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.

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.

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)

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.