Book Review ~ My Daddy And The Well by Jerry Pinto

 
 

 

Reading level: 5 – 7 years
Paperback: 40 pages
Publisher: Duckbill Books
ISBN-10: 0143450778
ISBN-13: 978-0143450771
 
 

BLURB
 

As a child in Goa, Daddy used to jump in a well, to water the bananas. Years later, the bananas are gone. But the pump is there, the well is there, Daddy is there… Splash!
 

REVIEW

When a father visits Moira a little village in Goa with his little son, memories come flooding back and with it a sense of loss, loss on account of the sea change that has taken place with the passage of time. Gone are the Moira bananas and there neglected lies the well that used to irrigate them. Narrated fluidly by the son, ‘My Daddy and the Well’ captures the beauty and thrill of village life of the time before the eighties in a captivating manner. Those like me who have lived/ experienced life in semi-urban and rural areas of India during those times can easily relate to each and every incident narrated in this short yet sweet and complete story. While the author weaves a beautiful narrative of life in Moira in a time long gone by, the illustrator in Ms. Lavanya Naidu does full justice to the story he weaves. The illustrations by themselves have the ability to hook young children, tickle their imagination, and prod them to weave a narrative of their own.

The single- page section on interjections at the end of the book is a bonus.
 

VERDICT

A hook book in the true sense ‘My Daddy and the Well’ is bound to excite young minds and see their curious side come the fore.
 
 

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Book Review ~ The Golden Eagle by Deepak Dalal

 
 

 
 
Reading level: 8 – 12 years
Paperback: 112 pages
Publisher: Puffin (25 November 2019)
ISBN-10: 0143445715
ISBN-13: 978-0143445715

 
 

Heart-warming!

A book for all ages ‘The Golden Eagle’ sees Destiny bring together a squirrel, a bulbul and two pigeons along-with a golden eagle, to weave a tale of adventure, misadventure, and self-realization peppered with emotions like love, fear, empathy, camaraderie, and dare.

Cleverly crafted, and beautifully illustrated, the book sees the reader embark on a journey of adventure that has some hair-raising twists and turns enough to put him/ her on edge. However, what really strikes one is the story of Shikaar, the unique little squirrel a mis-fit among his kind, his relationship with Kabul, the bulbul, and his journey from the land of his birth to the Rose Garden. While the events at Storkpur a place where evil reigns and birds fear to tread (read enter), lends a sense of suspense to the narrative, the story of Shikaar is a lesson in empathy, love, self- discovery and self- acceptance.

The fourth in the Feather Series, ‘The Golden Eagle’ sees Regal, the Golden Eagle too in action and his role in Shikaar’s life- turning event. However, to be frank it is actually Kabul, the Bulbul that holds sway throughout. Regal’s role is very limited which actually is a dampner. Would have loved to see more of Regal. That would have actually justified the title.

VERDICT

A gripping tale sure to regale not only the young but adults too, ‘The Golden Eagle’ has the ability to see various emotions flicker across the one’s face. It will sure light up your day. 🙂

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Book Review: Likes & Dislikes by Arundhati Nithiyanandan

 
 

 

Formats: Kindle & Paperback
Publisher: White Falcon Publishing

Personalities vary from person to person, and so do their likes and dislikes. Now what really does determine one’s preferences and aversions? Well, Likes & Dislikes by the seven year old Arundhati Nithiyanandan delves into this question, and comes out with the answer in a truly interesting story.

A fun way of learning about the five senses and their importance in determining one’s likes and dislikes, the story weaved in ‘Likes & Dislikes’ sees little Aru and her companion Nishu speak about their respective preferences as well as aversions. The book also helps us understand how people bond once they get to know each other better.

Replete with wonderful emojis and illustrations by Oksana Vynokurova, the book is definitely a kid’s delight. Little ones can easily pick up the importance of the five senses, and relate their tastes to them.

