Runny Babbit - A Billy Sook

Author: Shel Silverstein
Ages: Anybody who can afford to be silly and have a good laugh!

Spoonerism: NOUN: a verbal error in which a speaker accidentally transposes the initial sounds or letters of two or more words, often to humorous effect, as in the sentence you have hissed the mystery lectures.Origin: early 20th century: named after the Revd W. A. Spooner (1844–1930), an English scholar who reputedly made such errors in speaking.

The New York Times called Shel "That rare adult who can still think like a child". If you read this book with your kids, you will get to know how true that statement is! 

To giggle at deliberately committed spoonerisms is a silly pastime of all children. I used to do it all the time with my sister, and my mum was quite an expert at it as well. To make a book out of the silliest lot of spoonerisms is just pure genius. How many books have you seen out there made of jumbled words, yet read and enjoyed by millions of people all over the world!

Now to the book, Runny Babbit is a Bunny Rabbit who has so fuch mun. Sorry, so much fun and hilarious adventures alongside Millie Woose, Snerry Jake, Toe Jurtle and other frilly siends. Okay sorry again, silly friends, I meant! And with him, you end up having so fuch mun as well! 

The collection of poems about Runny and his friends and their adventures will have your tongue (and brain) all muddled up and eyes extremely watery from all the giggling and chortling. I mean, you can let out your inner child and have the most wonderful family reading time with kids ever! Even the grumpiest child is bound to be in stitches after reading this. At least, that is what always happens in our house. Needless to say, we kind of monopolise this library book and borrow it the moment we spot it, again and again!

And it is this exact page that has entertained many a tea-time and bed-time in our house :o)

The boys sure love to "shake a tower" but not to "bake their med". What a hilarious set of reminders!

This book was completed prior to Shel's death in 1999, but published much later and bears testimony to the remarkable talent that Shel had in connecting with children instantly and making readers of all ages laugh a lot, and ponder a lot as well. 

And if you think all this word play is utter nonsense and waste of time, think again. Or read again. It takes quite a bit of rearranging and some sharp observation to order and read the words. Actually, the children would be exercising their brain and phonetics (or phonemes or phonics or whatever name that goes by these days- in olden days I suppose it was just called "reading") without even realising it, in fact thoroughly relishing it!

Runny Babbit. What a bovely look! Mot to be nissed at all :o)

The Mysteries of Harris Burdick

Author: Chris Van Allsburg
Ages: 5+

Warning: Extreme over usage of the word mystery, because, well, it is an extremely mysterious book!

When you find a beautiful story, you find yourself getting transported to the world it portrays. When you find a story though, with a title, a picture and just one line as caption, you are treated to not one, but a thousand possible worlds and stories and the result is just endless hours of intrigue and extreme suspense. And when you find a book that has 14 such pictures, it is a riot of imagination! And that is exactly what this book is.

Mulled over by many and attempted to be solved by many more, Chris Van Allsburg's book is truly a sensation. And the mystery and suspense became too much to bear that a group of choicest authors from all over the world ( including Stephen King, Louis Sachar and Chris himself) put down to pen their own versions and published it as a book, "The Chronicles of Harris Burdick".

As if this isn't mysterious enough, the origin of the book is another mystery in itself. Chris saw a set of 14 drawings during a visit to a children's book publisher, Mr Peter Wenders. Mr Wenders explained that thirty years before that day, a Mr Harris Burdick came into his office with these pictures, which were samples from the 14 stories he had written.

Mr Wenders was fascinated by the drawings and wanted to read the stories. Mr Burdick left the samples with him and agreed to bring the stories the next day, but he never turned up. Mr Wenders was never able to find him, and Mr Burdick remained a big mystery. Inspired by the drawings, many children including Mr Wenders' had written so many stories about each picture. Chris read the stories and was amazed at the endless possibilities and got inspired himself. He reproduced these drawings and made them into a book including Mr Burdick's original captions as well, in the hope that it will inspire children of generations to come. I'm including a picture here with it's caption and you can see how hard it is to not imagine a story!

Title: A Strange Day in July. 
Caption: He threw with all his might, but the third stone came skipping back.

This book has been used by teachers, parents, story competitions all over the world to stimulate the children's imagination. The drawings are stunning and in keeping with the black-and-white pencil drawing style that Chris has used to create so many timeless magical books like Jumanji, Zathura and my favourite one, The Polar Express. 

Chris' works have won many awards and have even inspired directors to create enchanting and extraordinary movies, all of them going on to become mega hits! And although Polar Express would always be my favourite as a book and also as an entrancing movie ( particularly during the Christmas season), it is always Robbie Williams in Jumanji who would come to my mind whenever I read any work of the author.

More at Chris' website here. Story Competitions and an opportunity to win signed copies here.

P.S: Many years later, the mystery of Harris Burdick became even more profound when another picture made by him was located elsewhere in a library collection. Read all about it here.

The Unboy Boy

Author: Richa Jha
Illustrator: Gautam Benegal
Ages: 5+

I always used to admire Georgina, or George, one of Enid Blyton's Famous Five . With a boy cut and boy's gut and always up for adventure, she was breaking gender cliches long before they started to be talked strongly about. I also admire parents who try to thwart these gender barriers and simply let kids be kids, playing with anything they fancy - girly or boyish. But of course most of the boys would be mud bathing, stick-fight holding boys and girls would be pretty-in-pink girls and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that at all! Like the author Richa Jha says, there are no unboy boys or ungirl girls in the world. It is simply cool enough to be just the girl or boy that the child is!

Gagan is a gentle boy who loves nature, loves to explore nature, loves his teddy and stamp collection. He hates fighting games, harming even little ants, hates cape guns and battle stories. So he is promptly named "sissy", "scaredy cat", "chooha" by classmates and  made fun of. Even his Dadu tries hard to make him a Boy boy by getting him a cape gun. Only Mum understands how gentle and wonderfully kind he is and reassures him that he is perfect just the way he is and he makes her ever so proud.

All this continues until the class goes for a summer camp. Are the brave Boy boys really brave? Is gentle Gagan really a scaredy cat? All is unveiled in the last few pages of the book with a positive finishing note.

The illustrations are good and there is a part where the children peek into a dark staircase and imagine scary things, which has been done beautifully. Like all those exaggerated, vivid imaginary creatures and dark fears kids picture in their minds until the light is turned on! Reminded me of what kids talk about Prabhu's house in the "Anjali" movie. However, some parents may feel one or two illustrations look a bit scary, perhaps. Although I have to say they are not the gory type, just a little scary and very much aligned with the story line. :o)

Richa Jha writes @snuggle with picture books. I had previously written about her blog here. She has been kind enough to send us this beautiful book to read and review and the boys were so thrilled about it! Thank you so much Richa, we hope you continue to write more wonderful books in future!

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.

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

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!!

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.