ASHA THE AUTO-DRIVER
Nita Berry
ASHA THE AUTO-DRIVER by By Aruna Shekar. Illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat Tulika Books, Chennai, 2024, 24 pp., INR 195.00
, volume , No

Asha’s auto is one with a difference. Not only does it look attractive with bright flowers painted all over, it smells good too! After all, Asha’s first trip every morning is to the flower market to buy a big bag of jasmine buds. She strings these into a long chain and festoons her auto with jasmines while she waits for passengers, and their fragrance fills her auto. Her lucky passengers get jasmine flowers to wear, and she sells them too while waiting for more passengers.

Here is an endearing picture book for the 3+ age group, who will see and learn a lot of interesting things along the way with the ever-smiling Asha. She drives to different destinations in the city–the busy railway station, a dental clinic, a football field, a dance school, a girls’ college, the beach, a cricket stadium, a church… every day of the week! And so, we go through all the days of the week as well–from Monday right till Sunday when Asha, bedecked in jasmine flowers herself, will get a well-earned half day off with her family.

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