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BookReview: Lost & Found by Arundhati Nithyanandan

 
 

 
 

Formats: Kindle & Paperback
Publisher: White Falcon Publishing

 
 

Have you ever had a favourite, something that’s been a part of you? Have you lost or misplaced it at any point of time? If so, how did it feel? Wasn’t it a moment of sadness? Weren’t you worried? You may have even shed some tears. Right? Well, Lost & Found by seven year old Arundhati Nithyanandan sees little Aru going through these very emotions on finding her favourite teddy missing.

Out on a vacation with her family, little Aru has for company her best buddy and all- time travel companion Osito the teddy. As the name suggests, the joy of the vacation is slightly marred by the loss of Osito. A short and sweet read, Lost & Found is an easily relatable story. While the story is sure to engage little minds, it has the capacity to tickle the nostalgic side of adult readers. The illustrations by Oksana Vynokurova easily conjure up the story before our eyes, and make it easy for little ones like my grandson of three to enjoy each emotion that forms a part of the tale. If there is anything that disappointed me, it is the length of the story. It was too short. Wish there was more in the form of Osito and Aru’s adventures. The lead up to the loss and subsequent retrieval of the teddy could have also been a little more suspenseful. But then let’s remember that this is a story penned by a seven year old who truly holds a lot of promise, and this is just the beginning of her journey into the world of writing,

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Amazon.in (Kindle Edition) II Flipkart II Amazon.in (Paperback Edition)
 
 

Arundhathi The Author

A seven years old who lives in Bangalore (India) Arundhati (Aru) attended a storytelling workshop conducted by #blrlitfest in 2017 where she ended up drawing her first storybook. Inspired by the experience, Arundhati started weaving stories. This journey of hers has seen the little one successfully publish 3 children storybooks. Arundhati aka Aru’s stories reflect the life and incidents around her.

BookReview: The Missing Fairy Princess by Walter Salvadore Pereira

 
 

Format: Kindle Edition
ASIN: B07T81C748

 
 

 
 

A book that’s sure to be loved by both the kids and adults, The Missing Fairy Princess has at its core a battle of egos, and wits. When human witch Zharga ‘kidnaps’ a fairy princess, she triggers a chain of events that eventually lead to some wonderful twists and turns and an ending that suggests that we’ve not seen the last of the culprit and her machinations. She is sure to return to enthrall us in a sequel.

Intriguing and riveting, The Missing Fairy Princess is nothing short of a wonderful suspense thriller. As the story develops, one gets pulled into the web of magic created by the author, a magic that transports the reader to the scene of action. Conflicting emotions like empathy, hate, love, horror, respect, etc. overpower us thereby making the journey a joyous ride.

The characters though quite a sizeable number, are well fleshed out. We can experience them evolve right before our eyes, and this experience is truly magnificent.
 

VERDICT

A book for all ages. If you are a child, pick it up for the entertainment it offers. If you are an adult, get ready to relax and travel down memory lane to that phase in life that saw you enchanted with all that’s magical.

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Book Review : Aru’s Balcony Garden

 
 

TITLE
Aru’s Balcony Garden

AUTHOR
Arundhati Nithiyanandhan

ILLUSTRATOR
Oksana Vynokurova

Publisher: White Falcon Publishing
ISBN-10: 9388459121
ISBN-13: 978-9388459129

 
 

Arundhati the seven year old author of ‘Aru’s Balcony Garden,’ who incidentally is the protagonist of this sweet and simple book and goes by the pet name Aru, lives in an apartment community of a metro city. She has a small balcony garden at home, which is full of blooming plants that give her immense pleasure. Every morning before going to school, she spends a few moments with them. This habit of hers has found voice in ‘Aru’s Balcony Garden.’

Beautifully illustrated, Aru’s Balcony Garden is a simple tale that reflects not only the innocence of childhood, but also draws our attention to the fact that plants too can communicate and respond to love showered on them, be it by way of a question, or something as simple as a touch or a few drops of water at their base. Tend to them and see them bloom and spread a smile on your face.

