Tuesday 12 November 2013

The Heart and the Bottle

Author: Oliver Jeffers
Ages: 6+ years ( but is known to have touched more adults!)



Once there was a little girl like any other, whose head was filled with all the wonder in the world...

Thus begins this beautiful story of a little girl who locked her heart away when she encounters the loss of her beloved father figure. Whether it is Dad, Granddad or a close relative is up to the reader to imagine, but the little girl adores him and looks up to him a lot. But one day she finds an empty chair, Pa gone missing.

The loss hurts her very much and so, unable to come to terms with grief, she locks away her heart in a bottle hung on her neck and thus postpones tackling her sadness. But as time goes by, the weight of the bottle bears down on her. Although she imagines that now her heart is locked inside, it is safe from any more hurtful feelings, the awkward weight of the bottle nags her.

One day, a curious little girlie comes running to her with a question about the world. Had she been like before, she would have known the answer, but now that her heart is in the bottle, she is clueless. That is when she decides to get her heart out. But try as she might, she simply does not succeed in breaking the bottle.

Finally, it is the little girlie with the curious mind who succeeds to get it out of the bottle and instantly the big girl realises how much she has actually missed all along! She starts to follow her heart again and explores the wonders of the world, just like her Pa.

This story could have been anybody's. The loss could have been a loved one, love, a dream, a job, temper, just anything. What do we do when faced with the loss? The immediate need to retreat in a shell of pity and sadness is almost always the easiest way out. It is certainly soothing, and the fear of getting hurt if we break out feels very real and threatening. For that moment at least. But it is not the solution. And the more we linger inside, the harder it becomes to break out of it.

There is life outside of it, if we only care to open up. Perhaps it needs a little help from someone. A nudge, a chiding, long talks, a healing, a hug, whatever it takes. But when we do break out, we will see that there is always something else to live for, to love, to laugh about and to share with. And if we could only see that we can never protect the heart from hurt in this world, not even if we bottle it up, maybe we would try to give up all our inner fights and start feeling peace and happiness in everything that comes our way.

Oliver Jeffers has again created magic with his simple drawings, simple text and a great uplifting storyline. We had the lovely opportunity of meeting him in a book signing and for once in all my life, I got this book signed for myself, with my name ( and a cute bottle doodle that he drew underneath!). And he is as sweet as his books :o)

Here is a Youtube version.

And here is a nice little video about Oliver Jeffers.


Monday 11 November 2013

The Letter For The King

Author: Tonke Dragt
Ages: 9+


It has been quite a while, but with festive season approaching and gifts being planned, I just couldn't resist posting this review. Collecting classics and rich books with stories from other countries is one weakness I do not regret living with :o) and this one fits the bill snugly!

The author originally wrote the book in Dutch in 1962, and since then it has sold more than a million copies world-wide and has been translated into a dozen or more languages as well. It was also made into a feature film and is one of the best-loved children's' books in Europe.

The  book has just been translated in English by Laura Watkinson and we were given a wonderful opportunity to receive the book pre-release in return for a review. It is now a cherished book proudly displayed in our shelf, having been devoured immediately by DS1. Judging by the way he walked, talked, ate, slept with it, it must be a gripping story indeed!

It is worth looking up Tonke Dragt, just to see how great an author she is and how wonderful her works are.

Here is the review in his own words:

A fantastic book full of courage and bravery that Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fans would really love to read, with loads of action and suspense...

The Letter for the King is a fantastic story of bravery and friendship and courage. Tiuri, the protagonist is the son of a well known and respected Knight. On the day he was going to be knighted, there is a visitor with an urgent message. An old man arrives and requests Tiuri to take a message to the Black Knight in the adjacent kingdom. If he takes it up, Tiuri knows he would lose his knighthood, but the adventure invites him and he sets on a stolen horse with a secret letter. He soon finds out that the knight is dying, and he should be the one to deliver it to the King. Tiuri realises that this would be an exciting and brave adventure, but one full of danger and possibility of death.

The suspense and action will have you on the edge of your seats. This is a 10/10 book, already famous in Europe and is a treat for fantasy, action and adventure lovers. 

More at : LoveReading4Kids




Wednesday 31 July 2013

Tea Break - Cinnamon

Without much ado, let me just say - 'tis one good tea :o).

I must admit, summer has been so summery this year. Result - I have never been home long enough to ponder and create a blog post. First, it was the last-term-of-school which meant sport days, school plays, assemblies, teacher meets, summer fairs and the volunteering it demanded, gifts to make for teachers ( we seldom buy, and if we do end up doing so, it is always a gift card for a bookstore), cards to make with kids, final parties to attend and the farewells. Everything x 2, as the boys are in different schools.

Any breathers in between always made me run to the park with a sandwich and a book, far from the drudgery of my hamster wheel.

So if I had imagined the summer holidays would be THE welcome break from all of it, well, I had the imagination of a school kid. That silly imagination minus really real reality = complexly complex universe that nobody living has ever fathomed :o( ! At least nobody with two adrenalin-filled time bombs that could go off innumerable times, still retaining the potency and power ( screaming sounds included) afresh for every strike!!!

And this is where the sun has really lighted up my days. Considering it is a stay-cation this year, I owe a lot to Ra / Surya / Helios/ Sol. All I had to do was to grab the picnic blanket and basket and take the boys to the park, bike and scooter and all. Then forget about them until they come back all fizzled out by the end of the day, head back home and before I know it, before they had even managed to ask for online time, they're dreaming away like mad!

Summer has also been a wonderful year for the Hay Day inspired farmers that we have been. What started as a casual strewing of some seeds suddenly became quite a bursting mini kitchen garden.




Tomatoes, chillies, strawberries, courgettes and a very healthy patio tub of fresh herbs, something we never ever imagined could happen from a handful of seeds! Perhaps to the expert gardeners it might sound really stupid, but for us amateurs, this was an eye-opening experience. We realized how much care and attention is needed to keep away those caterpillars that munched away most of our marigold leaves, or the aphid colonies that attacked the roses with vengeance, or all those courgettes that were nibbled off by squirrels even before they had a chance to grow. We realized how tough it is to stick to organic means to do all of this, and yet get a good yield! We also realized how dearly we started loving our plants, like they were our babies :o).

And yes, we also realized that if we are going to grow them freelance and organic and allow the good bugs to deal with the bad ones, we might as well allow the squirrels and caterpillars their little treats. We even tried to shift the caterpillars to the nettle plants, so that the birds stayed away from them! And so, we had to get seeds for birds as well, so that they stayed happy and well fed!

So far, it has been a summer of reflection : on things that matter, things that make you happy, things that are important, things that are simply to be, things that are better left alone, things that can change if the thinking changes and quite simply, things! For once, and am certainly not one to count blog posts more than sunny days spent outdoors, blogging or being online faded away into the background while fresh air and nature kicked in and established camps big time!

And here's a lovely post that reflects just the very mood ( Calvin and Hobbes, those darlings!).

Happy Holidays!!

Tuesday 16 July 2013

A Monster Calls

Author and Illustrator: Patrick Ness
Original Story idea by: Siobhan Dowd
Ages: 13+

“Stories don't always have happy endings."This stopped him. Because they didn't, did they? That's one thing the monster had definitely taught him. Stories were wild, wild animals and went off in directions you couldn't expect.” 





