BOOK REVIEW: Petu Pumpkin -Tooth Troubles

Winner of the 2015 Crystal Kite Award

The second book in the Petu Pumpkin series...


Petu Pumpkin's friends form a Gap Club.  But Pushkin (Petu's real name) is ineligible to be a member for he doesn't have a 'gap' in his teeth.  If only he could lose a tooth, then he could be part of the Gap Club too.

Meanwhile, one of the Gap Club members, Jatin, challenges the proud fourth-graders to a football match because they call the Gap Club members "babies". Unfortunately, the Gap Club only has a plastic ball to practice with.  They desperately need a football.

Clever Pushkin makes a pact.  "If you let me join the Gap Club now, I'll ask the tooth fairy for a football when my tooth falls."

The offer is too tempting for the Gap Club to resist.  They are full of ideas and try different ways to make Pushkin's tooth fall - suggesting hard things to eat, tying a thread around his front tooth and pulling it and even aiming their plastic ball at his jaw!  But nothing works.

Then Pushkin remembers his Thatha (Grandpa) being worried about losing his few teeth when Paati (Grandma) offered him hard snacks like murukku and chikki.  Pushkin eats a mound of them and succeeds in making his front tooth loose.

The tooth eventually falls.  But Pushkin's request to the tooth fairy for a football is not granted.  Two, not one, baby teeth are needed to earn a football from the tooth fairy!

Pushkin must loose a second tooth.  With a second front tooth already dangling, he has no problem losing it with some assistance from his friends.

The football is finally granted and the club members begin their practice!

During the match, the fourth-graders take an immediate lead.  But when Pushkin takes over as referee, does the fate of the Gap Club change?  Will the snickering fourth-graders continue calling them "babies"?  To find out, read the book.

I liked the first book in the series - Petu Pumpkin: Tiffin Thief, but found this one even better since the theme is about something most readers would have dealt with -  loose baby teeth.

Although meant for younger readers, this book does have some hard words like "sympathised" and "extricated" and phrases such as "tails between their legs".  But what's the use of a book if it doesn't add to your vocabulary and knowledge of the language?

Some scenes such as Pushkin watching his loose tooth in the school toilet mirror while eating his lunch and whistle-hating dogs going after Pushkin and his friends, were particularly humourous.

Overall, an enjoyable read for kids 7+.

BOOK REVIEW: "My Teacher is a Monster. No, I Am Not!" by Peter Brown

We all have our favourite and not-so-favourite people in the world.  So do children.  And that’s what this book is about.

Bobby dislikes his teacher at school.  She is always roaring, stomping and keeping children from going for recess.  To Bobby, she is a monster!

In his free time, Bobby loves to visit his favourite spot in the park.  But one Saturday morning, he is in for a “terrible surprise” when he gets there.  The monster is there too! 

The unexpected situation brings about an uncomfortable silence, then a few words.  But soon a gust of wind blows over to the rescue and helps change the awkwardness of the situation into something 'normal'.

The monster and Bobby spend the rest of the morning together enjoying each other’s company.  By the time Bobby heads home for lunch, the monster seems more like a lady.  But will it be the same when he gets back to school the following week?

Illustrated in colours of green, blue, black and brown, the pictures reflect how Bobby’s perspective of his teacher changes from the beginning to the end.

The story brought back memories of my childhood when I’d tag along with my mother to the market and unexpectedly meet a teacher.  As the adults would chat (about me), I’d wish that I was invisible.  Of course, my teacher was no monster!  But if I met a school friend, it was a totally different ballgame.

I liked this book because of its simplicity - both in story and illustrations.  I think it is a good story to read to children to put them at ease about their teacher and to tell them that teachers are just like other grown-ups.

This book is appropriate for ages 5+. 

BOOK REVIEW: Quest by Aaron Becker

Wordless books are boundless.  They have no text and hence are in no particular language, besides, of course, the language of art.  The illustrations say it all.  And that’s the beauty of wordless picture books!  There are no words laying out the story to the audience.  The story is purely guided by the reader’s interpretation of the illustrations.

