STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY: ANNA MCQUINN
ARTWORK: BEN FREY
AGE GRP: 4-7 YRS.

The book is a boy’s narration of his culturally diverse yet completely uncomplicated friendship with another boy his age. In other words it is a celebration of an unadulterated friendship that oversteps borders, religion and culture.

Our little narrator, Joseph, introduces to us readers, his friend Jamal of Somali origin, however, born in the same hospital as him, the same month! After sharing with us the staples of their friendship built on activities and interests that are typical to boys their age, Joseph lets us into more unexpected specifics. This includes Jamal being a Muslim, Jamal’s dietary restrictions (both cultural and health-related) and an analysis of Jamal’s household – how pasta is served with banana toppings and how his family dines on the floor, more like a picnic! In fact, something that, in my opinion, felt very real and down-to-earth were these lines –

Sometimes I go to Jamal’s house.
It smells different from ours because his mom cooks with special spices.

Isn’t it true that something as simple and different as this can actually be acknowledged and reasoned out by the innocent mind? And books that carry such thoughts, I believe, can provoke and aid open healthy discussions of complex issues of the real world with a growing child.

Marching on, the pages are filled with fun and precious details of their likes and dislikes, commonalities and differences, – about superhero games, basketball teams and automobile preferences, all sure to score a three-pointer with any male child! Joseph then narrates more about the prayer routine he witnesses at Jamal’s, the Koran in Arabic that his friend talks about and the war and fighting in Somalia from which the family fled. What catches the reader’s attention is the non-judgmental and intrigued tone with which the small boy speaks. In fact, everything that revolves around Jamal with whom Joseph shares his life is probably diametrically in contrast to his own settled Christian life and yet he nonchalantly accepts Jamal and his family.

This book can be an ideal pick for discussing cross-cultural friendships with children. The details though raw are real and gentle. The author Anna McQuinn was raised in Ireland and now lives in England adding titles like Lola at the library and Wanda’s washing machine to her credit. The illustrations are a combination of photography and art – bold, colorful and explicit, just as the front cover indicates.

A wonderful work that showcases how children adjust and adapt to strikingly contrasting cultural canvases while holding on to their own individualistic identities, something that nature and puerility seem to take care of.

MY CAT COPIES ME
Author and Illustrator: Yoon-duck Kwon
Age group: 4-8 years

This is one of those books in which the illustrations carry more weight than the text itself. The package might seem simple, superficially, but shrouded underneath are deeper messages that are crucial for growing children. Another significant attraction would be the fact that it can be a wonderful treat for cat lovers and cat loving or pet loving children! Let me move on and embark on the task of peeling off the layers of the charming tale, from my own perspective and based on some research that I did.

The book opens up with an introductory note about the cat and the relationship the girl bears with the animal. In the girl’s opinion, her cat is mostly independent except, when ignored, when she actually tries to imitate her!. The skin-deep impression is that of a girl declaring how her shy cat ends up copying her a lot. Snapshots of the cat and the girl entertaining themselves in merriment are what follow. We see the girl and her pet hiding behind newspapers, furniture and clothes, chasing flies and watching bugs.

But going beyond and reading between the lines leads us into some dry humor, the subtle fact that the cat is actually doing what cats very typically do! This leaves us with the feeling that a lonely girl is actually seeking consolation in the company of her cat.

Midway, the tables turn – “But from now on… … I will copy my cat!”

“Like my cat, I’ll look outside.
I’ll watch the darkness, and I won’t be afraid.”

In the ensuing pages are illustrations of the girl and her feline friend climbing high (as seen on the cover page, which all makes sense now) stretching their bodies in unison, fearlessly stepping “out” and making new friends. The positivity in the chosen actions are undeniable and sets the stage for the transition in the girl’s persona.

And now is when the message begins to crystallize – an introverted girl has actually turned to her cat friend to face her fears and face the world. The closing image is that of the girl playing with her new friends, other neighborhood children, along with her cat! Not beating around the bush, a timid child will probably be able to relate to the girl and more importantly learn to lean on something and break free.

The grey outlining to vibrant images adds interest. Another subtlety is the intentional dark background on the few pages when the girl actually sheds her fears and opens up. The backdrop is a Korean household and neighborhood, imparting the Asian feel to the book. A background check on the author revealed the artistic credentials she bears in brushwork painting, Asian landscape painting and Buddhist paintings. A rather mild drawback in my opinion would be the lack of stronger, firmer or more substantial text to convey the very significant and wonderful message the book carries. While the simplicity of the surface reading is to be appreciated the lack of depth in the text to corroborate the illustrations and hence the message can be a tad unsatisfying. However, the demystifying process seems very satisfying!

