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Ranjana Kaul
THE SNOW LEOPARD ADVENTURE; LADAKH ADVENTURE by Deepak Dalal Westland, Chennai, 2013, 170 pp., 195
November 2013, volume 37, No 11

Deepak Dalal’s Vikram Aditya series, of which The Snow Leopard forms a part, are a truly delightful addition to literature for children written in India. C.S Lewis once remarked that a ‘a children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.’ Dalal’s books are written for 12 to 16 year olds but like all really good literature written for the young appeal quite as much to the adult reader. These are not books about imaginary worlds and fantastical happennings but engrossing stories about the world around us or rather those aspects of our beautiful world which we, as dwellers of cities, often tend to forget. The books ,which include other titles such as Ranthambore Adventure, Andaman Adventure and Ladakh Adventure ,which is the precursor of The Snow Leopard Adventure, follow the escapades of two school-mates Vikram and Aditya who share a love of nature and the great outdoors. Dalal says ‘Today’s children live very urban centric lives. What I am trying to do is tell them about the exciting country beyond: the Himalayas, the coastlines, the wild forests.’

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