When I read Aaron Becker's picture book, ‘Journey’, I was amazed that an adventure story had been visualized and rendered so beautifully as a wordless picture book!

So imagine my joy when I learned that it was part of a trilogy!  When I laid my hands on the second book, at first I excitedly sifted through a few pages, then shut it.  I decided that to do justice to the book, I must look through it in a relaxed manner, relishing and drinking in each detail of every illustration, in order to truly experience the adventure.

In ‘Quest’, Mr. Becker takes us on yet another thrilling ride.  The story continues where it left off in the end of the first book – the lonely girl with her red marker befriends a boy with a purple marker!  The two embark on an adventure filled with mystery and excitement. 

A king appears suddenly and hands them a mysterious map before getting captured by enemy soliders.  It is up to the twosome to work together to unravel the mystery of the map and rescue the king.  

And as they do, they are pursued in their ‘quest’ by the king’s enemies who try to stop them to seize the magical treasure they have discovered.

The story ends with a clue about where the next adventure will lead us (the last book of the trilogy).  I am already looking forward to it!

Appropriate for children ages 6+ as well as adventure loving grown-ups!

KID LIT at the Singapore Writers Festival 2014

The Singapore Writers Festival was held from Oct 31-Nov 9, 2014.  Unlike previous years, this time it was packed with several events for children.

                             

The Little Lit! events were held at the National Museum of Singapore.  Writing workshops, storytelling sessions, children's book launches, panel discussions and crafts were some of the highlights of Little Lit!.

I attended a few of them, some as a parent and others as a volunteer.

Writers from Epigram Books talked about the latest titles in their chapter books series. Participating were AJ Low (Sherlock Sam series), Lesley-Anne and Monica Lee (Danger Dan series) and Maranna Chan (Triple Nine Sleuths).  Also discussed was the brand new Girl Overboard series by Sheri Tan and Fernando Hierro.





The storytelling session by professional storyteller Chuah Ai Lin, which was received with lots of smiles and giggles from the little ones.

  

At the panel discussion on children's books based on Singapore's history, authors talked about their book's journey from concept to print.  The panel included authors Fanny Lai, ('Nini in Changi Village'), Ho Lee Ling ('Samsui Girl'), and Erwin Chan ('Zack Lee and the Legend of Yamashita's Gold').  The session was moderated by Sangeetha Madhavan, author of 'The Blue Cat's Tale'.  

                                  

 Another interesting discussion was panelled by Patrick Yee, illustrator of  'A boy named Harry' and Lawrence Koh, author of 'Growing up with Lee Kuan Yew'.  Both are authors of books about Singapore's first Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew.  

                                      


My daughter enjoyed writing workshops with Jacqueline Harvey (Author: Alice-Miranda and Clementine Rose series) and Hemang Yadav (writer and storyteller) while my son enjoyed making crafts, a writing session conducted by Radhika Puri (Author: 'Mountain of fire') and storytelling sessions by representatives of the Roger Jenkins company.


                                     

My son's art on the Doodle Wall

                                     

Storytelling session by Hemang Yadav and Kong Yit Sim

                                      Storytelling by students of Kent Ridge Sec. School

                                       

Author Radhika Puri ('Mountain of Fire') shares her writing tips with children

We stopped at the Popular Bookstore to grab some exciting new reads before heading home.

Some of the children's books at Popular

BOOK REVIEW: Journey by Aaron Becker

Aaron Becker’s Journey is a remarkably illustrated ‘wordless’ picture book that sweeps you off on an exciting adventure.

A lonely girl finds a red marker and draws a door on her bedroom wall.  The door turns out to be magical and opens up, leading her into a mysterious forest.  

And that is the beginning of her adventures filled with excitement and danger.

                 

Realizing that her marker is magical, the girl draws her way into and out of all kinds of situations – by drawing a boat, a hot-air balloon, and even a magic carpet! 

But then she loses her magic red marker and gets captured by an evil emperor's men.

Will she ever get her marker back?  How will she escape?  Will she get back home safely?  To find out, please read the book.

