Book Review - The story of Ferdinand

BOOK PICK OF THE WEEK - 10/11/2014

TITLE : The Story of Ferdinand
AUTHOR : Munro Leaf
ILLUSTRATOR : Robert Lawson
PUBLISHER : Penguin
AGE GROUP : 3+

          As the book says : This is the story of Ferdinand - a little bull who would rather sit and smell the flowers than fight in the bullring! This pretty much sumps up our story of Ferdinand.

          Ferdinand is a bull unlike his cousins. All his cousins played with each other, butted their heads, jumped etc. But Ferdinand didn't enjoy it. He would instead sit quietly and enjoy the nature besides him. His favorite spot was under a cork tree! Can you imagine a bull doing that? He liked to smell flowers. His mother becomes worried for he may become lonely. But she never coaxed him to do things differently because she was an understanding mother. Gradually, Ferdinand grows to become a very strong bull. So one day, some men come to select a bull for bullfighting. And because of some circumstances, they chance upon Ferdinand and select him. Now will he live up to his name and fight or just sit quietly remains to be seen or rather read!

          This book has a very sweet story and made me realize that sometimes we just need to do that! Stop everything and sit quietly. We are so engulfed in our routine that we have forgotten to admire nature and smell flowers which has given us so much.

          This story also tells us a lot about Spain and Bullfighting as a sport. Bullfighting is a very old sport practiced in Spain from ancient times. The author has smartly woven all the new vocabulary of bullfighting in the story itself thus, making the kids understand better rather than mentioning it in the glossary. Kids will learn many new words such as Matador, Picadores etc. In fact, the tail-end of the story is actually a description of how the game takes place!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR -
Munro Leaf was an American author of children's literature who wrote and illustrated nearly 40 books and is best remembered for this book.

          Do read this book and let me know whether you liked the book or not. And while you are reading this story, don't forget to show some YouTube videos on bullfighting. Kids will be surely amazed!

Book Review - The Berenstain Bears and too much TV!

BOOK PICK OF THE WEEK - 3/11/2014

TITLE : The Berenstain Bears and too much TV
AUTHOR : Stan & Jan Berenstain
PUBLISHER : Random House
AGE GROUP : 3+

          Diwali vacations have ended and it's now back to our regular routines! Sometimes, most mommies feel that school days are better than vacations since most of the time, vacations are not spent fruitfully. There is too much laziness, too much carefree environment and too much TV!

          Which brings us to our this week's Book Pick of the week - The Berenstain Bears and too much Tv. The Berenstain Bears is a very popular series of multiple titles where The Bear family shares with us their everyday experiences. Their books have a lot of humour and are just perfect for toddlers and kids in imparting good values and morals.

          In this title, Mama Bear is fed up because her two kids and her husband watch too much TV the whole day. She finds out why is this happening when there are better ways to spend time rather than just sit in front of it the whole day. She is totally convinced that she needs to find some solution to this problem. Finally she comes up with a good plan of ' No TV for a week'.

          All the three are shocked to learn but our Mama Bear is very firm on her decision. They argue on how to spend the entire day when Mama Bear cleverly comes up with so many ideas for an entire week that both the kids almost forget to watch TV. But, not Papa. He has to be watched over if he sneaks in for a little peek at the TV. Finally, the week is over. And their Mama says that now you can watch The TV. But, just imagine to her surprise, the only one watching TV is Papa!

          After reading this book, I was convinced that TV sucks up too much time of our lives. And there are better ways to spend time rather than watch TV. In one such incident where Papa Bear says how will I come to know the latest news, Mama Bear calmly orders him to read newspaper!

          Do read the book and tell us whether you liked it or not and how will you spend a 'No TV' week! Waiting for your replies.
 

Book Review - Amma, tell me about Diwali!

BOOK PICK OF THE WEEK - 13/10/2014

NAME OF THE BOOK - Amma, tell me about Diwali!
AUTHOR - Bhakti Mathur
ILLUSTRATOR - Maulshree Somani
PUBLISHER - Anjana Publishing
AGE GROUP - 4+

          Just a week left to Diwali and we are already enjoying the pre-Diwali festive spirit. All shops are crowded, roads are chock-a-block with carts selling rangolis, diyas, lanterns etc. Diwali is one festival where there is no distinction between rich and poor, caste, religion etc. All of them celebrate in individual capacity but celebrate nonetheless.

