NEELU AND THE PHENOMENAL PRINTER
By Riddhi Dastidar. Illustrated by Anupam Arunachalam
Pratham Books, 2019, pp. 20, R45.00
PINTU KO KAISE MILA PAI (How Pintu Found Pi)
By Sarat Talluri Rao. Translated by Nagraj Rao. Illustrated by Aratrika Choudhury
Pratham Books, 2019, pp. 20, R50.00
Level 4 Books
Neelu and her Miru Mashi go out to explore the city and come across sick horses pulling carriages, which gives Miru Mashi a reason to explain how prosthetics and artificial limbs work. Neelu and the Phenomenal Printer explains the complicated technology of three dimensional printing in a very simple and easy to understand manner. Not only is this book informative within the narrative, but it also gives real world examples like that of a mouse who was able to have baby mice thanks to 3D-printed ovaries in the USA or Grecia, the Toucan in Costa Rica who now has a 3D-printed beak. These examples really make the reader more aware of the practical applications of a technology, which otherwise seem to be mere fancy words on paper.
This book can inculcate a sense of love and respect for all the unique species around us and is perfect for children who love animals. The sheer variety of animals mentioned and beautifully illustrated in the book, ranging from common animals like horses to sloths (which most people don’t even know of in India), makes the book very interesting to read and flip through. In fact, reading this makes one want to go out and spend some time with wildlife.
Colours are missing from the illustrations, which could have made the animals even more eye catching but the images in the book are wholesome despite that. The book mentions two professions that might inspire children to work with fauna, that of a wildlife conservationist and a veterinarian. Even designers who work with 3D printing are shown which might spark curiosity in a child. All in all, this is a fun and educational book for children which can simultaneously teach the kids empathy and care giving as well.