I haven't seen many 'wordless' picture books before.  They sure do test your observation skills.  This book, with its detailed illustrations and exciting story, did just that!  I couldn't help marvelling at the detailed illustrations, and had to flip back and forth to look at things I had missed earlier.  But no complaints - I love this book and really enjoyed the adventurous 'Journey' I was being taken on. 

Exciting for all ages 6+.

This book has a sequel – 'Quest'.  Look out for the book review in the near future!

BOOK REVIEW: Bun Bun Button by Patricia Polacco

Writer and illustrator Patricia Polacco beautifully depicts the loving relationship of a grandmother and her granddaughter in this book.

Gramma’s house is always full of fun things to do – feed the cats and dogs, bake cookies, cuddle up and read, discover what’s in an old chest.  And that’s what Paige does when she visits her Gramma who lives with five cats, two dogs, a squirrel and a goldfish.  They all cuddle up together on Gramma’s Old Blue Chair to read.

                                                      

One day, Gramma makes Bun Bun Button, a button-nosed bunny for Paige who pleads for something of her own to cuddle with.  Paige loves Bun Bun and takes him everywhere with her. 

When Grandma gets Paige a helium balloon, she plays with it indoors.  She ties it to Bun Bun’s arm and lets it go, watching Bun Bun float up to the ceiling.  Then Paige wants to go outdoors and play with the balloon, but Grandma warns her that the balloon could float far away.  Paige pleads with her and gets the balloon tied to her own wrist.  But somehow the balloon string comes loose and it floats away up to the sky, taking Bun Bun with it.  Paige is miserable. 

What happens to Bun Bun?  Does Paige ever get him back?

I discovered some of Patricia Polacco’s works recently.  She has made some fantastic picture books even for middle-graders with themes like bullying, self-expression through art and so on.  Each one is a delight to read and admire.

Appropriate for ages 4-8.

BOOK REVIEW: Petu Pumpkin: Tiffin Thief by Arundhati Venkatesh, Shilpa Ranade

A school story set in Grade 3, this book is about Pushkin, who is always hungry.  That's why his friends call him Petu or 'one who is always eating', Pumpkin describing his shape and size!

Pushkin's mother gives him several tiffin boxes for school, each with a different snack and meal. He eats up most of the things on the bus-ride to school and then in the classroom, even when the teacher is teaching.  By lunchtime, all his food is over.  Unfortunately, he is still hungry!

Desperate for more food, he turns to his friends' tiffin boxes. Though his friends like to share, they are annoyed when he doesn't leave anything for them.  They decide that something must be done to keep him from hogging other people's lunches.  

So they form a secret society to find a solution. A secret society is exciting with secret meetings, passwords, codes and hideouts.  The friends try out different ways to discourage Pushkin from eating from their tiffin boxes.  But it's only when they come up with a nasty one that their plan really works.  What do they do that pushes Pushkin away from their tiffin boxes?  Do they remain his friends?

Written in simple language perfect for early chapter book readers, the story is filled with humorous situations that make reading it very enjoyable.  The similar sounding names of Pushkin's friends do get a little confusing though (Jatin, Sachin, Nitin). 

But overall, a hilarious read for young children (ages 6+)!

When my eight-year old didn't want to get away from his favourite series to pick up this book, I read him two chapters at one night.  That was enough to get him to pick up the book! Now, even though he has read the book all by himself, he still wants me to read two chapters from it each night!

I look forward to reading the next book, "Petu Pumpkin: Tooth Troubles".  

A visit to the World's Only CURIOUS GEORGE store

          

 When we travelled to Boston this summer, we were excited to discover the world’s only Curious George store at Harvard Square.  It is a cozy little corner shop delightfully decorated with scenes from CG's adventures, 'The Man with the Yellow Hat' and other characters from the CG series.

   

The shop is stocked with CG dolls, books, tee shirts, reusable bags, and a ton of other CG stuff.  

Not only that, it carries non-CG branded books, toys, games, and other things.  I especially loved the tee shirts based on popular book covers such as Charlotte’s Web, Make Way for Ducklings, and so on.  We spent nearly an hour browsing the store.  It is a wonderful place to find gifts for loved ones and, even if you don't, it is definitely worth a visit if you are in the area.

