delightful Ruskin Bond, a resource for those who have not encountered his work yet can see for themselves exactly what the pull is for Advaita and many others. There is a handy list of books for children by Mr Bond from which one may choose.

Pic courtesy tulikabooks.com. Crossposted here.

The Strand Book Festival

2011-11-30T01:49:00.001-08:00

Here's some information on the Strand Book Festival that ST's guest contributor from Bangalore, Rachna Maneesh Dhir, would like to share with our readers! Thanks, Rachna!

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For Books on Art, Design, Architecture, Interiors, Fashion Design,
Fiction, Management, Self-help, Popular Science, Reference, Spirituality,
Cookery, Crafts, Children’s and more.

A full range of titles for adults and children.

1–14 Dec 2011
Fabulous Discounts Min. 30 - 80% !
10am – 8.30pm

Venue:

Wesley Tamil Church Hall,beside Garuda Mall,
opp.Vogue Institute.,Commissariat Rd
Loads of free parking in Church grounds

Spread the word ! See you soon !

www.strandbookstall.com

Follow us on Facebook!

Island's End

2011-11-24T23:00:00.000-08:00

Island's End
Author- Padma Venkatraman
Publisher- Penguin Young reader
Ages- 12 plus

Here is another engaging and thought provoking read from TV Padma, who has been featured in ST a while ago.

Set in a remote island in the Andamans, off India's coast, Island's End brings alive the simple and compelling lifestyle of a tribe yet untouched by "civilization/ development". Initially the descriptions of the village, their customs and the main character of the book- a fifteen year old girl by name Uido, reminded me of another wonderful protagonist- Ayla, in the Earth's Children series.

The imaginative narrative with what seems to be a good amount of research as well, makes for a very real picture of the tribe's age old ways of eco freindly living.

The spirited Uido is marked to be the next healer of her people and is trained by the current leader, Lah- me. Uido's training, her struggle to cure her young brother, gain acceptance of her older one, find and control her spirit animal and prove to her tribe that she is a capable leader, is what the story is about.

There is inevitable conflict, when the younger lot gets curious about the alluring yet potentially dangerous ways of the strangers. The strangers ( modern people on neighbouring isles) are not all villainous- there are good and helpful ones among them. Only making it a more difficult choice.

Uido emerges as the spiritual leader of the En-ge people, though with a bit of pathos and certainly a lot of struggle, when Uido's visions from the spirit world help her protect them.

The author had inspiration from her trip to India's Andaman Islands, where she had "passing contact with an ancient mode of life that pulses with its own special beauty."

Beautiful, raw and energetic, a good read for anyone who is twelve years and above.

A Plump and Perky Turkey

2011-11-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

A Plump and Perky Turkey
by Teresa Bateman
illustrated by Jeff Shelly

Ages 4-8

Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Corporation

Stories told in rhyme have a charm and allure that is hard to miss. A Plump and Perky Turkey is one such which, despite its simple story line, managed to put us in a Read->Laugh-along->Repeat cycle.

The people in Squawk Valley
were downhearted and depressed.
Thanksgiving was approaching,
but without its special guest.

Special guest? Why, the turkey, of course!

Far and wide and long and hard they search but not one single turkey was to be found.

But then, Ebenezer Beezer has an idea: why not let the turkey find them instead? And that is what they set out to do. A Squawk Valley Art Show with a turkey theme.

An ad is circulated: Model Wanted for the Art Show.

Why, even turkeys understand
(as everybody knows)
you can't make turkey art
without a turkey there to pose.

None respond, except for silly old Pete, the Plump and Perky, Clever and Cocky.

With a proud and jaunty gobble,
he gave out a hearty cry—
"A plump and perky turkey?
Well, I'm sure I qualify."

He is hired without delay and put to work right away posing for the artsy-craftsy folk to make their turkey art.

They make turkeys out of spuds,
and out of clay and out of rope.
They made turkeys out of oatmeal,
and out of paper, out of soap.

When it is time for Pete to judge the Pete-inspired art, the salivating people exult at having trapped the hapless bird. He studies each work of art as the crowd close in and cheer; he stops for a closer look and then he... disappears!

How? you ask. Well, since I believe it is cruel to leave the reader hanging (esp., if they cannot get their hands on the book easily), here's what Pete did:
The room was full of turkeys,
in a wall-to-wall collage.
For a clever bird like Pete
it was a perfect camouflage.