The book though meant for the little ones, is sure to touch a chord in the adult too. Here though the story is of a little girl and her plants, if one were to look deeper, one could relate them to the children around. Children as we all know are like those little plants that adorn one’s garden. They spread cheer and make life heavenly with their antics and innocent talk. Like plants they offer that much needed respite to an otherwise hectic and stressful life. Spend some time with them, tend to their needs, and see them bloom and grow. Neglect them, and they will wilt right under your eyes.

VERDICT

A simple lesson communicated effectively, this one is a truly wonderful book that’s sure to spread a smile on young and aged faces alike. My three year old grandson Atharv can’t have enough of this and Aru’s other two books. Since the day I received them, he insists on having two reading sessions daily, one in the morning before leaving for his play-school and one before retiring to bed. Try to make an excuse, and see him throw a tantrum. 🙂

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Book Review: Chaos at Keoladeo by Priya Fonseca

 
 

 

Reading level: 8+ years
Paperback: 96 pages
Publisher: Puffin
ISBN-10: 0143442023
ISBN-13: 978-0143442028

 
 

There’s entertainment and there are lessons to be learnt. In fact this little book of less than 100 pages, holds within it a world of knowledge pertaining to animals especially birds. Replete with facts and illustrations plus eye-catching pictures, ‘Chaos in Keoladeo’ starts off as a travelogue only to end up as an adventure mystery. On the way there is fun accompanied by some truly wonderful insights into not only the birds and animals inhabiting the Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, but also into other bird species not found there. Other things that turned out to be of interest to me was an insight into the Bird Man of India Dr. Salim Ali, the rickshaw pullers of the Sanctuary who are also known as bare foot naturalists, and the minute details about the Siberian Cranes.

The D.O.P.E. Quiz at the end of the story to find out the kind of bird personality one has, is I must admit the icing on the cake.

VERDICT

A must have book in your book collection, ‘Chaos at Keoladeo’ is a mini encyclopedia of sorts that will keep the reader in you hooked till the end along with tickling the explorer in you to dig further to unearth more information on the flora and fauna of Planet Earth.

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Disclaimer

A copy of the book was provided via Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are therefore, my own and have not been influenced by either the author or the publishing house in any manner

Book Review – Astra ~The Quest For Starsong

 
 

TITLE
Astra ~ The Quest For Starsong

AUTHORS
Aditya Mukherjee
Arnav Mukherjee

 
 

Reading level: 11+ years
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Puffin
Language: English
ISBN-10: 014344302X
ISBN-13: 978-0143443025

 
 

Fantasy fiction with a touch of mythology, Astra is all about the mythical astra of the Gods deemed to be extremely powerful so much so that if wielded by the wrong ones they can spell doom not only for mankind, but for all races and all species. When Ravana the King of Lanka, evinces interest in something, no one can stop him. With the ‘Pushpaka Vimana’ one of the few astras available, at his disposal, he now eyes the ‘Tarageet’ or Starsong an astra that has the power to make him invincible. Hidden up far north in the Kingdom of Ulka, the Starsong makes the wielder not only invincible, but can drive him or her mad too, mad to the extent that once it takes over the soul of the wielder, there is no point of return. However what Ravan’s cohorts don’t factor in when they reach Ulka, is the escape of Varkan the young prince of Ashmaka, with the Starsong. What follows is a saga of war and destruction. Will the Starsong fall into the hands of Ravana or will it show its true power and make Varkan mad?…….To know the answer to this and many more questions that are sure to arise along the way to the climax, one will have to read the book.

Replete with twists and turns, Astra is not just the story of the Starsong or its wielder, but is also an insight into the strength, the resilience of the one not ready to easily surrender his soul. The fight between right and wrong, light and darkness is a bitter and exhausting one. Yet it is not impossible. Friendship, loyalty and respect are at stake and human emotions find a voice here.

The characters are well-etched and have the capacity to evoke strong emotions in the reader. The battle scenes as well as Varkan’s encounter with various tribes on his mission to keep the Astra safe, provide interesting reading. However the book does have its lows more on account of the setting of sequence of events which I believe is because of the style of narration adopted. Had the authors built up a background involving Varkan’s childhood and imparted a little bit more information on his father King Tarktha and mother Queen Raesa as well as the how and why of Varkan’s imprisonment before plunging into the first chapter i.e. The Imprisoned Prince, the story would have been more interesting and less confusing.

