Jiske Paas Chali Gai Meri Zameen is a book with a vibrant cover and a heavy title. The book introduces us to a family of farmers (wife, husband, daughter and son) who are enjoying the rains. After the rains, the family can be seen involved in the farming work.
This beautiful book presents a collection of 66 poems by the noted Hindi poet Prabhat. It doesn’t rain as much in the whole of Rajasthan as it does in the book Pedon ki Amma, neither do the winds blow as much as it blows in Pedon ki Amma. You never see as many clouds floating as you see in the book, and nor are there so many animals anywhere as are in Pedon ki Amma.
Pheriwale is a poem by Sushil Shukla written for young ones and published by Eklavya, Bhopal. The book has very nice illustrations on each page by Nilesh Gehlot. When children see these pictures while reading each verse, they will be able to relate to and understand the poem better.
Gulzar is an artist who has worked in many mediums, and is yet always searching for his own medium. Apart from being an experienced script and dialogue writer, he has been writing some fine literature for children. When you read the book under review, Boli Rangoli, you get to experience a Gulzar of a very different mood. One that stops to listen to children, and learn from them, as much or more than what he has to offer to them.
As you all may be aware, Chakmak is a children’s monthly magazine published by Eklavya regularly since 1985. It has a column named ‘Mera Panna’ (My pages) that carries stories, poems, articles and drawings by children. We can see the myriad abilities of children in this column, and children too can find themselves in these pages. This set of 8 cards is a selection from this vast treasure, and have been presented as one special card each.
Here’s another collection of poems by Nirankardev Sevak —poems that you will find many a child singing along while doing chores or playing with odds and ends in the rural stretches of north India. The poems have been read and sung since ages—in school, at home and out in the playgrounds with rhythm and joy. In today’s fast-moving times of modernity where even children are often closeted within four walls, poems like these bring back the fragrance of the soil.