And manages to escape.

Needless to say, the people of Squawk Valley are certainly disappointed. Crashed are their hopes to relish a roast turkey. But, being pragmatic folk, they agree when Beezer says breezily:
Right now, at least I'm thankful
that we still have shredded wheat."

Turkeys are notorious for lack of smartness, sometimes even to their own detriment. The story puts an interesting twist on this fact. And why cannot they be found around Thanksgiving in Squawk Valley? Well, being clever flightless birds, they gather in groups, hop on hot air balloons and head to warmer shores come autumn.

The illustrations by Jeff Shelly are silly, comical, expressive and busy. The beautiful oranges and browns capture the autumn in the air.

The catchy lilt and rhythm, the double-trickery, the illustrations, and the autumn cheeriness of the setting all have added up to a merry read-aloud favorite.

Oluguti Toluguti: Indian Rhymes...

2011-11-20T23:18:00.000-08:00

OLUGUTI OLUGUTI

Indian Rhymes to Read and Recite

Edited by Radhika Menon & Sandhya Rao

Illustrated by Kshitiz Sharmaa

All ages

A lot has been said about the novel way in which Tulika involved readers/ bloggers to chip in with their fond rhymes from their childhood in their mother tongue/ regional Indian languages. Translating and transliterating it must have been a huge task as well.

What makes it even more precious are the illustrations that just invite you, taking you along this mini tour of India. Here is a chat with the young man behind the art.

Meet Kshitiz Sharma - the illustrator of Tulika's Oluguti Toluguti. His maiden children's venture. From Symbiosis Institute of Design with a degree in Communication Design, he is a designer who enjoys reading, travelling and witnessing Indian street culture/fashion.

ST- How did you bring alive so many cultures?

The task at the beginning was very daunting and you know it being my first ever book and being still in college back then, I was scared whether I am doing the right thing, infact I was scared right uptill the middle of the book. But then, i thoroughly enjoyed illustrating such beautiful rhymes from all corners of India. There were regular discussions about the culture and the rhymes at Tulika which helped a lot. It was like a mini tour of India, illustrating this book.

How was the page composition arrived at?

The page composition was what took priority once the illustration style was set, right at the beginning of the book. Several permutations were tried. It being quite a big book, the pages had to look fresh each time someone opened the book, at the same time the book could not afford to confuse. The information ( the translation, transliteration and the rhyme in original script) had to have a set pattern, for usability reasons. So all this was thought off and with the guidance of Radhika, we settled on this page composition which was deemed appropriate then.

Can you tell us how the illustrations evolved and what styles you used for this book?
The evolution of illustrations was a very natural process.From initial trials and roughs to settling on an appropriate look which works for the book was very a organic process.The styles used in the book were inspired from the art forms of India, no one in particular.It was an intuitive assimilation of all the art forms of India I have grown up with and absolutely adore

Any anecdotes from your experience?
The best part during the creation of the book was when I spoke to my friends from all parts of India and asked if they had heard this rhyme or that rhyme from their region. The feeling of nostalgia that evoked was amazing. And of course at the book launch, last month, seeing kids react to lovely rhymes was priceless, makes me want to draw more and more for kids.

Can you share your favourite illustrators/ picture books and why?
My favorite artist is Jamini Roy. I am a huge fan of his body of work and his work unfailingly always inspires me. Of the new age illustrators I like Mr Sanjay Patel's work. His book on Ramayana is a visual treat. There are way too many picture books and artists to list here. My biggest heroes are the artists from India. The tribal artists and their creations need no more words of praise.

Thank you Kshitiz ! We are sure that in a few years, your body of work and your fan group will expand!

Calvin Can't Fly, Spoon, Manana Iguana

2011-11-15T00:17:00.000-08:00

October days not only lifted our hearts with beautiful Autumn weather, but also brought some wonderful books our way. Three books stand out in my mind as the three year old favored them the most for weeks, urging me to share them here. These three books from the 3 year old also happens to appeal very much to the resident 6 year old. And to all ages, as a matter of fact. The clever message, crisp story and humorous illustrations made these my favorite read-aloud books.

Calvin Can't Fly
The Story of a Bookworm Birdie

by Jennifer Berne
illustrated by Keith Bendis.

I think it is the comical colorful illustrations that appealed the most. Calvin is a brand new baby starling hatched along with his siblings and cousins.

