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Around The World With A Chilli is meant for independent readers. One imagines that the child who reads it may be above eight years old. A boy goes to pluck green chillies from his garden and is startled to find a chilli plant speaking to him. The spirit of chillies, Ajar Uchu, gets into a conversation with the boy and begins to tell him how chillies reached India from Mexico. When the child shows interest, Ajar Uchu tell him many more interesting things, such as how Christopher Columbus found America in his search for India, the development of sturdy ships to cross the seas and reach India, the voyage of Vasco da Gama to India, and so on.

The Boink Mystery is for level 3 readers, that is, children who have begun reading independently. The theme is about cleanliness in public places and in general. One feels happy that Pratham has taken up this theme and tried to create awareness about it. The mantra of ‘catch ‘em young’ is very apt in this situation. Aman is on a school trip to the Jantar Mantar in Jaipur when a strange flying object called Yontrik befriends him. The creature or the object starts beeping in distress every time someone does something dirty! He says that his ears or nose or eyes get a headache when he sees someone picking their nose or spitting or defecating in the open.

Brushing Is No Fun! is a level 2 book which means that it is for children who can read simple words and can read new words with help. The book is a square picture book with a paragraph or two of text on each page. This length of the text seems a little too much for such young children. Wouldn’t the book serve level 3 better? As the title suggests, the book is about the tediousness of brushing one’s teeth everyday. There’s a child who doesn’t want to brush his teeth, nor bathe, nor do all those boring personal hygiene things that all children ought to do.

The story revolves around Franklin, a little boy—the main character in the book who spends his days gazing at the clouds in the sky. He thinks he doesn’t need friends. His clouds are his friends—unfailing, omnipresent and always welcoming. And in his imagination, he finds not only shapes but stories and adventures. However, Franklin’s loneliness is dismissed when Scruffy Dog shows up one fine day. This creature seems to follow him everywhere and simply won’t leave him to the loneliness he’s used to. Franklin wants nothing to do with her.

Annie Besant, one of the most pro lific writers for children in India, is the author of this beautiful gift set for little readers. The world of Beebop, the most friendly and special buzzing bee, is peopled by Sarah, the leader of the group, Jay, a true explorer, Chalk the beloved doggie companion, Zubin and Zoya, the twin enfant terribles. Aimed at the Level 1 reader, the four story books are paired with four activity books. As each story unfolds, it takes the reader through the most exciting and magical expeditions.

The Will, meant for level 3 readers, is again a singularly inappropriate choice in storyline and comes across as morbid.To have a child read about how a father makes a will against the event of his death, how the three sons ignore the naseehat in their hurry to find his vasiyat, and the mother has to intervene to prevent them from fighting with one another—makes one squirm.