What do you do when you are forced to face the worst fears of your life? What do you do when your nightmares are for real, when they are so tangible and facing them is the only option? What if the nightmares are so terrifying that even the presence of an eerie monster does not scare you one bit?

Conor is a teenager living with his Mum since Dad left them and went off to a different country. He is new to high school life and all the bullying, hatred, shames, fears and pressure that come with it. His mother is fighting a terminal illness, and though he fears oblivion so much that it haunts his nightmares, he refuses to believe it.

And then comes the monster to visit him. Exactly at 12:07 in the night every time. Dark, ominous and terrifying. But it does not scare Conor. He faces the monster with great ease and demands the reason for its presence. The monster says that he has been summoned by none other than Conor himself.

The monster says that it would tell Conor 3 parables by the end of which Conor should tell him his own true story or be banished from life forever. Connor objects, but isn't given any choice. He thinks that the monster is just imagination, but every time he wakes up the next morning, he sees little clues that make the monster's visit real.

While the monster continues to visit in the night with parables that question the very essence of "the good and the bad" as Conor perceives ( “There is not always a good guy. Nor is there always a bad one. Most people are somewhere in between.” ), Conor's days get worser and worser with the bullying in school and his mother's deteriorating health. He abhors the fact that his good friend went and told every one about his mother, because he hates all the pity that comes his way because of it - how his teachers give him extra perks, how his school mates give him the "loser" look and not really talk to him. Nobody knows how to talk to a person who has a tragedy in his life, so he is completely ignored almost as if he is invisible.

Conor is so deeply troubled by the pity and silent stares that he actually creates trouble in school and wills the Head teacher to punish him, because that would mean that they see him also as a normal high school boy worthy of punishment rather than a boy needing special care and attention because he has a dying mum. He simply wishes he were treated as a normal teenager - loved, hated, punished, praised, but certainly not shunned. And definitely not pitied.

There was once an invisible man who had grown tired of being unseen. It was not that he was actually invisible. It was that people had become used to not seeing him.

And if no one sees you, are you really there at all?"
” 


Mum is taken to hospital where treatments and options fail, Dad comes to visit but makes it clear that he would be an unwelcome guest back in his place. And then the worst thing happens - the monster demands Conor's story be told, failing which he would be banished into his nightmares forever. Conor finally reveals his nightmares to the monster. How he feels for wishing all the pain would end, which would mean his mother slipping away from him forever. How the waiting was much more painful than the end that Conor almost wished the end would happen soon.

You were merely wishing for the end of pain, the monster said. Your own pain. An end to how it isolated you. It is the most human wish of all.” 

The monster asks him to come to face with all his worst fears. To accept the inevitable and acknowledge it.

"You wanted her to go at the same time you were desperate for me to save her. Your mind will believe comforting lies while also knowing the painful truths that make those lies necessary. And your mind will punish you for believing both.

Finally, he learns to let his beloved mum go. To accept the truth.

“Conor held tightly onto his mother.
And by doing so, he could finally let her go.” 



It took me a good while to arrest the flood of tears. The monster's questions and statements are completely transcending. Not many books I've read have made me feel so raw, emotional and yet so connected. The soul of this book is to be read to be felt. Along with the haunting illustrations.

The Monster is a giant Yew tree. The Yew is always associated with ancient times, religion, the land and the people.  Some are thought to be so ancient that they are a few thousand years old. It is considered a symbol of immortality by some religions and always planted in churchyards. In some religions, though, it is looked upon as a symbol of doom and death. The fruits and leaves of the tree are highly poisonous.


A Monster Calls. Powerful.

Wednesday 26 June 2013

Penguin

Author: Polly Dunbar
Ages: 2+


Back in the nursery, my DS2 wasn't quite the talker. When he ended up making friends, I was honestly quite surprised. More so when I silently watched them interact. It was completely a one-way exchange with my DS2 remaining the mute conversationalist while his friend was more than making up for the loss in conversation with his animated speech.  Both of them were so deeply engrossed although DS2 was only supplying the odd nod or a tiny smile. It was wonderful to see how very different they both were, yet how easily they accepted that and enjoyed their time.

Penguin is exactly the same. One day Ben receives a penguin as a present. He is so happy to see a new friend and asks Penguin what he wanted to play. Penguin says nothing. Ben then tries to humor the Penguin with silly faces and tricks, but Penguin says nothing.

Now Ben starts getting annoyed. He prods the Penguin, blows raspberries at him, makes fun of him, but Penguin still says absolutely nothing.So Ben ignores Penguin, and ( this bit is so cute!) Penguin ignores him back. Eventually, Ben gets upset, ties Penguin to a rocket and fires him into space. Penguin not just returns back, but says absolutely nothing, not a single word!

A very irritated Ben then tries to feed Penguin to a passing lion, but lion isn't interested in eating him. By then, Ben is infuriated and he shouts out to Penguin to JUST SAY ANYTHING!!. Now the lion swallows Ben as he is so noisy.

The silent Penguin springs immediately into action to rescue his dear talkative friend and bites the lion's nose. The lion spits Ben out and then finally Penguin says...


...everything!

What a beautiful celebration of friendship this book proved to be! You talk to them or you don't, you ignore them, you fight with them, you try to stay away from them, but buddies just know how to save you at the right time, how to make you smile, how to always be there for you when you need it most.

Such a lovely story and I was so moved that I actually had to make Penguin for my DS2 to go with the book, which I got for him in a school fair. ( not quite a replica, but does he bother!)


Polly Dunbar says she wrote Penguin for her brother Ben who gave her the original Pingouin, handmade with velvet in France in 1930. She has received many awards for this book as well. There's more about Penguin and her other books in her website.

As usual, here is a Youtube version, although it is a bilingual version, the book being in spanish!

It really doesn't matter if the story is totally fictional ( talking penguins, lions inside the house swallowing boys!). It is one that the children will quickly relate to, or simply enjoy the beautiful illustrations and Ben's silliness. And Penguin's silent stand! It has been read so many times in our house, and is still a firm favourite!

Just the right book for teeny Penguin fans, this book is truly adorable and a celebration of diversity, acceptance and the spirit of friendship.

Sunday 23 June 2013

Tea Break - Peppermint

Peppermint tea is a speciality tea having well tested healing properties for flatulence, skin irritations and itching, cold and flu and tension headaches.

It was just when we were having some nice Assam Tea today with hot vadas did I realize I needed a virtual tea break as well!

Well the Vadas were quite a story. Having packed all the boys out of the house, I had planned to shower as quickly as possible and make them a royal tiffin. But plans run amuck when you have a book in hand, don't they!

And by the time I had finished "The Snow Child" and pried my mind off the wonderfully original canvas of Alaska that it had painted in my inner eye, the boys were back home, hungry and grumpy. So I had to frantically search for an instant recipe and rummaged around loads of blogs, finally consolidating many recipes of "instant vada" into my own ingredient-restricted one.

And here it goes: 15 minutes of soaking some toor dal and chana dal in hot water - 5 mins of soaking some aval ( rice flakes) - coarse grinding of the dal with red chillies ( and/or green chillies) and ginger- mashing the soaked aval (after removing all excess water) - adding the ground mix to mashed aval along with finely chopped onions, some rice flour, some gram flour, some grated coconut, coriander, curry leaves, salt to taste - making balls of the firm mixture and flattening it ( flatter is  better than fluffier) and deep frying in oil to a crispy golden brown (takes longer than normal vadas). The vadas were very crisp and gone in a jiffy ( maybe because hunger levels were in RED!). At least it only took about 30 minutes to prepare, cook and clean :o).