Overall the book is sure to appeal to young minds.

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Disclaimer

A copy of the book was provided via the publishers i.e. Puffin, in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are therefore, my own and have not been influenced by either the author or the publishing house in any manner

Book Review ~ Diary of An Awesome Friendly Kid

 
 

 
Reading level: 9 – 11 years
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Penguin UK
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0241405602
ISBN-13: 978-0241405604
 

Hilarious to the core, Diary of An Awesome Friendly Kid is Rowley Jefferson’s journal which gives us an insight into a bully of sorts who takes advantage of his meek pal, one who literally hero worships him. Their adventures, fights and the troubles they land into take us down memory lane and see a smile light up the face and a sparkle brighten the eyes. Rowley’s transformation from the meek one to a lad who learns to stand up for himself is beautifully depicted, Sleepovers, scary moments and prank galore form a part of this journal which started off as Greg’s biography only to end up as Rowley’s journal.

Characterization being the strong point of this journal, it’s sure to appeal to both the young and the old alike.

 

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Disclaimer

A copy of the book was provided via Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are therefore, my own and have not been influenced by either the author or the publishing house in any manner

Book Review: Twice Upon A Time by Payal Kapadia

Reading level: 9+ years
Formats: Paperback / Kindle Edition
Publisher: Puffin
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0143333321
ISBN-13: 978-0143333326
ASIN: B07MF18MFT

Bestselling school adventure series Horrid High, author Payal Kapadia is once again seen doing what she best at i.e. churning out a bestseller. In ‘Twice Upon A Time’ the 2013 Crossword Book Award winning author for Children’s Writing brings together two children opposite in nature, outlook and social standing to take the readers on a hilarious yet eye opening ride, a ride packed with witty moments and lots of action too. Myths are busted; faces revealed and the so-called upper class snobs stands exposed. Lessons are also learnt.

Princess Keya of Pompuspur ( ‘Pom-puhs-poor’) true to the qualities of a real princess , is lady-like that’s till the bug called ‘tween’ strikes her, and then all hell breaks loose. The entire Surya Mahal shivers, King Ferrlip becomes jittery till the final blow knocks him off. Princess Keya fed up with the pretensions expected of her, decides to quit. But is it that easy? ……Enter Nyla a tomboy, a willing replacement for Keya. But the T&C attached to the task is not that easy. Princess Keya sets out to train and tame Nyla. That’s when all the action begins. The girls discover their inner strengths and learn to overcome their weaknesses. Actions and dramas aplenty follow, and finally after exercising the reader’s cheek bones the final moment descends, a moment of suspense. What happens?……Well, I’ll leave it to you the reader to discover the climax. 🙂

A thorough entertainer, ‘Twice Upon A Time’ scores a perfect five on the characterization front. The characters each one of them be it the insignificant ones like royal window-boy an Lady La-Di-Dah of the Society of Snobs or the central ones like Princess Keya and Nyla are so well- etched out that you can’t help but visualize them, and this is what exactly works for the story. Along with adding life to the scenes they invite the reader to get fully involved in the story.

Dotted with some truly wonderful illustrations by Sandhya Prabhat, ‘Twice Upon A Time’ is a reflection on that phase called childhood, a phase replete with innocence, tantrums and mischief.

VERDICT

An engaging one, there’s no doubt that ‘Twice Upon A Time’ is sure to regale young readers. However it is to be noted that the book has the potential to tickle the child in an adult too. It reminds one that the child in an adult can never die; at the most it’s there somewhere deep in sleep like the dragon in the story, waiting to be drawn out. Tickle it, draw it out from the deep slumber it’s in, and see the magical effect it has on your attitude, your demeanor.

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Disclaimer

A copy of the book was provided via Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are my own and have not been influenced by either the author or the publishing house in any manner