Author Archives: Thebookreviewindia

As the title suggests, this does happen but the reader has to undertake an interesting journey with Nandu and Salu filled with information, excitement, disappointment and envy. The writer introduces readers to the experiences of spending time in a forest.

Lights Out is not just a simple story; it’s a testament to the power of community and the impact of small, compassionate actions. Recognized for its poignant narrative and beautiful illustrations, this picture book earned a well-deserved spot on the Parag Honour List 2024. It serves as a gentle reminder that sometimes, the smallest creatures can bring out the best in us, urging us to maintain the delicate balance between human progress and nature’s needs.

Some details in the story could have been avoided as they did not lead anywhere till the very end, thus possibly making it more gripping, to-the-point and an easier and smoother read.

These tales also give important lessons of kindness, listening to one’s parents, care, friendship, humility, and teamwork. Anyone looking to instil these values in their children will surely be happy with the lessons underlying most of these tales.

There is a touch of humour and fun flowing through the text at every turn. The long story has been split into chapters. Interestingly, for better grasp of the language difficult words and phrases have been highlighted sustaining the flow of the text and enabling enhanced understanding by the emerging readers.

‘Man is a Puzzle-Solving Animal.’ -Ronaldo A. Knox Solving puzzles is a natural instinct of humans. The thrill of it is the real joy. Joy makes learning easy. There are various ways to make learning enjoyable, but when it comes to learning words and numbers with excitement, creating your own path and reaching the right…

Prabhat’s newest collection of poems–Totiya Teetar–is very different from all his previous poetry collections. This is a unique collection of very small poems, each poem of only four lines. The first poem itself, titled ‘Panchhi’, gives us a peek into the detailed and wide nature of Prabhat’s observational lens.

Registan Mein Bus is a colourful bouquet of 28 short poems. This bouquet encloses the sand dunes and dhanis of Rajasthan, the herds of sheep and the golden-yellow flowers of Babool. One does not feel scalded by the scorching heat nor feel the discomfort of walking on the burning sand, nor is upset by the…

This story is about the friendship that develops between two children of different faiths. Both become friends when they bond over food, but food ultimately breaks apart their friendship. They begin by liking each other’s company; they admire each other’s clothes, earrings, anklets, etc. Slowly, as the story progresses, their friendship also grows and deepens.…

We encounter the many difficulties the rains bring with them in this story. Everyone is sitting tired, hungry, thirsty, and unable to sleep because the water is dripping through the panni (plastic sheet) that is the roof. Vessels placed at various spots to catch this water keep filling up;

In the recent years, we have seen many new experiments in poems for children. Old and new poets are a part of this trend. On reading these poems one realizes that the gaze for seeing one’s environment has changed, as has the manner of expression. One can see experimental new usage of language and construction.…

How do we visit a jungle and find out about the animals living there without actually sighting even a single one?! If this question intrigues you, this book is for you. Usually, children’s books that speak about the flora and fauna of a particular area are laden with information, names and facts. Mal-Mal Rasta is…

Amir Khusro’s Achraj Bangla is a collection of riddles centered on nature, a timeless treasure that continues to captivate readers of all ages. These centuries-old puzzles, crafted with simplicity and elegance, not only entertain but also encourage us to observe the world around us more closely.

Often, when children pose questions that adults don’t have answers to, they avoid the questions by saying things like, ‘God only will have the answer to this’, and when asked, ‘Who is God? Who should we go to, to ask this?’, children are often pointed to an idol or an image of God. Then, the…

A good friend, when he saw this book fresh on the shelves, immediately thought of me and how relevant it would be for our joint work in critical science and environment education. As someone who has always been fascinated by the living world, whose bucket list has been full of to-dos like scuba diving to…

In another of his metaphorical descriptions of trauma, Hans Sande takes up the topic of puberty and growth. The Norwegian storyteller symbolizes the age of adolescence and the infinite changes that one goes through. As the story begins, a child falls sick after swallowing plums. He gradually believes that a tree is growing from within…

The titular story in the collection, ‘The Tree of Stories’ serves as a visual metaphor brought to life. The tree embodies how stories grow from their roots, evolving into something new while still carrying the essence of their origins. It also manages to suggest an important idea that stories and narratives can be questioned.

When we see what the world is going through right now and what kids are up against, real life is scarier than fiction. Kids cannot choose their environment or the people in it. They do not always have the power and resources to seek out solutions, but they have an appetite, and a real need…

The second important point raised in the introduction is the death of languages. Venkatesh notes that around 6,000-7,000 languages in the world are on the verge of extinction. This is alarming because the disappearance of a language is not just the loss of words, but the end of an entire knowledge tradition of the speakers’ community.

The collection of stories presented in this book have been carefully selected from the Puranas. Many of the characters in the stories would be familiar to children through reference to mythology in Indian homes. Through rituals, spiritual songs, and animated shows, children come across stories of various Hindu gods and demi-gods