NEW CLOTHES FOR NEW YEAR’S DAY
By Hyun – Joo Bae
Age: 4-8 years

This book is a celebration of the Korean culture and heritage, more specifically of the Korean Lunar New Year. I could say that or I could just say – it is a book about a little girl playing dress-up, Korean dress-up. Take it as you wish, but its a cheery book that every little girl will savor!

In her plain white underclothes stands the little girl looking out the window on a cold winter morning. But its the first cold winter morning of a New Year! And what brings the most joy to her little world is her new crimson silk skirt and her chance to bask in it. The narrator demonstrates how carefully and delicately she adorns herself. She puts on her skirt, her embroidered socks, her rainbow jacket, her delicate headgear and a long list of fine accessories. But the subtle yet strong nuances are what make it so wonderful – the pause to admire at every stage, the crusade to tie the perfect bow, the minor adjustments to make it look just right. More embellishments – new, textured, intricate, dazzling. Down to the finest detail, a charm for luck! Just as fresh snow makes a landing, the girl is all ready, so utterly perfect to set out to wish good luck to her near and dear.

With a straightforward and very simple way to introduce Korean traditions to children, the book is laden with the inherent serenity that the far east emanates. Elegant, warm and colorful sketches seem to do justice to the girl’s ulterior desire. The last two pages of the book are dedicated for factual content – a write up on traditional Korean (Lunar) New Year celebrations and the significance of new clothes for New Year’s. Alongside is a diagram of the ensemble, head to toe.

A sleepless night on the eve of a chance to wear a new attire is not uncommon in a child’s world. This book neatly lays it out, drenched in an Asian flavor, while exhuming warmth and cheer. Don’t chide me for your little boy’s nonchalance for the book but it sure is a guaranteed delight for any girl, anywhere on the map!

Author: Ken Rivard
Art: Joe Weissmann
Ages: 4-7 years

This is yet another whimsical creation from Annick Press (also the publisher of Stephanie’s ponytail reviewed earlier). The central idea in this anecdote is something most parents and school goers would instantly connect to – a tall tale from a playful little school boy, when put in a tight corner by his mother. The title of the book and the colorful front and back covers bearing a flood scene with wreckage indicating a school setting kindles the reader’s curiosity.

Gus is our hero, rather our soaking wet hero! Back from school and now under investigation by his speculative mother, finds the need to whip up a convincing explanation for his drenched attire. An adept narrator (or so he thinks!), sets the stage for an aquatic drama at school – “We were doing science and all this WATER came in from the hall……..”. He doesn’t stop with that. And here is where the reader straps herself (or himself) to take a ride with Gus and his fanciful story, just like his all-knowing mom did! Unhampered and with utmost confidence he proceeds to lay out the incident sprinkling it with intricate details to account for realism. The vice-principal on the phone floating with his fish bowl, the gym and schoolyard looking like an ocean, the arrival of the fire truck and to top it all “Didn’t you see us on TV, mom?” he quips! He also comes up with an interesting climax with the caretaker’s plunger-wonder fixing it all and the flood vanishing in a flash! All his mom does is sigh and say – “Oh Gus! You do tell such stories!” The book is left charmingly open-ended with Mike, Gus’ older brother walking in with torn pants and a pet alligator tucked behind!

Believable? No. This is where the beautiful innocence of the child blinds the sane mind. In fact, it could ironically arouse pleasant wonder and admiration for the naughty one. I am sure there was always that time when a highly improbable excuse still melted your heart. The idea is also for kids to enjoy when someone else is presenting a story without boundaries. It never ceases to amaze them either. And there is a good chance they will realize how goofy their own stories can sometimes sound! The illustrations are comic, and in pastel watercolors – colorful and cheery. Consistency with details deserves special mention – the paraphernalia from the science class diligently floating to other areas of the institution.

A fun package for you, for the little trickster or the goody one in your house!

Diwali: Kushiyon Ka Tyohaar
Diwali: A Festival of Lights and Fun

Written by Manisha Kumar & Monica Kumar
Illustrated by Sona & Jacob

This bilingual book on Diwali is from Meera Masi, a Bay Area based cross-cultural publishing house with a mission to pass on the heritage of India to immigrant children, through books and other products on Indian languages and culture.

A warm introduction on the essence of Diwali on the opening page sets the stage for the ensuing colors and rhymes that bring to life Diwali for our children.

“We all love Diwali, it’s so much fun.
The festival of lights has now begun.”

