Author Archives: Thebookreviewindia

I feel very connected to the protagonist, since Agassi’s story narrates a common challenge faced by children, that is, self-doubt. The author is successful in addressing this relatable issue to the readers and motivates them to imbibe an optimistic outlook.

Another thing I liked is the writing style. It’s simple and easy to follow, but never boring. Agalya’s thoughts are funny and relatable.

Stories such as this one serve the important purpose of helping children learn life lessons that will not automatically emerge either from academic education or everyday family conversations. The story effectively delivers its key idea: life will have its ups and downs, but we can still be happy by embracing what we have. In addition, there is a multitude of small and big lessons that can be learnt from the book.

Anil is disheartened when he learns that the city plans to build a new solar panel factory on land that includes a mangrove. While the factory promises sustainable energy, it threatens the local ecosystem and livelihoods of the fisherfolk who depend on the mangroves.

There are three stories in the book. Whether it is inadvertently helping a rock band with screening a documentary in ‘The Heebee Jeebees and the Bees’; making it through a Halloween trip to Ooty and finding themselves in the middle of a bank heist and a haunted home in ‘The Halloween Adventure’

The illustrations expand the text in surprising ways, offering depictions beyond the familiar. We meet a mermaid in a wheelchair, a mer-guy cooking for his companion, a plump mermaid, and even glimpses of the lagoon’s fraught history of conflict and disaster. These visual choices enrich the narrative and push the boundaries of what mermaid stories can be.

The narrative created unfolds with brisk pacing and carefully planted twists, with each chapter closing on a note that propels the reader forward; with each hand on the chapter headings almost beckoning the reader onward.

Thematically, the novel revolves around solidarity and exclusion. The Freezies comprehend in Christaki a mirror of their dislocation. Friendship with him is a granting of symbolic asylum. Dhondy employs that friendship to offer us a reflection on asylum and sympathy.

From an educational perspective, the book opens up discussions about the Irula tribe, Dr. N. Kalyani, and the lives of all tribal communities living in forests. The poem conveys compassion for animals and nature. It sparks curiosity and sensitivity among children—especially those from rural or marginalized backgrounds.

‘Mahesh ka Saanp-Prem’ is an interesting anecdote about Mahesh’s love of, and living with snakes since his childhood, carrying them to school and taking them for a ride on his motorcycle. Mahesh doesn’t just keep snakes as a hobby; he builds an entire world around them. His separate house, his carefully designed pots with air holes, his daily routine of taking each snake for a walk—all these details turn his fascination into a way of life.

This story could unfold in any tribal village or rural area of central and northern India. The village is situated close to the forest where people from almost all households go to collect mahua.

From tales of the wild, we soar to J.R.D. Tata’s life in The Five Fantastic Flights of Jeh. The bilingual book presents itself as a visual biography in which J.R.D.’s five flights chart a trajectory of curiosity, risks, and public service. Yellow backgrounds in the first and last flights create a circular structure, emphasizing continuity. Each flight teaches a lesson, initiation, generosity, perseverance, dignity of labor, and resilience,

‘Baaya aur Dahina Haath’ follows a severed ghost-hand carried by a ghost dog, turning memory and belonging into riddles. In ‘Sone ke Beat’, pigeon droppings turn to gold, while ‘Kukadkoo aur Kankad Koo’ brings a hen that lays golden eggs, stirring gossip through the village.

Barkha Lohia’s illustrations deepen this world with dark, breezy nights and shadows alive with possibility. These images belong to young girls who want to step out, discover, and dream on their own terms.

The second book, The Rabbit in the Moon, contains the fables of ‘The Tale of How the Bedbug’s Selfishness Cost the Louse Her Life’, and ‘The Tale of How the Rabbit in the Moon Saved His Relatives’.

‘Monsoon Mischief’ feels like a splash of childhood, reminding readers of muddy adventures and small troubles that become larger in imagination. ‘The Clingy Friend’ is warm yet gently cautionary; it is sure to resonate with anyone who has struggled with clingy friendships. Readers feel both amused and intrigued, recognizing themselves in the humour while being comforted by its soft resolution.

In addition to every new character and plot, the illustrations present amplify each story, adding colour and emotion. Even though some pages are text-heavy, the visuals never seem to fail in holding the attention of the readers, and in adding a sense of vibrance to the story.

Rinkydink racoon, in Being Stubborn isn’t Fun, always wants his friends to agree with everything he decides. Fed up of always agreeing to him, his friends leave him alone to do his own thing. He soon realizes that he misses his friends and should have to let go of his stubbornness.

More than a tale of sport, the book is an exploration of sibling camaraderie, childhood curiosity, joy of the ordinary, and the thrill of small acts of independence. Keditsu’s lucid prose and Loitongbam’s expressive artwork together create a reading experience where simple storytelling resonates with both culture and emotion.

I became such a child at heart with the book in my hand. My child ego blossomed, pushing the adult ego to the back burner. Putting my fingers to the keyboard to write a review came at a later stage.