 Maybe the other reason why the vadas disappeared so quickly was because of the interesting episode that we were watching on TV. It was about parallel universes - how every thought that originates in your mind creates a new reality: a new YOU, as real as you, existing in a parallel universe, something that you are not aware of at all. Like you go to a theatre and ponder on which movie to watch, you end up watching every movie you think of, but as other realities - the YOUs that you are not aware of.

The program was quite mesmerizing, but only until the point where we started speculating  on our thoughts, after which we broke into a laughing frenzy. Like something as simple as a "to pee or not to pee" dilemma creating two realities. (You can imagine what all disgusting things the boys would have thought of involving poking nose, using the byproduct of poking in multiple ways and such gross thoughts and their realities).

I was quite bemused by my "should I blog now? Naah, maybe later" thought triggering frantic "me"s blogging away like mad somewhere else in an alternate reality. Bet the blogs are much much better out there, since I always "think" about making the blog better and more presentable!!

And how about the thought processes of those realities who think they are the actual realities?! Or the thoughts about the thoughts themselves :o0!!.

DH tried getting preachy telling the boys that this is why they should never have desires, as they keep creating new issues of the self and which means it would be all the more tougher to attain nirvana. To which DS1 promptly replied, "But every time I suppress the desire, there is going to be a reality which would live the "express desire" instance, so I am creating a new reality anyways"!

Quite an interesting concept with loads of physics involved. As long as the Universe remains a mystery, there are going to be a million theories ( and so, a million Universes?!?).

Anyway, since my other reality today has chosen the not-to-blog life, bet she is getting her beauty sleep right now. Wonder who else exist in that universe with her! Dare to take a guess? Remember, every thought COUNTS! ;o)

Sunday 16 June 2013

The Arrival

Author: Shaun Tan
Ages: 6+ to 100+


"What draws so many to leave everything behind and journey alone to a mysterious country, a place without family or friends, where everything is nameless and the future is unknown? This silent graphic novel is the story of every migrant, every refugee, every displaced person, and a tribute to all those who have made the journey." - Blurb of "The arrival".

The blurb says it all. This is the story of one such immigrant who leaves his family to go and seek a living in a strange place. So alien, so full of strange structures, weird plants and animals, everything so foreign. It is the story of how he tries to communicate with the locals, not knowing their language. How he finds a place to live, a pet, a series of basic jobs, how he learns the new way of life, meets refugees and immigrants and learns of their stories, makes friends, saves up and finally calls his family over to settle down with him.

This book is very emotional. I ended up holding it and reading it for quite a long time. Which is amazing, given the fact that this is a picture book. With no printed story, not even a word. And any letters and words that do come in the drawings of the strange place are even more stranger, so this book is a story told with nothing but art. In black and white with that worn-out effect so beautifully created, it is a masterpiece.

So very daunting, isn't it! That feeling of being far away from family, missing that familiarity and warmth that is home, trying to fit in and belong in a strange place full of busy people and their busy lives. I can't even imagine how it would feel for people displaced because of war, poverty and homelessness, moving away with nothing but meagre belongings and leaving behind everything that must have meant the world to them, sometimes even loved ones, forever. People trying desperately to forget, to remember, to find hope and move on. People trying to feel accepted, people trying to live.

Throughout the story are people who take the time to step out of their routine and offer help to a complete stranger, be it with the directions, tickets on transport, or even inviting him home for dinner. They befriend the immigrant, talk about how they ended up in this place and try to help him with their knowledge of the place ( have you ever had a flashback story rendered just with still life pictures?! unbelievable work!!).

The immigrant works really hard, he finally settles down well and his family becomes so at-home in the new place that they even start helping other new comers.

The best books are those that give you a mental picture so vivid that you even remember it long after finishing the book. Shaun Tan has somehow managed to bring out these mental pictures to life so well with his illustrations that I almost felt like I was watching a motion picture.  It transported me to a world so far away, roused so many deep memories and feelings from my sub-conscious and affected me in a very profound way.

The children have been sitting with this book for days together, making out their own meanings from the pictures and noticing so many unspoken feelings. I realized this must be a wonderful book to discuss in a class. Imagination, creativity, sensitivity, war, life, compassion, displacement, hard work, value of family and love, there is so much that this book has to offer as classroom material.

Here's what Shaun Tan has to say about the book.

And here's the book ( most of it) on Youtube. (although it isn't as intense as it would feel when you actually read the book).

And that immigrant in the story, it is actually the author's drawing of himself.

The Arrival. Disturbingly strange, yet so familiar.

Friday 14 June 2013

Snuggle with Indian Picture Books

Much as would have loved to review them, I do not have a source here to obtain Indian books from. So  until I make my trip back home, I would have to stick to local books. But my cousin sent me a blog link and I found it to be a very exhaustive collection of Indian story books for children.

The blog is owned by Richa Jha, an Indian author who resides in Nigeria. She has done such a wonderful job with her blog snugglewithpicturebooks, reviewing Indian picture books and even interviewing some authors.  The blog is very neat and versatile and reflects her passion and her talent as well. The ratings table that she uses at the end of her review is absolutely unique - "Ha Ha! quotient, Touches the Heart, Cuts through the Clutter, Visual Appeal, Encore quotient, Thank God it's not Moral Science and Hey!That's a really important book" all rated on a scale of 1-5 is such a cute idea :o).

More than anything, what instantly attracted me to her blog was the way she has described her craze for picture books, it sounded just like ME!

Perhaps if you have ever come across any good blogs on Indian books ( for children), you could just add it as a comment to this post, so it would be a good place to refer back to when you want to choose books.

Appending all the suggested links:
http://www.saffrontree.org/
http://karadionline.blogspot.in/

Tuesday 11 June 2013

The Spider and the Fly

Designed and Illustrated by : Tony DiTerlizzi
Based on an 170+ years old poem by Mary Howitt 
Ages: 4+ years



"Will you walk into my parlour?", 
said the Spider to the Fly

How many times would these eternal lines have been referred to and quoted! This is a poem that I learnt in childhood and adore even today. Seeing this as a picture book made me pick it up instantly. And I wasn't disappointed at all! For this book has all that thrill and caution of the classic poem even more enhanced by Tony DiTerlizzi's truly rich, dark, gothic illustrations. A visual treat, a tale of caution, a lesson that children of today truly need to bear in mind.

This is the story of an unassuming, innocent Fly that happens to pass by a hungry Spider who invites her to his web with sugar-coated, flattering description of his beautiful parlour. The Fly is all too cautious and keeps resisting all attempts until the Spider woos her by praising her beauty. The silly Fly falls for the flattery, and falls prey to the Spider by getting tangled in his web.

The illustrations must really be given a special mention, for they carry this already powerful poem to a whole new level - the sleek, sly gentleman Spider in his impeccable attire and a wicked grin, the innocent victorian damsel Fly with those big, cautious eyes,  the dangerously dark parlour, all in black and white are really very captivating.  And the ever so slight extra touches he has drawn, like those ghosts ( of flies) and the tombstone in the end with a word of caution make the story even more ominous.