My son has been a fan of Curious George since he was two when Grandma bought him a huggable CG doll.  Six years later, he still has him by his side when he reads, watches the telly, sleeps and even when we get away for a vacation.  So imagine his delight when he found a store dedicated to CG!!

  

Created by H.A. Rey and Margret Rey, Curious George is the main character in the CG series of books along with his friend-owner, ‘The Man with the Yellow Hat’, as he is referred to.  ‘The Man with the Yellow Hat’ brings him to NYC from Africa.  The stories are about CG’s adventures and discoveries.  There is even a television show based on the series. 

BOOK REVIEW: The Wishing Tree by Roseanne Thong, Illustrated by Connie McLennan

This book is based on a legend about a real ‘wishing’ tree in the village of Lam Tsuen in Hong Kong.  Wishing trees are usually banyan or camphor trees that have aerial roots twisting into strange shapes, giving them a magical appearance.

Whenever Ming visits the Wishing Tree with his grandmother, he writes his wish and hurls it towards the tree’s arms, as is the tradition.  Every time, the Wishing Tree makes his wish come true. 

Then when his grandmother falls very ill, Ming visits the Wishing Tree by himself and wishes for her to get well.  But this time, the tree’s magic fails.  Ming misses his grandmother and feels let down by the wishing tree.  He decides never to visit it again. 

But several years later he visits the village with the Wishing Tree for a class reunion.  On the way some of his friends stop by the Wishing Tree to make wishes.  Ming tells his friend how his grandmother and he made wishes together.  Ming’s friend asks him a question that sets him thinking about the magic of the Wishing Tree.  He knows there is something he must do before leaving the Wishing Tree. 

A touching story that reminds us to appreciate and be thankful for what we have.

If you could make a wish at the Wishing Tree, what would it be?

Appropriate for children 6+ years.

BOOK REVIEW: The Runaway Wok by Ying Chang Compestine

Bearing semblance to Jack from the Beanstalk fairytale, little boy Ming goes to the market to exchange eggs for some rice, but lands up getting a singing wok instead.  Based on a Danish folktale, The Runaway Wok is a delightful tale of a magical wok that brings in enough food and fortune for Ming's family and their neighbours just in time for the Chinese New Year.

But what happens when the wok’s magic is discovered by the stingy rich family it took things away from?  Read the story to find out!

The book is illustrated by Sebastia Serra who has done a wonderful job with his eye for detail, bringing this story set in China to life. 

I like this book not only because of the illustrations, but also because the story is so fascinating yet simple, somewhat like a fairytale.

Appropriate for ages 4-8.

Why I like diverse books?

There is a lot of ongoing discussion in the children's literary scene about diverse books. When most people go to the bookstore or library, they flock to the 'popular' sections that are widely read by children these days. A child usually reads books that he/she has read or heard about from other children.  But what are the chances that a child picks a 'diverse' book?  Very low, really.

So it is up to us, as parents, to introduce diverse books to our children.

What are diverse books?

Diverse books are those that embrace diversity and tell us a story about people of different races, ethnicities, genders and abilities. They tell us about the lives, traditions and cultures of people who are not much written about.

Why should parents pick diverse books?  

Parents are role models for their children.  If they are interested in reading, their children will mimic them and become good readers.  If parents show interest in diverse books, their children will be curious and get interested as well.

Why do children need to learn about diversity?

In today's diverse world, ACCEPTANCE and RESPECT are two key words.
Children must know that all people are not alike.  Some look, speak and live differently.  They have their own celebrations and customs.  More than anything, children must learn to accept, respect and embrace diversity. The message must be obvious - that even though people may seem different, they are basically the same as us - from the inside! 

Why do I like diverse books?  

Well, in this beautiful and colourful world filled with different kinds of people, I love to read about people from different countries and cultures.  I love to learn about their past and present life, struggles and challenges.  I think such books are enlightening about the similarities of the problems of the world's people, however different they are.

Some diverse books that I have read

There are several great diverse books out there, but here are a few I've read (that I can remember right now).  Some of them have been reviewed in this blog.