Simple verses like the above alternating with brightly hued pictures, both, of a family celebration is what this book is about. All the fundamentals of the festival are laid out. The act of wearing new clothes, cleaning and decorating our houses, greeting families and friends, making rangoli, offering puja, lighting diyas , bursting crackers and of course eating mithai are all poetized alongside appropriate illustrations. Yes, I have retained the hindi diction as sprinkled in the English text in the book.

Each pair of sentences comprising the sweet little rhyme appears in the Hindi language followed by its transliteration in English and then the translation itself in the English language. No doubt a tool for teaching children an Indian language.

As with the belief of people at Meera Masi, I too believe that the prelude to imparting the deeper meanings and concepts of festivals to young children is simply kindling their curiosity to learn about them. This can be effortlessly and successfully achieved by creating a playful and amusing environment for it – what better way to do it than to add a tune and dance with color!!! In fact, my 3.5 year old daughter will stand testimony to this!

The book comes with a read along audio CD, readings of the book in Hindi and English. There is a glossary included on the last page for few of the Hindi words used in the book. The intention for including the CD and the transliteration is to help children learn the pronunciations the right way and this especially comes in handy for parents who are not comfortable with the language themselves. The book can be purchased at http://www.meeramasi.com.

“With everyone we had a blast.
We know the Diwali cheer will last!”

is the concluding lyric in this book that will make children realize that Diwali is indeed a festival of lights!

WISH YOU ALL A VERY COLORFUL DEEPAVALI!

Saffron Tree brings to all its children “The Peace Book” by Todd Parr.

The book cover says it all –

The book does not scream “no war”. Neither does it evangelically advocate non-violence. Instead it unleashes all the feel-good things for those unblemished minds that will be tomorrow’s messengers of peace.

Boys and girls of different color and culture joining hands is what we see as we enter – Peace is making new friends. More such thoughtful one-liners make up the rest of the book. While, I am tempted to reveal it all and give away the book, I will withhold myself and let you in on the fact that the book covers all that Gandhi essentially stood for – love, compassion, tolerance, coexistence and peace. Loaded with deeds of goodness like planting a tree or sharing a meal and sprinkled with pleasantly blissful things like watching it snow or wishing on a star, this book can touch little hearts in an amusing way. Strikingly colorful and typical of all of Todd’s works, the meaningful doodles illustrating all that brings us peace, can be very appealing to children. I particularly like the one that goes Peace is having enough pizza in the world for everyone – a delightful way to drive home the message. Explaining the essence of “world peace” to our sons and daughters can be a complex endeavor, but with a diluted but equally valuable definition presented in this book we can teach them to spread goodness and cheer in little ways. The book ends with Todd’s signature statement – “The world is a better place because of YOU”!

Here’s wishing for Little Gandhis all over the world on “International Day of Non-violence”!

WHAT SHALL I MAKE?

Story by Nandini Nayar
Ilustrations by Proiti Roy

Read alone: 6+
Read aloud: 3+

Simple and playful, two words that sum up yet another production from Tulika. Neeraj is a small boy, self-questioning what shall I make?, with a rotund piece of roti dough squeezed between his palms. His creative juices in full flow, he shapes the ductile dough to give birth to lively creatures. His mother joins the fun. A snake at first, then a mouse, anatomically close to perfection, with a pair of eyes, a body and a tail. Then a cat that soon morphs into a fierce lion. All seem realistic and fully animated in the creator’s eyes. Neeraj is quick to deform the scary lion back into its initial state and start afresh with a small soft ball of dough. This time, he flattens it and generously rolls it into a neat circle. His mother then proceeds to toast it on the tava, completing the culinary procedure. The grand finale is when a round hot puffy chapati lands on his soft palms, ready to be eaten!

The book is more than a book – a down-to-earth culinary project for small children; the making of a chapati, a favorite that has withstood the wrath of time in the Indian household. Ample scope for turning kitchen interference from small children into wholesome fun! Needless to say, a play doh equivalent, the dough is like a blank canvas. It triggers creativity in little minds and acts as medium to help them give shape and life to their favorite objects and scenes.

For those who have not yet had a chance to discover the hidden power of chapati dough, the idea is fresh, hot and totally Indian!

Regina’s big mistake by Marissa Moss

Every school goer, especially in the 4-8 age group, will be able to relate to the incident in this wonderful book by Marissa Moss, author and illustrator. Regina’s big mistake, the title kindles interest – who is Regina, what was her mistake and why big?

The scene is an art class. Students are given stationery and asked to draw a jungle or a rain forest. Nervous, Regina draws a blank (pun unintended!). She sits there stumped, while her classmates are busy translating their ideas into art. The feeling of diffidence and the reluctance to try something, similar to what Regina goes through, is something that every child experiences at different junctures as part of school-going, be it art, writing or performing.

