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.