India
33
Ravishankar, Anushka (text)
Pieper, Christiane (illus.)
Alphabets are amazing animals
[Chennai] : Tara Publ., 2003. – [56] p.
ISBN 81-86211-72-1
Alphabet – Nonsense
Alphabet books still are one of the most popular picture book types because
they offer countless possibilities to authors and illustrators. In this square
volume, Indian writer Anushka Ravi-shankar delivers hilarious alliterating
nonsense phrases for each of the 26 letters of the Latin alphabet. From »Anteaters
Adore Arithmetic« and »Odd Otters Order Only Onions« to »Zebras Zoom
Zig-Zag«, the author has her animal protagonists perform the most unusual and
absurd tasks. Christiane Pieper’s vibrant partly cartoon-like illustrations,
drawn in black-and-white plus one changing colour, present a crazy menagerie
of animals romping about happily on the various double-spread pages. A truly
delightful ABC not only for beginning readers. (3+)¤
34
Sen Gupta, Subhadra
Jodh Bai : diary of a Rajput princess
New Delhi; New York [et al.] : Scholastic,
2003. – 106 p.
ISBN 81-7655-252-6
India/1561-1562 – Mughal Empire – Princess
– Arranged marriage – Fictional diary
This new instalment in the popular series of historical diaries is set in the
middle of the 16th century in Northern India. The book describes the everyday life
of 14-year-old princess Jodh Bai, daughter of the king of Amber. The amiable
and open-minded girl chats about various aspects of life such as daily
routines and special festivities, education and political decisions, love and
intrigues. Moreover, she relates her fears and worries when she suddenly
learns that she is soon to be married to the powerful young Mughal king Akbar.
Using a blend of factual and fictional events and characters, the author makes
a distant period of Indian history come alive for teenage readers. An
informative appendix adds some interesting background information. (12+) <>
35
Swaminathan, Kalpana (text)
Sen, Anita (illus.)
Jaldi’s friends
New Delhi [et al.] : Puffin Books, 2003. – 194 p.
(Fiction)
ISBN 0-14-333569-3
Dog – Extra-sensory perception – Friendship – Animals/Humans – Threat
– Adventure
Normally, Jaldi would just frolic about with her three brothers and enjoy
life. Instead, because of her special powers, the little pup is destined for
an important ‘job’. Together with her street-wise uncle Musafir and a
bunch of new friends, she roams the city streets of Bombay trying to track
down the villainous duo JB and BB, who threaten the Bombay Stray’s carefree
life. Narrated in the first person from a naive little dog’s point of view,
this highly entertaining detective story not only offers a hilarious read but
also confronts readers with an unusual view of the world – last but not
least because the proud and clever dogs feel they are ultimately superior to
human beings, who simply »don’t have much understanding.« (10+)