And now, dear little children, who may this story read,
To idle, silly, flattering words I pray you ne'er give heed.

It's not just the children, it's that fly in all of us that should learn this lesson and remember it forever. Particularly in these times when the newspaper is so full of news about bad things done to children. It is our duty to educate children to be well wary of the wicked wide world.

Sometimes I've noticed that when children move to bigger chapter books, parents don't really give them a picture book, as they feel it is way too easy for them. Reading is not just about reading words or tackling tougher sentences. It is all about what you take back from the story, what you comprehend from the words, what you discover from the pictures and you might well see that sometimes fluent readers miss out on such delicate details. This is one book that is not to be missed like that. It is a very mature poem and something children of all ages would enjoy and understand at so many emotional levels.

Here's a Youtube version read by English Actress Emilia Fox.

"Be warned, little dears, and know that spiders are not the only hunters and bugs are not the only victims. Take what has transpired within these pages to heart, or you might well find yourself trapped in some schemer's web" - Spider.

Tuesday 21 May 2013

The Hueys - It Wasn't Me

Author and Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers
Ages: 2+


If you asked what the maximum used kiddy statement in our house is, I'd immediately vouch for this - "It wasn't me!". Especially with their eyes admitting guilt since their innocence can't mask it. It would be extremely difficult then to stifle the instant laugh that the scene would generate. :o)

The other day I was "Windows" shopping in one of my favourite store, I saw this card and went "Awwwwwww!, how cute is that!". Kids all over the world, they're all the same, all so cute, especially in their guiltiest-most moment ( Disclaimer : Not Always, please adore them at your own peril. Those little brats have a mind of  their own, enough to drive you out of your mind).

And so when I read this book ( standing in the bookstore :o)), it is this very same cuteness that appealed to me almost immediately. The Hueys, if you remember from one of my earlier posts, used to all think and look alike until Rupert and his friend Gillespie created a revolution. The Hueys have since moved on and started being unique.

The Hueys almost always agree upon everything. Until they have one of those moments when they disagree, which is what happens in the story. Heated arguments and blame games ensue and the fight intensifies. That's when Gillespie comes along and asks what the fight was all about. Nobody actually remembers why it started. Gillespie then asks them if they wanted to see a dead fly.


"Of Course!".

"Why didn't you say earlier?".

"How long has it been dead?".

And the gang disperses enthusiastically to check out the fly, the fight dumped and completely forgotten.

Utterly cute, somehow it makes you feel connected with the story the moment you read it. How many times would you have effectively diverted a raging toddler in terrible twos by pointing out to a totally simple, silly, stupid thing! Or jumped in to mediate kid fights and they don't even remember why they've been mad at each other and worse still, start giggling uncontrollably just when you're sternly delivering a serious lesson of forgiveness, love etcetera.

And oh! It holds equally good for all grown-ups as well. If only we could be diverted this effectively by a dead fly...

A cute book that kids would love. Oliver Jeffers certainly must have a pair of kids' shoes that he gets into every time he writes a new book. He somehow brings out little sweet nothings of childhood so well in his books. And his doodle characters emote so well and speak volumes with monosyllables!

I only wish they weren't this pricey, though.

Wednesday 15 May 2013

Colin Fischer

Authors: Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz
Ages: 13+
Note: Contains some sexual references pertaining to teenage talk and adolescence




Colin Fischer cannot stand to be touched. He hates the colour blue. He needs index cards to relate to facial expressions. He has Asperger's, is socially awkward, emotionally bland with a very high IQ. He adores Sherlock Holmes' unemotional logic, sticks to routines, is too blatant, loves facts and can't relate to fiction, can't even lie. Yet when a gun goes off in his school's cafeteria, he is the only one brave enough to stay behind and investigate. And arrive at the truth, even if it meant saving the back of his bullying classmate ( who dunks his head in the toilet the very first day) who everybody thinks is the suspect.

If you got reminded of "The Curious incident of the Dog in the Night-time", you would be forgiven. The resemblance is unmistakeable and the plot, not really fresh. But the book is still a very good read and is unique in its own way.

Seeing the world in Colin's eyes gives us a taste of how it feels like to live with Asperger's. It is certainly a difficult challenge, and it certainly needs a huge change in perception among family and friends. However It is also amazing to see how much he accepts his own limitations and how well he acknowledges his gifts. Because of his lack of emotions, his inability to see through rhetorical questions and double meanings, he simply lives life black and white, which is kind of innocent and you feel like protecting him.

It is quite interesting how the author has managed to squeeze in humour as well! Also, Colin's diary features in the story almost as a supporting character and is quite entertaining. The wide variety of facts at the beginning of every chapter is also something I enjoyed reading, so would the kids. However, it has a few loose ends, and does not feel as complete as Mark Haddon's curious incident of the dog. Perhaps it is because it deals more with Colin's condition and his perspective than the curious incident itself.

The author has done a wonderful job with Colin's portrayal as an Asperger's child. I was reading through the "Asperger's" search results and this one lists almost everything that Colin feels / does.

The scenes inside the Fischer household are also something we would instantly relate to - calm Dad, slightly over-protective and over-reacting mum, a taunting sibling and a daily routine. I especially liked Mr Fisher's statement when he is nagged by Mrs Fisher to take her with him to fetch Colin when he gets himself into a tight corner by lying for the first ever time : "Sometimes, the last thing in the world a boy wants is his mother - especially when he needs her the most". (I should remember to respect the amount of free space children require when they grow into teens. It would be hard, but I shouldn't end up being the clingy mother.)

More and more children are getting diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder every day. Perhaps what was earlier dismissed as bad behaviour / shy character / clumsiness / dullhead / quirkiness / mental illness is now clearly diagnosed. About 1 in 100 children, and boys more often than girls get diagnosed with ASD. Some forms of ASD are more manageable, some barely noticeable and some, quite detrimental. Parents, doctors and schools are trying more and more to mainstream many of these children. It is only fair that proper awareness is created both among adults and children to be able to support them as class mates and friends. After all, they are also like us,  albeit with a slightly different set of needs.

In fact if we do think honestly, I bet we would certainly find some quirkiness inside all of us that needs quick pruning, but is always overgrown! But unlike those with ASD, we actually know what is wrong, where we are wrong, and yet we choose to ignore and carry on being the worser one, don't we!



Monday 13 May 2013

Oh Puppies!

Author : Adrian Collman
Illustrator: Duncan Preston
Ages: 3+

You know with all the publicity and PR and stuff books get these days, it is rather very soothing to come across a very talented, yet unassuming author. Adrian Collman is certainly both, as I found out when he visited my little boy's school. Had he not been sitting in front of his books and signing them, I'd have assumed he was just another hassled parent doing the school run :o).

 And the books appear even more unassuming. My elder boy asked me if they were really books or something printed out by school.

But the stories do the trick very well. The text is simple and repetitive, catchy for a toddler to latch on to and enjoy. The story is about kids requesting Dad for a puppy with all the usual promise of taking care of it. But then Oh! Puppies will be puppies - cute, loving, adorable, but naughty! The puppies actually happen to be the author's own, and there are photos of the author's household with the sweet pair, sometimes up to their neck in mischief.