          For our book pick of the week, then, we had to choose a book related obviously to Diwali. So, here is a book that describes how Diwali is celebrated and why. Amma, tell me about Diwali was part of the monthly quota of books we receive in our LRN kit (Mythology theme).

  Image Courtesy: Amazon.in

ABOUT THE BOOK -
          This is the second book we are reviewing it in this series. You can read the review of Amma, tell me about Ganesha here. The book starts off with Diwali celebrations in Klaka's house. They light Diyas, burn fire-crackers, eat sweets, etc. Then when going to bed, Klaka asks why do we celebrate Diwali and their mother explains to them the story of Homecoming of Lord Rama in Ayodhya - of how Lord Rama was ordered fourteen years in exile, how Ravana captures Sita, How Lord Rama wages a war against Ravana with the help of Hanumana and how they return to their homeland.

          The book does not end here. Amma also tells another story od Goddess Lakshmi of how she blesses her true devotees.

          Written beautifully in poetic verses, and amazingly illustrated, this book is a delight to even flip the colourful pages! Some sample lines are as follows -

Brilliant firecrackers lighting up the night,

Diyas twinkling like stars - what a sight!

This is Diwali, in all its glory

As told to little Klaka, by his Amma - a magical story.

 

First the celebration of Prince Rama and his homecoming,

His victory over Ravana, the evil demon King.

Next a story of Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth

who rewards her true devotees with fortune and good health.

          The author has written in such a simple language for even a 4 year old to understand Ramayana. It would have become very daunting to explain it. Thank you Bhakti Mathur for making the parents' job easier.

At the end, a glossary of Sanskrit terms is explained in English.        

ABOUT THE AUTHOR -
Bhakti Mathur lives in Hong Kong with her husband, her two sons, and their beloved Golden Labrador. She is a banker by profession.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR-

Maulshree Somani lives with her husband and son in Mumbai, India. She worked at Walt Disney and subsequently set up her own graphic design company.

          Members, the book is available on first come first serve basis at our library. Others can buy it on Amazon, Flipkart or even at their online website. Wishing you a very happy, safe and prosperous  Diwali. Do read the book and tell us what you think of it.
 

Come join a set of fabulous bloggers sharing their Diwali moments , easy Crafts, DIY ideas, Recipes and book recommendations with you .

Starting from today till Diwali and beyond, each one of us will be writing a post related to Diwali.

Participating blogs

Artsy Craftsy mom . Reading Rabbits Library . Food and fads . Cherish Dream Live . My little Moppet . On-board the Mommyship . Roohi's Collection . Colours Dekor . Bumps n Baby  . Hello Mommyhood . A spoonfull of ideas . CraftIsland . Perfect Skin care for you . ParentingMantras . Whats Cooking Mom . Orange kitchens . Quilts & Quills . Fun Activities for Children . Something’s cooking . Obsessivemom . The Design Enthusiast . Fantastic Feathers . Little aadi ali

So sit back, relax and check out all the fabulous Diwali Dhamaka posts in the linky.

An InLinkz Link-up

Book Review - Cave Baby

BOOK PICK OF THE WEEK - 22/09/2014

NAME OF THE BOOK - Cave Baby
AUTHOR - Julia Donaldson
ILLUSTRATOR - Emily Gravett
PUBLISHER - Macmillan Children's Books
AGE GROUP - 3 to 6

          In my last post I featured Roald Dahl for his birthday. So, this week, I will be featuring Julia Donaldson since she celebrated her birthday on 16th Sept. Julia Donaldson is the most loved author of children. She has written so many books of which The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom are well-known and liked by every kid. Today I have selected Cave Baby which is written by her and illustrated by Emily Gravett.

