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A Face in the Water It
is a delightful story about Pearl, a little girl from a western country, who
has come to India with her parents and her brother Jasper and is visiting
the Taj Mahal for the first time. The narrative shuttles smoothly between
fantasy and reality blending the present with the past as the story of the
Taj unfolds ... Uma Krishmaswamy's beautiful illustrations bring the story
to life and deserve special mention. All in all, a satisfactory read.
– November 2000, The Book Review
A
Face in the Water is more than the story of the Taj. It combines the
past so beautifully with the present that you don't realise you are moving
back and forth in time and straddling centuries ... The wonderful thing
about Libby's writing is that she doesn't talk down to her young readers,
nor does she moralise. Refreshingly told, her tales are a treat.
Children's writing, especially books here, usually
suffer from poor illustrations. But Tulika has ensured that A Face in the
Water comes alive with vibrant colours and simple but superb
illustrations
by Uma Krishnaswamy. Uma effortlessly merges Mughal miniature
with contemporary folk designs. Goharara's swishing skirt is captured in all
its glory as are Pearl's Papa's bermudas!
– July 2000, Deccan Herald
Ordinary Mr Pai
Magic.
The spirit and essence of the book ... In two wonderfully written stories
set in modern Mumbai, the author portrays strong and loveable characters
that any child can identify with easily. The narrative, laced with witty
sentences like, 'Now, you may not know it, but it is quite difficult to be
ordinary,' won
my heart straightaway. So did the excellent illustrations by Phani Tetali. This book is a good one to cuddle up with in bed ...
– July-August 1999, Indian Review of Books
That Summer at Kalagarh Why
on earth is the book so short? After a long, long time we have a story for
young readers that is
not a Famous Five clone, nor is it a boarding school
rehash of the Malory Towers variety.
We've got
a most endearing heroine, Gitanjali. Plump, prone to being teased about her size (that holiday, she's
christened Hathni by her rude cousins!), yet refreshingly self-assured.
Gitanjali definitely needed more space to romp around in than the eighty
pages the short novel allowed her ... It's an unusual story with
a
delightful surprise in store for the reader, right at the end ...I urge you
to buy the book.
– May 2001, Indian Review of Books
This
may be a nice way to wean budding couch potatoes from the addictive influence of the
idiot box. Written by famous children's writer Ranjit Lal, this is a Famous
Five-like story of Gitanjali
and her cousins — Ajay, Ajit and Aveek —
whose summer vacation begins on a nasty note
(the cousins call
her 'Hathni' or she-elephant). But the nasty introduction
is soon salvaged and then unfurls an exciting and gripping tale of childhood
intrigue, wonderment and drama ... Funny and told in photographic detail,
this is something the kids will enjoy during their summer vacations.
– March 2001, Outlook
One
cousin who gets teased, two bullying cousins, one sweet cousin, an uncle and
aunt who always remain unruffled, mystery in the jungle, excitement ...
sounds familiar? But this book is
not just a
simple holiday adventure story. Ranjit Lal's simple yet honestly 'Indian' writing makes
this book a pleasure
to read. A smattering of Hindi and Urdu words in the book give it a very
Indian flavour ...
Ranjit Lal has been writing articles and stories
for children for several years, but this is his first
book for children. But
unlike many other books in this genre, this one is not a lesson in forest
protection in the guise of a storybook. His stories are about forests and
wildlife and because he specialises in natural history ... Like all books
from Tulika, the tiny illustrations and the printing add to the charm of
the
book ...That Summer at Kalagarh captured in the 80 pages of this
book, makes you feel pleasantly warm and happy that more and more Indian
writers are making a mark on the literary scene.
– April 2001, Deccan Herald
In
his new offering, (Ranjit Lal) brings both his skills to bear: a sense of
natural history and a gift for imagination. Kalagarh is free of the usual
syrupy undertones or the taint of being a pale imitation of
Enid Blyton or
Richmal Crompton ... There are no poachers hidden away and no caves with
secret treasures. The landscape is instead transformed into a place of
miracle and wonder...
There are two superb reasons for getting hold of
this book. Not the least is the writer's deep familiarity with the plants
and birds, the forest range and the host of local terms so vital to describe
a forest scene ... Second, though this may be unintended, is the writer's
ability to show how children
in India can transcend social barriers in their
search for the great unknown. The conversations between Gitanjali and the
mahout are perhaps central to the book. They convey
a pleasure of learning that cuts across barriers of age and status, all the
nicer because it is so effortless. A fine book and not only for children.