It is fun to read the book with little ones. Forget about a moral, a learning, whatever. Kids need to simply enjoy sometimes -  no punctuation, grammar, stress and pause attached, and this book achieves just that ( although there are so many things that they would pick up and remember for a long time - Like asking for puppies!). There is a little hide-and-seek thing as well which would interest the tiny readers a lot.

I liked the intro page and the last page a lot in this book. It provided for good guided reading tips for adults and a very important message for kids - "Dogs are very hard to look after and the naughty things they get up to won't always make everyone laugh". Perfect, just the handy thing parents would need after the kids are done with the book and started with the " Pleeeeeease Could we get a puppy" mantra.

The author's website was quite interesting as well.

We also enjoyed our signed copy of another book by Adrian, "Worst Animal Jobs Ever". Quite suitable for the toddler kids, it was hilarious seeing what jobs ought NOT to be given to some animals!!

My elder kid wasn't quite interested with the repetition, he has been reading the following:

"A Brief History of Time" by Stephen Hawkings
"Bleach" series by Tite Kubo
"Just William" by Richmal Crompton
"Big Nate" series by Lincoln Peirce

Also revising "Jurassic Park" and "The Lost World" and the "Horrible Histories" for the last who-knows-since-when days.

Not sure if I'd be getting round to reviewing any of these soon! I guess I need some growing up as well!! :o)

Saturday 27 April 2013

The Journey Home

Author and Illustrator: Frann Preston-Gannon
Ages: 3+ years


The author of this story happens to be the only person from UK who has won the prestigious "Sendak Fellowship" and worked on this book while staying with the author himself during the fellowship program. The book is so neatly written and illustrated so splendidly that it is hard to believe that this is the author's first picture book, although she has illustrated for Walker books, Burt's Bees etc before.

The world as we knew it has since deteriorated. The world as we know it is being devastated by us even as I am writing this. I sometimes wonder if all this pollution and deforestation could ever do anything at all to Earth which has borne testimony to life and endurance since its genesis. One giant wave, one rapid solar flare, one meteor blaze and all the plastics in the world would vanish into thin air. And before long, life forms would start establishing themselves afresh. To quote one of my most favourite lines by Dr Malcolm from Jurassic Park, " Life will find a way".

But that does not in any way justify what Man is doing to his co-inhabitants- how he is unethically, unlawfully, inhumanely destroying their homes, their food and the creatures themselves. It is nothing but pure horror story. If this is what is the survival of the fittest, then I am ashamed to survive.

In this wonderfully penetrating book, the author handles just this very issue, but in such a simple way that children could understand. It certainly is a book that parents should read out to kids or read with them, because it opens up so many avenues for discussions and would hopefully linger inside the children long enough for them to decide on acting upon issues in any way they could ( walk more and use car less, reduce plastic bags, plant trees, recycle properly and be sensitive to nature. After all, as my DS2 said, we are 100% natural, but 100% acting against nature!).

The story opens with the Polar bear sitting on a tiny iceberg wondering where the ice had all gone, because its food had also disappeared with the ice. So he is forced to swim away, and finds a lone boat and climbs into it. Soon, he swims by a city of machines and sky scrapers and finds a lone Panda there. He is certainly the odd thing out in a concrete jungle with no bamboo shoots to eat, so he joins the polar bear.

As they float on into what was once a jungle before deforestation but now just tree stubs, they spot an Orang-utan looking so lost as there aren't any more trees to climb on. They invite his to join the boat and they all sail along. Very soon they spot an elephant who is hiding behind a boulder from poachers trying to steal his tusks. He joins the boat gang as well.

Then the boat sails into a storm and drifts very far away form their homes. The animals think of their homes and miss them so terribly. They feel completely lost until they sight a Dodo in a tiny tropical island. They tell the Dodo that they want to go back home. The wise Dodo says that that is very much possible "when the trees grow back and when the ice returns and when the cities stop getting bigger and bigger and hunting stops".

And when the Polar bear questions when that would be, Dodo just says " I don't know, let's see what tomorrow brings".

And there is the beautiful picture of those animals huddled together and looking at a lovely sunset.

All through the story, the animals never stop to admire nature - the gulls, the fish, the clouds and the sunset. It gives  you a feeling that they are really connected and completely blend into nature, unlike Man.

The illustrations have a hint of Eric Carle's tissue paper creatures. They are simple, but emote remarkably, a bit disturbingly as they seem to question our conscience so much. In all, this is a perfect bed-time cuddle book with a strong message.

The journey home. Perilous but Possible. If only...

Sunday 21 April 2013

Tea Break - Rooibos

... otherwise known as Red Bush tea, grown in Africa. Works as a natural remedy for asthma, colic, allergies, skin problems, gout and PMS symptoms. Caffeine free, so aids sleep as well.

I realized I haven't been blogging so much in the last few weeks. I have been making Hay while the sun was NOT shining! When I say hay, I am actually talking about my nemesis - Hay day, the ipad/iphone game that is truly the craziest, most addictive game I have played so far. If you are one of the lucky few who haven't really come across the same, I request you to skip this post and continue your blissful existence. And for the rest, let's make some more hay!

It all started off with my sister suggesting the game to me. I thought it was just another one of those endless games that kids play on the iphone/ipad and wasn't really interested. But because it was my dear little sis who recommended it, I casually asked my DH ( dear husband) to download the free game and check it out. And then I totally forgot about it and busied myself with the mundane. If only I had stayed that way :o(

Realizing the house had been unusually quiet for hours, I went into the bedroom and saw the DH huddled with DS1( dear first son) and DS2(dear second son), all of them talking farmer tongue -  "Dad, Milk the cows", " Oh no! the barn is too full, sell some stuff, Dad", " there's a school order that needs bread, harvest the carrots and sow more wheat". Apparently, they had been doing it for at least 4 hours, while all along I had been cleaning, then cleaning and after that, cleaning. I erupted with a force that was next only to Eyjafjallajökull's (no I don't know the spelling, I wiki-ed it), grounded all of them just like the volcano grounded the flights and gave a long sermon to DH about "setting a good example for the growing boys and rationing internet time". The house continued to be quiet, but now it was the usual quiet, the aftermath of the eruption :o) :o) :o).

Now I am a big fan of "Aunty Acid" and particularly her saying " I go to bed wide awake and wake up extremely sleepy". So when I was lying in my bed that night wide awake, I ended up picking the iPad to see what the bonkers that application was about.

"Hmmm... easy  to play, cute farm there. But not a good arrangement of the fields, lemme just change it".
"I see, oh, silly boys, they should have upgraded the barn to a bigger storage, lemme just earn some money and buy the things needed for that".
"Perhaps I should jussssst up one level to get those new kind of crops, they seem to be there in all the orders"
"Diamonds for achievements, eh. Well I'll prove who I am!".

"Just one harvest and I'm off".

"Just this sale".

"Only this last order".

"Last ever hunt for treasure boxes".

"Teeny peek to see if some farmer needs a hand".

"Never playing again for the next 10... nanoseconds".

And it never stopped at all. If I weren't milking cows in my dreams, I was shearing sheep or counting diamonds. I became a loonier-than-thou loony. Not even the smug smiles on the boys' faces would make me stop playing. Slowly, it became a family-run farm. DH would walk out from meetings to check if I had "harvested". DS1 would order me on phone( while walking to and from school) not to waste diamonds on useless decorating stuff. DS2 would just ask, "Did you do anything other than Hay Day"?.

