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Bringing Back Grandpa by Madhuri Kamat, a sequel to Flying with Grandpa is a realistic portrayal of the life of a single child in an urban, middle class Indian family of today. The child’s character is coloured with loneliness and control. This review begins with a brief summary of the story, which is followed by some observational comments. Finally, the reviewer poses a few questions on the current state of childhood in India and what role children’s literature can play to address children’s needs.The story appears as a page from the life of a single, privileged male child, Xerxes. He is quite close to his grandpa, who is his only friend and also his saviour. All of a sudden his grandpa falls ill. Before Xerxes could make sense of the situation at home, he finds himself being bullied by his classmates…

In March 2020, the world was told to shut themselves in. The much-condemned mobile phone became the center of our lives. Children who till February 2020 were told by WHO that screen time was evil and they should play vigorously outdoors at least 60 minutes every day, were forced to stare at screens for study, and stopped from playing outside. In short, everything turned upside down, or rather, to make a bad pun, outside in. They do say, though, that every cloud has a silver lining. Well, this little book is part of the silver lining. I have carefully mentioned the cover pages, because the front cover sets the tone, while the inside front cover and the back cover also have little gems tucked into them…

The book under review comprises twelve chapters, with eye catching illustrations, and easy to relate style of prose, that act as nothing less than a Bible for young adolescent girls. It beautifully explains the transition from hoops of puberty to fabulous adulthood. Young girls often tend to become self-conscious owing to the changes that occur during puberty. A proper guide, the right information and knowledge is what is needed to battle the dilemmas of adolescence like: their first period, picking up their first bra, encountering pubic hair, relationships, boys, developing pimples, gaining weight, periods hacks, menstrual hygiene, etc. This book is a good pick for that…

Sami is a young adult; a ‘girl’ who felt more at ease in carrying herself in a way that’s conventionally attributed to ‘boys’ only. This was often met with a wide range of inconsiderate, harassing (and vulgar) remarks and humiliating questions… Are you a boy or a girl? Her parents were thoughtful and sensitive enough, but that did not mean an escape from the occasional, You know you’re not a boy, right? Why don’t you make an effort to look more like the other girls?Sami soon discovers that she is gay and seems to be accepting and willing to explore her sexuality. As she is about to start exploring this newfound realization, a major shift comes in; she has to move to Chandsarai with her mother, a small village in the hills. Being away from her father, Nisha (her best friend) and the place she felt so connected to wasn’t easy…

Childhood, that precious time of intense loves and hates and hopes and disappointments, has been marvellously captured by Divya Anand in her story for children I Hate my Curly Hair, a story, beautifully illustrated by Rujuta Thakurdesai, that is reminiscent of the illustrated stories by that wonderful writer for children, Dr Seuss.The primary objective of any literature be it for children or adults is to entertain and give pleasure.  I Hate my Curly Hair does this  amply by using a rhyme pattern that would delight any young reader by the way it trips and slips off one’s tongue with its tizzy and frizzy and giggles and squiggles…

ll Time Favourites (For Children) celebrates Ruskin Bond’s writing with stories that are always loved equally by children and adults and can now be enjoyed in a single collectible volume consisting of 25 enjoyable stories. Curated by India’s most loved children’s writer, this collection brings together some of the most evocative episodes from the author’s life. Heart-warming, funny and spirited, this is a must have on every bookshelf!‘Goldfish Don’t Bark’ is a delightful story of Koki and the goldfish, which is kept in a glass jar and is constantly admired by the little girl who is visiting her grandmother, living on the other side of the hill. She is happy to notice that the goldfish do not make noises like dogs, donkeys or the birds…