– The Book Review
Andaman's Boy
If
you have a heightened sense of adventure, then Zai Whitaker's latest book Andamans
Boy is
a delightful read. A plucky 10-year-old who runs away from a
phlegmatic chacha and a nagging chachi; a fascinating tribe; exotic islands;
burly policemen, smart poachers and slimy 'government types' – the book is
a heady mix of everything witty and wild! ...
Whitaker captures the flavour of the islands and
the bustling township of Port Blair rather well. Treating authority with
sparkling irreverence, she draws the reader into looking at the world
through a 10-year-old's eyes. The blurb on the book jacket suggests that it
is for Age 10. Never mind. It's a treat for any age, any time – even for
careworn adults who must rediscover the wonders of life.
– November 1998, Deccan Herald In Andamans Boy, author Zai Whitaker adroitly camouflages a concern
for ecology and respect fir the rights of tribal people as an adventure
story ...At every stage, the story is buoyed up by gentle humour. The series
of sketchily-caricatured 'Inglish'-speaking adults Arif encounters amuse as
much as they confuse the reader ...The glimpses into Jarawa customs are
fascinating and Whitaker excels at describing the breathtaking landscape and
the flora and fauna of the region.
– Indian Review of Books Though
not a part of the target readership, it struck me that Zai addresses more
than just 'kids' through this little adventure tale. Written with her
characteristic felicity of expression, the book welcomes the reader into its
folds from the very beginning and sustains interest thereon. At no
point
will the young reader be intimidated by the narrative or contrived elegance
of language, yet
the theme of the book is one that is bound to shake us
adults out of our complacence that nothing goes wrong in a world when 'we
are in charge'...
In a milieu where young Indian readers are somewhat
starved of indigenously written adolescent fiction, and where they have to
rest contented with (or confused by) foreign books
with which they
can barely relate, Zai's latest work is a welcome arrival. Everything about
it is closer 'home'. While this is an advantage to the young Indian reader,
to the foreigner it is a good means to
whet their curiosity about the land
of Hindi and high drama! If the Newbery Award were extended to Indian works
of adolescent fiction, Andamans Boy would be a certain contender for
it!
– 1999, The Kodai Road
Simple word pictures of the beautiful places
that Arif sees, are made even more attractive by the
soft pencil sketches by Ashok Rajagopalan. Indraneli Das' detailed nature drawings also make the
animals come alive.
– 2000, Deccan
Herald
Kabir the weaver poet
All through this poignant, yet
strong, funny, yet moving story, I kept suppressing a sense of uneasiness.
To take the reader beyond just enriching, enjoyable reading and experience
an upheaval of mind and heart, is the mark of a great book... one of those
rare books that remind you that you've always liked reading. You just cannot
untangle yourself from the threads...that Dhaga and his companions weave
around you, the brilliant warp-weft feel that runs through the length of the
story and the simply translated beauty of Kabir's couplets.
– Maria Netto, a reader
...a beautifully crafted story of a day in Kabir's life...Spare
visuals before each section continue Kabir's favourite metaphor of weaving a
delicate tapestry of the city unraveling as the day progresses. Deeply
profound in its simplicity.
– Sep 2006, Twist n Tales, Pune
The Mystic poet came alive in the pages of this
elegant novelette...The tapestry with its poetic and sensual imagery
vivifies the religious dissent and communal animosity of Kabir's time...The
story is not
a linear narration in the voice of the omniscient narrator but
unravels through the imaginative technique
of using the thread squad...as
narrative actors. Kabir...can be experienced at different levels by readers
across ages...The evocative sketches, perceptive editing and production
standards make for aesthetic reading experience. The cadenced prose and the
author's spiritual insights enable her to convey transcendental truths with
sublimity and beauty.
– Dec 2006, The New Sunday Express
Most significant of all, Kabir's uncompromising
attitude of universal oneness makes the story eminently relevant for modern
times...Equally compelling is the manner in which the animate and the
inanimate are meshed, the pace of rapid action blending with the calm poise
of Kabir himself. The structural unity defined by just one day in Kabir's
life is also a wonderful idea...What remains with one are are also the
little sentences of descriptive beauty that are slipped in almost
unobtrusively...the entire book breathes
a presence and a spirit – the
compassionate spirit of Kabir.
– June 2007, Life Positive
The Smile of Vanuvati
...an adventure story in a historical setting,
with an impressive, captivating plot. Vanuvati, the doll that dates back to
2500 BC, gets lost in a flood; is discovered again in 713 AD; goes missing
again to resurface in Bhagodaro dig...Thus goes her story, frame by frame
but centuries apart. The storyline is intact; the brief chapters and the
effortless narrative ensure that.
– March 2008, The Hindu |