Author Archives: Thebookreviewindia

Over four immersive chapters, Oza unravels for the reader what she is discovering. The first is on consent, where Oza deals directly with the question of ‘false cases’ to understand the complicated stories behind them, through the case of a consensual inter-caste relationship that when discovered becomes framed as a rape case by the family of the woman.

A brief life history of this remarkable lady must be narrated here to understand how without professing to be a radical feminist in her ideas, the protagonist was very open-minded even while functioning within the domestic parameters of her existence.

On his return to India Jagat Murari spent several years at the Films Division in Bombay. While very few readers would have seen or remembered his films, this section of the book introduces a major theme of the book, his problems with his bureaucratic superiors.

Subsequent chapters present biographical and intellectual portraits of seminal figures in modern psychology, including Freud, Adler, Jung, Erikson, Maslow, Rogers, Piaget, Bandura, William James, and Simone de Beauvoir.

Shruthi Rao and Meera Iyer in their India in Triangles have explained in easy-to-understand language the main principles of triangulation, and how this method was used for mapping the Indian subcontinent during the nineteenth century.

The first chapter details Devaki’s family, her daily duties during vacation days, she being a supporting daughter for her parents, nursing her ailing father and helping her mother with household chores. The author also through interactions between Devaki and her grandmother outlines the gender roles as decided within the families and how Devaki as a young educated girl questioned some of them.

The text is divided into four sections—an untitled Introduction, Nature and Society, People, and Environment. Four boxes are distributed through the text to highlight some aspects of the area, with 3 or 4 pages of photos at the end. A few highlighted questions are spread through the text.

The clear-cut lines between the colours—mainly the earth colours of ochre, the rich blue of the precious stone lapis lazuli, and cyan, which is the light bluish-green associated with water and the sky—harmonize to create a landscape in the mind that goes beyond division and separation.

Initially published in Bengali as a series titled Itihase Hatekhori (loosely translated as First History Lessons), this effort was born out of the editors’ vision of creating non-standard history books for children. It is a kind of history-writing which falls neither within the bucket of drab,

Tracing the journey of Kohinoor, the exclusive diamond that changed hands over the centuries, the author brings out how British colonization took what was valuable from India and its different people.

The second story, ‘A Tale of Two Oxen’, follows Hira and Moti, two loyal oxen whose unbreakable friendship carries them through hardship. When cruel circumstances separate them from the comfort of home, they endure mistreatment under a harsh master but continue to embody resilience and solidarity. Beyond animal characters, the story speaks powerfully about loyalty, compassion, and the strength found in standing together.

The Thief of Taxila takes readers on a fascinating adventure through the lively, ancient city of Taxila. Mixing history, mystery, and friendship, this book is perfect for young readers who love a good puzzle and want to peek into India’s past.
The story happens a long time ago, during the rule of King Kanishka.

The book is a welcome addition to the rapidly growing array of books for children in India; it stays clear of the trap of tokenism. The plot and characters come together to convey an endearing tale. Pankaj’s vibrant illustrations paint an appealing picture of the entire narrative.

Guru struggles with the trauma of the accident, his anger, and his broken relationship with his mother. His mother is weighed down by guilt, family responsibilities and social expectations, while trying to hold life together. Aparna, the younger sister, feels sidelined and wrestles with her own identity, as the family’s attention shifts toward Guru.

In this story, Coyote uses his magical wishing bone to play a trick on the villagers by creating two moons. First, he conjures the two moons and hopes someone from the village will notice them. A man passing by sees the two moons— ‘two moons’ with his own two eyes—and suspects that Coyote is behind it.

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.

The story is simple, age-appropriate, and colourfully depicted with well-designed illustrations that indicate a middle-class household. The print quality and the font size are age appropriate. There is enough mystery in the story to keep young readers engaged.

There’s a lot of information provided through this book, all of it in a fun and engaging manner: we learn about the porcupine’s habitat, preferred foods, predators, defence mechanisms, and more. We also get to see a broadly positive set of interactions between humans and this wild animal,

Ali is brought up by his adoptive Apo, grandfather. There are a few words of the Balti language sprinkled throughout the text, a nice touch that introduces us to another culture, while remaining easily understandable in the context of the story.
Tanushree Roy Paul’s warm and detailed illustrations bring alive the love and joy, as well as the lingering grief that Ali and his families experience.

There is very little text in the book, and the illustrations are beautiful. They are full of emotions, showing expressions vividly. With just a few words,