It was official. We were hit badly by the Hay Day pandemic. We were losing it up there. Week after week, we were walking, talking, breathing the game.

All until the sun really started shining. It is amazing what sunlight can do to your gloomy, couch-warming self! The boys have been out all day these days, they don't bother about hay, it is all outdoor play. To become more presentable when the coats go off, I've put myself into my own correction facility to shake off those fluffy bits and bobs added during winter ( which is so very easier said than done if you LOVE chocolate. Or cake. Or Toffee swirl ice cream with toffee bits and honey coated pecan. With hot Jamuns. STOP!!!). DH is simply too harassed by office to think of anything. And I've promised myself to get back to blogging more.

But if you are thinking that the farm is now neglected and dead, that is where you would be wrong. Nobody really knows who has been tending to it, as nobody catches anybody playing, but somebody always ensures the jobs are completed. My guess is that it is everybody :o)

 

Friday 19 April 2013

Private and Confidential

Author: Marion Ripley
Illustrator: Colin Backhouse
Ages: 5+ years


Children are always intrigued by anything and everything that is prohibited to them. If I ever say to my little one " Never open Dad's draw, he has some really important documents in there", I can be 100% sure he is going to get a sneak peek at the earliest available opportunity. Not take anything from it, not even touch the contents, just take that forbidden peek. Was it the negative suggestion ( DO NOT DO IT!), was it the thrill of breaking the rule or was it simply innocent inquisitiveness, I have no idea.

On the other hand, have you ever tried even touching the little ones' diaries, journals or cereal boxes that have been sealed with miles of cello tape dangerously criss-crossed? Anything private and confidential to them MUST never even be looked at from a long distance And if you ever break that rule even by mistake, you pay a dear price indeed. (And if it happens to be your PMS day, well, you'll have my hugs and sympathies galore!).

My son picked this book up exactly because he loved the title - Private and Confidential. Like Dad's draw! What we did not expect was the thought-provoking story with a learning inside.

The girl in the story, ten year old Laura, gets a bit upset when a "private and confidential" letter comes for her mum by the post. Even her brother gets his own letter and she longs to get a letter in her name as well. By chance, her teacher at school says he has some interested children in Australia who would love to be pen-pals.

Laura wants a girl with similar interests, but instead gets to be pals with a boy, Malcolm. They write to each other and exchange photos. But after her reply, Laura never gets another letter from Malcolm. Just when she was beginning to wonder if he didn't like her picture, she receives a letter from Malcolm's sister explaining that Malcolm has to have his eye operated as he is almost blind. And that she was the one who'd read her letters to Malcolm, as Malcolm could only read Braille.

When Laura sits deeply saddened by the fact that Malcolm never told her this in the first place, her Dad tells her that Malcolm had just wanted to make friends, have happy talks and perhaps would have told her later. And he asks her how this would make any difference at all if he is her friend.

Very soon, Laura gets a letter from Malcolm in Braille ( The book actually has the Braille letter inside that you can feel and read) and is so overjoyed! And when he brother asks what it is about, she comments that it is "private and confidential"!!

What a beautiful way to introduce a sensitive topic! We took so much time figuring out the letter and my little boy was so overwhelmed by the difficulty. He instantly commented "But how is Malcolm not sad about it at all, why did he not tell Laura he had a problem or he couldn't read!". We re-read what Dad told Laura about it, and I thought it was such a beautiful discussion on how he doesn't think of it as a disability and does not want to project it so.

Malcolm never brings out any negativity regarding his condition. He is very positive and outgoing and it is a trait all of us could do with. Laura never feels sorry for Malcolm, but instead, starts writing to him in Braille. That is the beauty of friendship. And the beauty of children. They simply are full of love and understanding, pure and fresh. They take things by face value, never look up or look down, and when guided rightly, never discriminate. All that happens right after we "adult"erate them with our thoughts and actions.

Again, this is one of the stories that are going to be woven into our talks and discussions for a long time to come.

Private and Confidential. A moving story with a positive note. The Braille letter is an added touch of genius.

Saturday 6 April 2013

Solo

Author and Illustrator: Paul Geraghty
Ages: 4+


When you look at the book you might almost mistake it for an educational one about life in the Antarctic. With original photographs. That is how vivid and detailed the pictures and the story look.

Solo is a very beautifully illustrated book about the life of an Emperor penguin family and its struggle for survival in an almost uninhabitable corner of the Earth. Mum Floe, after being back from the sea,  finds her soulmate Fin and gives birth to Solo - still inside the egg, and then makes it back to sea to travel hundreds of miles to get food for her yet-to-be-born chick. Daddy Fin then gets ready for the toughest ordeal of going without food for months together and huddling close with the penguins in the rookery to keep himself and the newly hatched chick Solo warm. And alive.

After what seems like ages, Floe returns and takes charge of Solo while Fin finally gets his chance to venture out to sea and have some food and get some for Solo. But time moves on and while other daddies return, there is no sign of Fin. Floe realizes she must leave Solo alone and go herself to get some food, or Solo would starve away. She makes that toughest decision of leaving Solo alone and toboggans off to sea, wary of the leopard seals that are ready to make her a meal, should she be any less careful.

Left to its own self, Solo becomes an easy catch to all the mother penguins that have lost their chick as they tug at her quite violently to adopt her as their own. Solo somehow manages to escape their clutches, only  to be pinned down by the Skua, a scavenger bird that preys on penguin chicks that stray from the rookery. Just when the skua is about to nip Solo's belly off, Fin makes his heroic entry and lunges at the Skua and chases it away. Then you see what had taken so long for Fin to get back - he had gotten himself entangled in a net, and had somehow escaped, dragging the net along. A while later Floe is back as well, and the family has a very happy reunion.

Solo brought back memories of the Emperor Penguin documentary by Sir David Attenborough. Very beautiful ones, you can watch them here:
 Daddy penguins in the rookery
Return of mummy penguins
Leopard Seal hunting out Emperor penguins

This book proved to be a great topic for discussion, both scientific and sentimental and is definitely a very good read about life in the Antarctic, survival instinct and the extreme endurance of the animal kingdom and the continuous threat that humans impose on these magnificent beings.

Solo. A beautiful tale of love and endurance.

Tuesday 26 March 2013

Why Does Ear Wax taste so gross... and more top trivia!

Author : Mitchell Symons
Ages: 6+

About 6 years back, my elder son came inside the kitchen asking me for a bottle quarter filled with water. He then asked for a spoonful of all the spices in the kitchen, some coriander, yogurt, flour, rice, lentils, oil, my perfume, baby shampoo, shaving foam, crushed ginger and finally some acrylic paint. He then disappeared for about an hour, then came back and asked me to save his "special magic potion" in the kitchen window sill, and I obliged. Every time I glanced at it, mum instinct would kick me with a vengeance, but I was too busy to give it a thought. Eventually after 4 or 5 days, the kicks became too much to bear and I summoned my boy and asked him what was so special about the potion. My instinct had been spot on, he could find "no cat urine to go into the potion", so he wee-d into it and that I should "never worry, the magic would still work fine"! :oO!!

Some things never change with time. Some boys never change at all!

Recently, I discovered there is such a genre of books called "grossology".  Very aptly named, because these books can't quote more grosser facts! Like the one suggested in the title of this book...  Why does ear wax taste so gross.