Picture books:

• AS FAST AS WORDS COULD FLY - Pamela Tuck, Eric Velasquez
• SAME, SAME, BUT DIFFERENT - Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
• TWO MRS. GIBSONS - Toyomi Igus, Daryl Wells
• GRANDFATHER'S JOURNEY - Allen Say
• MY NAME IS BLESSING - Eric Walters, Eugenie Fernandes
• THE RUNAWAY WOK - Ling Chang Compestine
• MAMA'S SARIS - Pooja Makhijani
• MY NAME IS YOON - Helen Recorvits, Gabi Swiatkowska

Some Chapter Books/Middle Grade/YA books:

• REVOLUTION IS NOT A DINNER PARTY - Ling Chang Compestine
• THE BREADWINNER - Deborah Ellis
• THE RED PENCIL - Andrea Davis Pinkney
• SADAKO AND THE THOUSAND PAPER CRANES - Eleanor Coerr, Ronald Himler
• SARAH'S KEY - Tatiana de Rosnay
• BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS - John Boyne

Have you read any diverse books?  

BOOK REVIEW: Hannah is my Name by Belle Yang

This story is inspired by author Belle Yang’s first few years in America.  

This immigration story describes the anxiety and fear undergone by people from different countries during their wait for their license to live in America - a country of immigrants.

Little Na-Li of Taiwan has moved into a new country and has a new name – Hannah!  She and her family want to become Americans because being American means ‘to be free’.  But before that they must fill out some paperwork to get their green cards that would allow them to stay on in America.

The wait for the green cards is a long one.  And without the cards, her parents are not permitted to work.  But to survive and earn their living, her parents must work secretly.  If they are caught, they will be sent back to their country.

The story describes Hannah’s life in America as she settles down in a new country, learns a new language and what it means to be ‘free’.  There are days when her parents must go into hiding to avoid getting caught.

How long will they have to wait to gain their life of living freely without fear and anxiety? Read the story to find out.

Illustrated by Belle Yang herself, the pictures are a delight and flow well with the story.

Appropriate for ages 6+ years.

BOOK REVIEW: The Quiet Place by Sarah Stewart, Illustrated by David Small

Auntie Lupita is the only one Isabel misses when she moves from her home country, Mexico to the United States in the 1950s.  So she writes to Aunt Lupita regularly.  

Presented in the form of her letters, this story is about Isabel’s new life in a new country learning a new language.

Isabel is shy.  She wants a quiet place for herself and her books.  Her brother, Chavo helps make her one with a big refrigerator box.  But when the box gets damaged, she begins her quest for large boxes to make herself a new ‘quiet place’.  

Along the way, she gets familiar with new words in English, though Spanish words are still her ‘friends’. 

The story ends with a beautiful open-able spread showing the gala celebration of Isabel’s birthday when she invites each friend to bring their favourite words as gifts.  The picture shows Isabel sharing her ‘quiet place’ where it becomes a puppet theater, a performance stage and much more.  The quiet place is no longer quiet.

                                       

I love multicultural books, so this naturally is one of my favourites.  I really liked the illustrations that seem simple, yet give us a beautiful glimpse into Isabel’s life, especially how her ‘quiet place’ gets transformed in the end.  The pull-out spread is commendable.

Appropriate for children 6+ years.

BOOK REVIEW: Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (by Eleanor Coerr, paintings by Ronald Himler)

Twelve year old Sadako Sasaki is an energetic girl with a desire to win the relay race for her school team.  

All is fine until the day she begins getting dizzy spells.  Sadako has leukemia. How does she cope? How can a thousand paper cranes help?

This true story gives us a glimpse of Japanese culture, history, family, willpower and desire.  

I like this story because Sadako is like any other girl – active and eager to win her race.  I like her supportive and caring family.  It was saddening when Sadako fell down unconscious after ignoring the symptoms she experienced.  But the Japanese belief of wish fulfilment by folding a thousand paper cranes lends us hope.  Sadako is a heroine to many girls in Japan.  

This book is a must-read for children 8+ years of age. 