Regina tries to draw a flower, makes a geometric mistake and destroys her paper in frustration. That’s definitely not the end of the story. She is given another blank paper. Another opportunity to start afresh but not enough optimism, especially considering the fact that her neighbor’s papers are already blossoming with wonderful artwork of flora and fauna. With only a few minutes left, the pressure mounts.

Gathering a whole lot of courage, she makes a small start. Baby steps, a tree. A lion. Her mates blame her of plagiarism. But she silences them giving her own signature touches to the images. A thirsty lion, a lake for it, and some flowers – a perfect jungle. As a final touch, she attempts to draw a sun. But as fate would have it, she makes another mistake. A wobbly circle resulting in an imperfect sun. A colossal mistake in little Regina’s world! But her impromtu creativity steps in. A moon, she calls it, without the slightest hesitation! She creates a backdrop of a beautiful night sky for her jungle. The uniqueness of her picture wins her teacher’s heart.

Children often encounter such tight spots in their daily lives in school and at play. They often experience lack of confidence in expressing their creativity. Even a trivial situation can be a huge challenge for the small mind that is filled with apprehensions and fears. This incident not only unravels the trauma, but proceeds to tell us how important it is to try and create something out of what we have. It also imparts a valuable lesson that mistakes are OK, that mistakes can be fixed and that mistakes can lead to more creative discoveries.

The language is simple and the illustrations are casual and very friendly. The crayon creations are realistic and appealing. A good book for those early years at school.

The personal touch – my preschooler loves this book and is always rooting for Regina. You can often catch me alluding to the story when she is quick to give up on something. And this afternoon, she told me that when she tries an A and it ends up wobbly she is going to call it an M. “Close enough”, I said!

KARADI TALES. A huge hit in our household!

We picked up our first Karadi Tales Audiotapes during one of our trips to India when my daughter was less than an year old. Since then the sounds of songs, music and stories have been a cornucopia of fun and learning for us. So, if you and your child are looking for an amusing dose of everything India – culture, tales, common sights and words, in my opinion, Karadi tales is a great pick!

We started off with a couple of audiotapes that had very creative songs based off of tunes and things very Indian. These days my 3 yr old loves to listen (with a copy of a book with colorful illustrations in front of her) to ‘The foolish crow’ and ‘The Three Fish”, simple stories narrated in an animated tone by popular small and silver screen personalities from India. From these, she has picked up names of a few Indian states, plenty of Indian names, names of places of worship and languages, trees and rivers, the Indian flag, sari, chai, sambhar, bhindi and so on.

Karadi Tales was conceived by an Indian couple who, on their return to India, was disappointed by the dearth of good learning resources (fun yet educational materials and tools) for young children. The series of books, songs and stories are available in a multitude of languages. The music is classic yet kid friendly.

The reason I like the concept is two-fold –

1. As most of us might agree, books and stories that we can easily get our hands on, in India, are primarily mythological in nature and are based off of epics and historic fables. Although, I was raised in the midst of these classics (and I have turned out OK:) , I believe that some of them are totally inappropriate for young children – in terms of being difficult to relate to, being very didactic and often moralizing (good vs evil). As much as I would love for the hand-me-down fables to be a part of a traditional learning experience I believe that there should also be other fun and more realistic flavors.

2. An alternative to the traditional option would be resources borrowed from the western world. Again, something a kid on the Indian soil cannot comfortably relate to. All rhymes and songs using names, places and things unheard of, unseen and hard to even imagine. It can pass off as fairy-tales or as a window to western culture.

I believe Karadi Tales is a commendable attempt at addressing the above issues and filling the void. Wholesome, realistic and a lot of fun!

A song about an Indian train journey, another about mangoes, and even one that goes “rain rain come our way” (satirical yet brutally honest in saying we actually need the rain in most of India as opposed to singing ” rain rain go away” that was probably intended to be sung when it was damp in London)!

On a more personal note, although my motive was not to thrust ‘Indian-ness’ upon my daughter, she has always exhibited an awful lot of interest and enthusiasm in anything with an ethnic flair and hence Karadi Tales turned out to be a great source of joy and amusement for her. However, I sometimes wonder how she would have responded to the songs and stories if she was growing up in an Indian scene herself.

Where can I buy KT?
In India: Most bookstore chains have it. An example would be Landmark in Chennai, India.
In the U.S: Amazon and Target carry them.

Website: http://www.karaditales.com/

More: An article here, http://www.hindu.com/lf/2005/04/25/stories/2005042511050200.htm , talks about Karadi Tales being used in schools as a resource for teaching a second language to children.