While I was wondering who in the world would ever want to taste THAT, I overheard my boys ( standing in front of this book in the library) comparing the intricate effects that this thing and a very particular other thing had on their taste buds :o{ ...
and went gagging away :oC ...
only to find the book right beside their bedside table that night :o\.

I agree. My culinary delights are anything but delightful, but I had never ever ever ever expected my boys to resort to eating such appalling stuff! I should really try to cook more interesting things to eat. Or probably make my usual cooking look gross enough to interest them :o)

And just when I was wondering if this was a faulty gene-of-this-generation running in my family, I stumbled upon this mumsnet discussion about house rules. One of the mum had quoted " don't sit on your sibling and fart", and I realized I am not the lone mum with DSs obsessed and extremely "inquisitive and creative" with their output. :o)

Anyway, coming down to the book: this is not really the book of general knowledge or the quiz book that would get you prizes, but it is certainly something the kids will enjoy reading again and again. Some facts in the book aren't quite the useful stuff  - knowing that a rat can swim 72 hours non-stop isn't going to get you a degree. But it is a bit of info nevertheless, and little curious brains ( of boys, in particular) seem to relish such trivia. It also has loads of facts about body functions(!), inventions, famous people, films, history, geography. languages and just about anything.

I liked reading the bits about what kids wrote in English, history, science exams. Totally funny. Like this one:  "John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met." LOL! And " She walked into my office like a centipede with 98 missing legs" !!

And quite soon it dawned on me that I had read the book back-to-back without even realizing it :o)

I still decided against practically experimenting on the title, though!

Monday 11 March 2013

Tea Break - Just plain

Aaaaah... That hot cup of solace from a lone stall on a bleak, shivering day. No posh tea could beat That!

March came rolling in with double digit temperatures, and the daffs in the garden just started playing Peepo! with me, but oh no! Jealous Snow Queen turns up again to punish me with icicles and howling snow! :o(

February and March always have their share of special days. I am not quite sure if I buy into the concept of celebrating "days". I must be the worst memory chip ever designed, you know, the ones that get almost discarded but then sold off on a seconds sale. I forget my own birthday / wedding anniversary etc leave alone remember those of others! I have had instances of my cousins calling to wish me and me asking them what the occasion was!

Anyway, I was meaning all the Valentine's day, Father's day, Mother's day and all similar ones. I like the idea of putting a smile on the faces of someone who means so much to you, but I am not at all for the commercial aspect of it. It is okay that they might be the bread and butter of Hallmark and Moonpig and what-not card companies, but these cards, they are such spoilsports! Even if some of them are really very beautiful and bring out just the perfect feeling, I must admit!

Personally, I rather prefer the home-made ones, the odd paint blobs and finger smudges included. They show someone really took the time. Someone thought about you and broke their back to do something to make you smile. I love that very much. These days we try to make our own cards for all occasions. ( hehe particularly after my little boy started having parties at the rate of 2 per month, each jointly for 3 or 4 kids. In their class, everybody gives parties to everybody!)

I used to be against all these "days" thing. Particularly Mother's day. I would think - why celebrate your mother on just that day, she should be celebrated every single day. That was a very young, very strong and confident ME talking, I think. Because after all these years of being mum to two typhoons,and not being "celebrated" at all, I am beginning to have second thoughts.

I wonder how many people still follow the basic tradition of Mothering Sunday - to go to their mother Church with their family and pray, a holiday to be with their mother and other members of family and do family activities. For the time-pressed, gadget obsessed generation of today, it has become a very easy way out - just get a card, a bunch of flowers, some slippers or pyjamas or girly things and that's all done! Who cares what Mum really wants, am done with the job.

At home, this year was a sweet surprise. As ever, my boys came to me asking what I wanted for Mother's day. I told them I wanted the usual - cuddles and kisses for me and cards and letters for their Grannies. The boys went one step ahead. They made Tea for me ( they sure know how to please Mum and get away with treats!), made breakfast as well, hoovered the house, put the rubbish out, and to top it all, made some delicious toffee for me all by themselves ( they said the recipe was from a book I got for them. They even wanted to make the lunch, but my motherly inner-self's warning intercepted just in time and saved the kitchen from the imminent threat!!) That was the best treat, the best gift I had ever received! I was so overjoyed and that moment I realized - all mums could certainly do with some attention and pampering. Even if it is for just one day, it is a very wonderful way to feel loved, to smile at those genuine attempts made by your little ones to make you feel special.

 
How many times in a day do we take Mums for granted! As if that is not enough, we even idolize Mums and make so many quotes about her faultless, selfless, ever-smiling love, sacrifice etc and make them feel immensely under pressure to be all that they are meant to be as per those poems and verses. I mean of course a Mum is all of that quite naturally, but darn it, she is also a woman by herself - someone with anger, resentment, disappointments, hard choices, fallible, sometimes wanting to be selfish, sometimes with a little ego and sometimes wanting to be so far away from everyone, as well! The most cruel thing you could do to a mother is to pile all those quotes of highest, almost impossible expectations on her, thereby making any normal and sane mother feel like a failure. If a mother is to be idolized, it is not because she spreads love beyond all such human negativities, but despite all of it.

For it takes a strong-willed mother to raise beyond all those feelings and emotions and still love their family like mad. Despite being ignored, despite being taken for granted, despite being angered, depressed, forever tired, deprived of their dreams or with innumerable changes to all their life-plans. That, only a mother could do.

And for that, even if it is hugely inadequate, a day of celebration is only befitting.

If only children understood that in the whole world, despite all their military rules, mothers are the easiest to please. All it takes is just a call, a hug,  a few hours of patient listening, a day off from the drudging routine and some kind words.

And perhaps a cup of steaming hot tea - just plain!

 

Monday 4 March 2013

The Giving Tree

Author and Illustrator: Shel Silverstein
Ages: age no bar!

Caution : Tear Jerker ( for adults, kids are a whole lot braver!)

When my dear sister reminded me of Shel Silverstein's works, I ended up getting a couple of his books from the library. The books were adored by the boys. This book, though, is... I just don't know, I really have no words to describe it. I only had my tears bearing testimony to the beauty of this book.

Once there was an apple tree who loved a little boy. The boy played with the tree, ate the apples, gathered leaves and made crowns, swung in her branches and slept underneath when he was tired. He loved the tree very much. And the tree was happy.

Soon, the boy grew into adolescence and his visits to the tree became less frequent. And when he did come, the tree was overjoyed and asked him to come and play on its branches again. The boy said that he was too big to play and that he wanted loads of money to succeed in life. The tree said that she had no money, but he could take her apples and sell them and make money. The boy did just that. And the tree was happy.

A long time of absence, and then the boy came again. The tree's happiness knew no bounds and she again asked him to play and rest with her. But the boy said that he was too busy for that, and that he badly wanted a house for his wife and children, so he could keep them safe. The tree said it had no house, but the boy could take her branches and build a house for himself. The boy did so, and the tree was happy.

And a really long time later, the boy ( who is no longer a boy, but an old man) came again, rather sad. This time when the ecstatic tree asked him to play, he said that he was so tired and sad and wanted to go far far away and needed a boat. The tree offered her trunk for the boat and the boy took the same. The tree was happy, but not very much. She missed the boy, maybe she couldn't bear to see him so sad. Now she was just a barren stump.