While the others discover worms and dirt and water, Calvin discovers books. While others dream about eating bugs, Calvin dreams about adventure stories and poetry. While others learn to fly (with their teacher Mr.Wingstead), Calvin is busy in the library (which is inside the trunk of a large tree, with posted Hours and Nocturnal Hours by the arched doorway).

Finally, when it is time to migrate, Calvin hasn't quite mastered the art of flying, owing to lack of practical knowledge although he is brimming with theoretical details. His cousins end up towing him much to his embarrassment.

At this point, the parent radar started beeping when I read it for the first time: So, Calvin's love of books does not turn out well for him? I can't pass that message to my kids...

However, the message in fact turns out to be quite a (wild yet) positive one. Calvin, thanks to his bookish knowledge, manages to steer his whole migrating flock of fellow starlings away from danger. And they thank him profusely and throw a party in his honor.

Calvin's cousins call him names: "nerdy birdie", "geeky beaky", "bookworm". When you are a bird being called a "worm" is a very bad thing.

"We don't do name-calling, that's not okay. Calvin's cousins are mean to him." chimes in the 3 year old every time we read this page. Another message registered.

And the heartwarming part is at the end when Calvin can actually fly! He never tried it before and therefore never knew he could do it. But once he tried it and practised hard, he flew just as well as the others who continued their journey of migration.

I ended up loving this book as much as (if not more than) the three year old.

Spoon

by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
illustrated by Scott Magoon

A charming little book by one of my favorite authors. Her Cookies book was Ana's favorite a few years ago, still picked up from our bookshelves on and off.

It amazes me to see Ms.Rosenthal do it over and over again: take a simple route to present a profoundly beautiful message without sermonizing, always gentle and tender, woven with humor and wit.

The message again is quite subtly yet clearly conveyed: Spoon is not satisfied with who he is. He longs to be like others. He sees them as having more fun. Knife gets to cut and spread. Fork gets to go practically everywhere. Everyone thinks chopsticks are cool and exotic.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Spoon, his friends rather envy him. Knife says, "No one is allowed to be silly with me." Fork is impressed as Spoon is used to measure out stuff. Nobody uses Fork to measure stuff.

Well, you get the idea. The book celebrates the individual and their unique traits that make them who they are, at the same time lets us see the flip-side of everything.

Spoon finally sees his own merits when his mom reminds him of all the things he can do. So, finally Spoon feels alive again, rather than mope around thinking of all the things he cannot do.

Some of the tongue-in-cheek wordplay in this book is probably lost on the 3 year old, who takes it at face value and laughs at the pictures and yet gets the message about why Spoon is special in his own way. A brilliant book for all ages.

The illustrations are funny and witty, with dark black line and greyish silvery look. The page with Fork having all the fun digging into a slice of cake, standing up with a forkful of salad, and esp., ready to delve into the pie was the kids' favorite. I liked the Spoon family photo where the spork is the black-sheep, rather a misfit. Would they welcome him in the Fork Family photo?

Mañana, Iguana (book+CD)

by Ann Whitford Paul
illustrated by Ethan Long

Bilingual books are fun. So are books with CD for read-along. Mañana, Iguana has both these features making it a recent favorite with all of us.

We learnt the days of the week in Spanish, as well as Yo Si (I will) and Yo No (Not I) thanks to conejo and culebra and tortuga.

Much like the classic folk tale The Little Red Hen, the story covers friendship, teamwork and not the least, contribute if you want the benefit of the labor.

On Monday (lunes), Iguana decides to throw a party for her friends the following Saturday (sabado). There are party invitations to be written and delivered, food to be prepared, decorarions to be hung.

Iguana asks her friends conejo (rabbit), culebra (snake) and tortuga (tortoise) for help every day. Predictably, they each have an excuse for every task. Rather than help out now, they say, "Mañana, Iguana" and while away their time.

Well, the rest of the story is apparent: the friends get a rude shock when they try to gate-crash Iguana's party, not being invited and not having helped host it. All's well that ends well. They realize the error of their ways and come through in the end.

The illustrations are vibrant with the Southwest landscape, complementing the story well, revealing Iguana's feelings at every turn. The repetitive response when Iguana solicits help and the distinct characteristics of the animals makes this a wonderful read-aloud book.

The timelessness of this story and the Spanish-learning opportunity appealed the most to me.

[image sources: www.ethanlong.com Long, www.scottmagoon.com, amazon.com]