For teaching without preaching

These slim books are just what the doctor ordered for your kids this summer.

Frankly, I began reading these books to my six-year-old with some trepidation, despite them looking all vibrant and interesting. I feared, with a premise that promised “stories set in largely non-urban settings”, there might a problem of too much earnestness (which, incidentally, bores the pants off most children). How glad I was to find out the stories were as feisty and breezy as Havaldar Hook himself — the mascot of the series.

The ‘Hook Books’ are a new set of children’s fiction that Duckbill books have introduced for those aged five and above. Written by some of the most well-known Indian children authors and illustrated by the best in the business, these slim volumes are a pleasure to read. The two books we read were ‘A Quiet Girl’ by Paro Anand and ‘Hey Diddle Diddle’ by the inimitable Anushka Ravishankar.

Paro Anand’s story is of Puja who does not speak at all, much to the consternation of her family. However, Puja smiles and smiles and her widest smiles are reserved for animals, especially the ‘wedding horse’, which is the family’s breadwinner, so to speak. Puja’s father makes money by lending Bulbul, the horse, to wedding ceremonies to carry the bridegroom in the baraat. What happens when Bulbul gives birth to a foal that does not confirm to the standards of beauty set by big weddings forms the rest of the story.

In ‘Hey Diddle Diddle’, we are introduced to another animal lover in Minootty, who wants a horse, but has to make do with a cow that may or may not be able to jump over the moon. This desire for a racehorse cow leads to a series of hilarious incidents, including a spat and a patch-up with best friend Susan.

What is heartening in both the tales is the way a lesson or two is hidden within the folds of humour. Happily, there is no overstating of the “non-urban settings” either and the families’ daily struggles and limited means is just matter-of-fact. Special mention to the illustrators — Taposhi Ghoshal for ‘A Quiet Girl’ and Priya Kuriyan for ‘Hey Diddle Diddle’, who have infused the stories with such infectious joy with their illustrations.