If you are bored and would like to meet someone exciting try the bookfair on at the Lady Jahangir Kothawala hall (near the Indian Express office) where I met the mysterious Whangdoodle. He was inside a book called The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles written by Julie Andrews Edwards, the star of the movie Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. She is the author of many more children’s books. But this one involving the secretive Whangdoodle is delightful.

The fair had the 30th anniversary edition of this classic that has three children called Ben, Tom and Lindy Potter who have never even heard of the Whangdoodle! Neither have any of us. So it is nice to meet this creature along with other odd friends like the irritating Prock who does not want the children to meet the Whangdoodle.
Luckily for the three siblings they meet Professor Savant who knows all about the last of the great whangdoodles and even takes them to meet him. But on the way they are brushed off at first by the scary five-legged Side-winders and charmed by the dotty, batty Whiffle Bird who has rainbow coloured feathers and magically sings out Mayday, the international call for help! Then they find orange, blue and yellow flowers that have the smell of baked bread, pale pink mountains and trees and a river that sings! Finally after many startling adventures they meet the Whangdoodle!

There are many more children’s books and health, gardening, fiction etc. at the fair. But the best treat is a huge collection of children’s books, many priced at Rs. 10 to Rs. 50. where you may pick up unusual books like this one.