Learning Life Skills
Neera Jain
MEHAR’S WORLD OF COLOURS by By Arti Sonthalia. Illustrations by Tasneem Amiruddin Puffin Books, 2024, 170 pp., INR 250.00 For ages 8 and above
August 2024, volume 48, No 8

Mehar’s World of Colours recreates the world of an urban Indian girl in class five. She is an artist at heart, passionate about drawing and colours, but for some reason her mother insists that she becomes a swimming champion like her elder sister Saanvi. Mehar’s parents have separated and Mehar is sensitive to the pressures on her mother.

She tries to come up to her mother’s expectations but struggles to keep up. What she really wants to do is to create a comic book with her own illustrations. She gets an opportunity when her new class teacher recognizes that each child is different and has talents which should be expressed. Should Mehar follow her heart or do as her mother says?

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