BOOK REVIEW: Sophie's Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller, Illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf

Sophie finds Bernice at the farmers’ market.  Bernice is just right to hold, rock to sleep, care for and play with.  Except much to Sophie’s parents chagrin, Bernice is a squash! 

But Sophie doesn’t mind that at all.  Bernice is the perfect playmate for her – well, until she begins to get softer as winter nears.  When Sophie finds out that what Bernice needs is love, fresh air and clean dirt, she tucks her little buddy into soft soil. 

The arrival of a snow-covered winter keeps Sophie from checking on Bernice.  Then when the snow is all gone one day, she finds a “strangely familiar” sprout in the garden.  Sophie is delighted to have her friend back. 

A surprising discovery in the end makes the story one you’d want to read again and again.  Winner of the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award, this delightful story of a little girl is a keepsake.

I like this book for its theme, simple text and illustrations, making it a great choice for a read-aloud as well as an early reader.

Children get attached to the strangest things, or things we adults deem as strange.  Some of us dissuade them, others don't.  In this story, even though Sophie's parents are worried by her 'strange new friend', they don't discourage her, but often drop hints about doing away with Bernice.  What happens in the end, is something you must read the book to learn about!

Appropriate for ages 4-8.

BOOK REVIEW: My Name is Blessing by Eric Walters, Illustrated by: Eugenie Fernandes

‘What’s in a name?’ you may ask.  Names are important.  Some of us feel good about our names, some don’t and wish we had a different or better one.  And that is the theme of the story.

Muthini has the love of his grandmother or Nyanya, who struggles to take of him and his cousins all by herself.  But there are two things that make Muthini’s life difficult – his disability, and his name, Muthini, which means suffering.

Unable to bear the responsibility of nine grandchildren, Nyanya decides that the youngest of them all, Muthini, deserves a better life.  She takes Muthini to a children’s home with the hope of a better life for him there.  Unfortunately, Muthini is rejected by the owner of the children’s home.  Is it because of his disability?  Is it because of his name?  What will happen next?

Based on a real story, this book’s vivid illustrations transport us to Kenya while the text gives us a feel for Nyanya’s tough life with a big family to care for.

This book would be helpful for children to learn about life in different countries.  It also conveys the message that true beauty comes from what's inside, not just what is visible.

Appropriate for ages 4-8.

BOOK REVIEW: The Rumour by Anushka Ravishankar, Illustrated by Kanyika Kini

Based on a folktale, this book was one of the winners of the 2013 South Asia Book Award for Children’s Literature. 

The story is set in the village of Baddbaddpur where everyone is so happy and prosperous that they have plenty of time for idle gossip. 

Pandurang is the grumpiest man in the village.  One day, while returning home from town, he gets a bout of coughing and strangely spits out a feather.  He tells his wife about it and asks her not to discuss it with anybody else.  But alas, his wife can't hold herself back and the grapevine begins to work!

The matter snowballs from a small feather to a flock of birds to an entire forest growing in Pandurang's mouth.  

When the villagers hurry to look at grumpy Pandurang with their own eyes, what happens?   

You will have to read to find out!

Written in a combination of prose and humorous verse, this book has some amazingly vivid illustrations.

Appropriate for ages 6+.

BOOK REVIEW: "Ismat’s Eid" by Fawzia Gilani-Williams, Illustrated by Proiti Roy

Have you ever rejected someone's plea for help, but later regretted and helped them out?  Well, that's what this book is about.

Based on a Turkish folktale, this story tells us about life's unexpected twists and turns that catch us off guard.  One must simply learn to adjust and move on, while enjoying the light-hearted moments.  

Ismat, a shoemaker goes shopping for gifts the evening before Eid.  He gets a gift for each of his family members – mother, wife and daughter, and picks up the only available pair of trousers for himself which is four fingers too long.  

Ismat decides to seek help to get it altered, but unfortunately everyone in his family is too busy preparing for Eid.  Not one to fret, Ismat alters his trousers all by himself.  

                                

But the next morning, the day of Eid, he gets a shock.  His trousers are too short for him!  Did he not alter them properly?  What happens next?