Finally, haggard and really old, the boy came again. The tree apologized and told him she had nothing to give. The boy ( now a really old, hunched man) said he only wanted a place to rest. The tree said that her stump was just the place and asked the boy to sit there. The boy did so.

And the tree was happy.

My sister said that after reading this, her little boy commented that "even when you lose everything friends ( like the tree) will be there for you. And the tree was foolish to give away everything, it should have been smarter and the boy was greedy... he kept taking and taking from the tree". These, I thought, were really lovely interpretations made by a wee child!

My elder son had just one thing to say, " Why, that selfish brat of a boy!". But it hit a more sensitive note with my little one. He felt so sad that the tree was reduced to a stump, and kept saying it was a sad story. So I pointed out to him the really, really special part of the story - The tree was happy.

Loving memories, hurt, guilt, unconditional love, revelations, security... the feelings that the story evokes are all so raw, so deep.

For me, it is a testimony to the love of my parents, my in-laws. It is all about that magical gift of being able to give unconditionally. It is such a blissful state that is unfazed by the lack of reciprocation. It only cares about giving. With all the heart, with all the body, as much as possible, as long as possible. Whatever it takes to keep the little one happy. If this is not love in its purest form, if this is not a realized state, then what else could be!

It also reminds me of children. Us as children, and our children. Somehow, parents are the ones who push them to extremes, hammering down the importance of succeeding, of money, fame. And then the children simply go ahead in pursuit of it all, get so absorbed in it, ignore what is important - or who is important, get worn down and tired and finally, realize the whole picture.

If only the realization happens when the stump is still there, waiting...

I am gifted to have experienced the giving tree.

I wish I were the giving tree to loved ones.

I leave the remaining interpretation to the readers.

Here is an online version of the book.

The Giving Tree. Gift it. Receive it. Cherish it.

Wednesday 27 February 2013

This Moose Belongs to Me

Author: Oliver Jeffers
Ages: 5+ to all adults who love quirky moose and a little enlightenment :o)


image courtesy:http://www.oliverjeffers.com/media/TMBTM-04-05_F.jpg 

I am a great admirer of the Geethacharam. Roughly translated, it means:

What has happened, has happened for good
What is happening, is for good
And what will happen would be for good
What possession that was truly yours did you lose
For you to cry over?
What did you bring (into the world) for you to lose it?
What did you create yourself that has been destroyed?
Whatever you took for yourself belongs here
And Whatever you give out belongs here, too
What is yours today will be another's tomorrow
And yet another's, another day.
This is the  principle of the world
This is the essence of creation, of evolution.

Who would have thought that all it takes is a Moose and a funny little boy to make kids understand such a beautiful lesson in life! Hats off to Oliver Jeffers for coming up with this gem of a book - This Moose belongs  to me.

Wilfred finds a moose in his garden, names him " Marcel" thereby proclaiming it belongs to him. He wanders in the woods and mountains with Marcel. He makes many rules for Marcel to follow, to train him. Some of them include serving drinks when he needs, getting things for him that are out of his reach, sheltering him from rain, not disturbing when he plays his records and many such funny rules. Marcel of course, is totally nonchalant. He cares two hoots about the rules, but by nature does things that sometimes tick off some of these rules.

And all is well until one day a lady comes up and calls Marcel as Rodrigo and says it is hers. Much to the fury of Wilfred, Marcel acts as if Wilfred didn't even exist and goes readily to the lady, who has an apple in her hand for him.

An angry Wilfred stomps back home, only to be tangled in a mess by a length of rope that he had left behind. But then he gets rescued by Marcel ( or so he thinks), who then goes to another man who comes by and calls him Dominic and claims that it is his moose!

Hidden inside all the funny, yet very perfect story and illustrations are so many beautiful facts stated in Gitacharam. The Moose belongs to no one, everyone simply assumes it is theirs. It comes and goes as it pleases, people get attached to it, but it is like an enlightened being, just not belonging to anyone. It comes from the woods, goes back into the woods.

You get caught in a mess, you are saved out of a mess. These things happen on no account of no merit from your side, it JUST happens.

And even if every now and then things might look as if they belong to you, it is JUST your illusion.

Accept it, you own nothing. Not even your children, as Gibran says.
(They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you....)

Oliver Jeffers' illustrations are also so perfect, the emotions beautifully shown and the book feels very much complete and wholesome with his drawings.

This Moose belongs to Me. This book belongs to me, or does it?!

Tuesday 26 February 2013

(The Hueys in) The New Jumper

US: The Hueys in The New Sweater
Author and Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers
Ages: 3+

I remember when Seth Godin's book was released, Purple Cows were very much in! Being different suddenly became a trend that was so religiously followed. Actually so much followed that suddenly, being normal became the new fashion :o).

Jokes apart, this book by Oliver Jeffers is a children's version of The Purple Cow. Only, it doesn't really talk about standing out in the business as much as saying that being different could be so much fun. And how fashion trends go from initial rejection to passive aversion to almost Swine Flu-ishly feverish copying world-wide! ( Gangnam-ishly viral, to make it sound "in trend" as of now :o))

The Hueys ( they are just plain cute - plain and cute!) are a clone-ly lot of beings: they think the same, act the same, do the same and are just the same. That was the rule of the clan - Always same to same :o).

Then comes a stir in the form of Rupert. This Huey is suddenly taken by a whim and knits himself an orange jumper ( sweater).  Looking at his proud display, the Huey town goes into a state of violent shock at the eye sore. Rupert stands out like a sore thumb, didn't he know the rules of being a Huey! Tongues wag behind in disgust, baby Hueys cry looking at this aberration, Mama and Dada Hueys get plain sick, drop their things and get into little accidents just at the sight of this orange-clad anomaly.

But then Rupert's friend Gillespie thinks "Why not!" and he knits himself the same jumper. One is madness, but two different Hueys look curiously cool. Hueys start looking at the daring pair with rising admiration and start wondering "Hmm. Want that!".

And hell, no, wool(orange) breaks loose in Hueyland. Every Huey wants to be different and is busy knitting away orange jumpers. Orange jumpers jump high up in the trend so much.Each Huey thinks it is so different, so Orange and cool. Suddenly all the Hueys in town look different ( and hence, the same :o)).

All until Rupert decides to wear a Hat.

Quite rightly, Gillespie hits his head, perhaps imagining the frantic fever that is going to grip the town again to "look cool and different". The good thing about the ending is that all Hueys are shown wearing totally different outfits and being very happy about being different.

Such a wonderful story, and this is not at all the first time I am wondering if any of these books is meant only for children at all. I rather INSIST that adults get to read these books. They should really be used with older children as well as a discussion point on how fashion trends are created and more important, how it is actually quite nice to be different and original.

My boys loved the story very, very much. The best part of the book is the seemingly very simply drawings. Which means that the kids have created dozens of Hueys since the day they read this book.

I found out that you can design your own Hueys here. Something that the younger children love to do over and over.

You can get a sneak peek into the book here.

And there is a reading of the book here.

Oliver Jeffers says he was greatly influenced in childhood by Maurice Sendak's works, and in particular one of my favourite books,  Where the Wild things are.

He has written many other sweet, quirky, funny and subtly touching books - Lost and Found, How to Catch a Star, This Moose belongs to Me, Stuck, Heart and the Bottle to name some.

The New Jumper. A trendsetter!