This is one of my favourite books by Tulika Publishers, but then there are several I haven't read yet.  I love this story because it portrays various nuances of human nature realistically and yet gives us some light-hearted moments to relish.  The simple, yet vivid illustrations by Proiti Roy make it a wonderful book to read and enjoy.  

Appropriate for ages 4+.

BOOK REVIEW: The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig, Illustrated by Patrice Burton

Brian is invisible.  Nobody notices him in class, not even his teacher, thanks to the couple of kids who take up too much of her time and attention.  Lunchtime is Brian’s least favourite time of the day.  Even when he sits with his classmates, nobody talks to him.  Brian has no friends.

When Justin, a new student, comes to his class, Brian is hopeful.  He likes Justin and Justin likes Brian.  But when Emilio teams up with Justin for a project, Brian feels left out.  Will Justin ignore Brian?  Will he choose between Brian and Emilio?  Do read this story to find out.

I love this story because it brought back memories of my own childhood experiences – being the new kid, finding it hard to make new friends and dealing with mockery.

I also like the illustration style in this book.  The pictures are subtle and maintain the mood of the story.  Brian, who is in B&W (and invisible) in the beginning, slows changes to color as the story progresses.

All in all, a great read for kids, in the age group 4-10 years, to give them Brian’s perspective and make them learn that it is important to be sensitive to other people’s feelings.

BOOK REVIEW: Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan, Illustrated by Sophie Blackall

This is a story of sibling conflict.  Being the oldest is hard. You have to be responsible and behave like your parents expect you to - almost like a grown-up!

Rubina is excited to be invited to a birthday party.  But her younger sister, Sana, insists on coming along.  Even their mother supports the idea.  Rubina reluctantly takes Sana along and realizes she may not get any birthday invitations from her friends in the future.  

To make matters worse, Sana even takes away Rubina’s lollipop from her goodie bag!  Rubina chases her around the house only to find herself being chided by her mother for not sharing candy.

Then one day, Sana comes home with a birthday party invitation.  Their mother insists that Sana must take both, Rubina and their toddler sister along for the party.  But Sana doesn’t want to!  What happens next? 

I was particularly taken in by the illustrations by Sophie Blackall.  I loved the dark-haired characters with the big, beautiful eyes, the mother in traditional salwar kameez, the lovely printed clothing. Even the depiction of Rubina chasing Sana around the house has been done marvellously. 

This story is appropriate for ages 4-8.  It teaches them about sharing and giving up things they love when necessary, making compromises and being respectful of others.

BOOK REVIEW: Same, Same but Different by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw

This delightfully illustrated picture book is about two pen pals – one from America and the other from India.  As the two boys learn more about each other's lives, they realize that despite their differences, they do have some similarities.  Same, same but different!

The book beautifully conveys the message that whatever part of the world we may come from, we are basically the same.  Different, Different but the Same!

The illustrations say it all in this book.  I love the way comparisons are made between the two boys’ lives.  

Appropriate for ages 3-6, I highly recommend this book.  Two thumbs up!

WELCOME to KidLit World!

Welcome to Srividhya's World of KidLit !  As the name suggests, this blog is about children's books, which I am very passionate about.  My goal is to provide reviews of children's books from around the globe that I've been discovering in the wonderful Singaporean libraries since I've moved here.  Along with it, I will also be sharing with you my experiences, thoughts and information related to children's books.

It has been well over a decade now since I became an avid reader of children's picture books.  Yes, it started when I began reading to my own children.  I can never forget bundling up the kids in wintry Chicago and taking them to the local library for storyhour or simply to browse and check out an unlimited number of books generously loaned by American libraries.  

As a child, I read a lot of books authored by Enid Blyton as well as Indian comic books like Tinkle and Amar Chitra Katha.  But now, there is so much more to reach out for - books by Roald Dahl, Sally Gardner, Allen Say, Patricia Polacco, Ling Chang Compestine, Gloria Whelan, Anushka Ravishankar, Uma Krishnaswami, Jessie Wee... 
(it is impossible to name them all!).

I hope you will find the book reviews useful.  I like to keep them concise and not give away critical parts of the story.
 Do provide your comments and/or suggestions.