          Julia Donaldson is the recipient of Children's Laureate (2011-2013), a prestigious award conferred by the government of U.K. Emily Gravett is a two-time winner of the prestigious Kate Greenway Medal for her work in Wolves and Little Mouse's Big Book Of Fears.

          This time, my dear friend who blogs at The BubbleInk has reviewed this book HERE. So, folks, hop on to read her wonderful review. Don't forget to come back at the library and issue it!

Till next week,
Happy Reading!

Book Review - Amma, tell me about Ganesha!

BOOK PICK OF THE WEEK - 25/08/2014

NAME OF THE BOOK - Amma, tell me about Ganesha!
AUTHOR - Bhakti Mathur
ILLUSTRATOR - Maulshree Somani
PUBLISHER - Anjana Publishing
AGE GROUP - 4+


          This Friday, being Ganesh Chaturthi, preparations are on a full swing since we bring Gapanati Bappa at our home. Home being swept clean, doors and windows being mopped, curtains and carpets being washed, preparing the Prashaad, this festival brings a new aura to every household! We at the Library, too decided to review a book based on the story of how Lord Ganesha got its elephant head.
          Lord Ganesha is the favourite God among kids and they fondly call him Bappa! and why not! When he has such a cute face, who will not like that? Lord Ganesha is given a very important status in Hindu households as every new beginning starts with a prayer to him. Even while doing a Pooja, Lord Ganesha is remembered first!

          This book written by Bhakti Mathur, starts with a  Sanskrit Shlok - 'Vakratunda Mahakaya' and its meaning in English and then straightaway depicts a  street scene of Lord Ganesha being immersed in water. After the festivities end, the mother (Amma), while putting her children to bed, ask her how did Lord Ganesha get its elephant head. She then narrates the story. I'm sure everyone knows that story so, I'm not going to narrate it here.

          The book is described wonderfully in verses and its illustrations do full justice to the story being told. The language used is very simple and can be easily understood by small kids and best suited for reading aloud. Sample this -

Ganesha's birthday is celebrated

With fun and lots of fanfare.

His idols are placed on the rolling grass

With ardent prayer and gentle care

 

Ganesha, loved by all,

Is the son of Shiva and Parvati!

This is the story of his birth and how

His elephant head came to be. 

 At the end, a glossary of Sanskrit terms is explained in English.        

ABOUT THE AUTHOR -
Bhakti Mathur lives in Hong Kong with her husband, her two sons, and their beloved Golden Labrador. She is a banker by profession.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR-

Maulshree Somani lives with her husband and son in Mumbai, India. She worked at Walt Disney and subsequently set up her own graphic design company.

          So, now while we wait to welcome Lord Ganesha to our home, don't forget to narrate this story to your children!

गणपती बाप्पा मोरया। 

पुढच्या वर्षी लवकर या। 

 

Till then,

Happy Reading!

 

Book Review - Bear Feels Sick!

BOOK PICK OF THE WEEK - 21/07/2014


          Finally, we are relieved of the dry spell! But, with monsoons making a grand appearance, a host of maladies come quietly and create havoc in our just-settled academic routines. Then comes the usual round of visiting doctors, gulping bitter medicines, eating chicken soup, bunking school and so on and so forth. Parents worry about the extra burden of school work to be completed while children get bored just lying in the bed and watching TV! What to do?

          That leaves us with wonderful books! And hence, this week I have picked up a wonderful book where a bear is feeling sick and how his friends help him to get better.

          The book is reviewed here by a fellow mommy blogger Leela Padmaja (thus minimizing my work!) and you can follow her blog here.

          Hope you remain in the pink of your health.
          Till then, Happy Reading!

Book Review - Rain, Rain!

BOOK PICK OF THE WEEK - 14/07/2014

NAME OF THE BOOK - Rain, Rain!
AUTHOR - Sanjiv Jaiswal ' Sanjay'
ILLUSTRATOR - Ajit Narayan
AGE GROUP - 1-6 years
GENRE - Monsoons, Seasons


          This week, I have picked up a book relating to monsoon! You must be wondering I'm mad to review a book about rains when, at present, we are experiencing a drought - like situation in our state! But folks, let's read this book and maybe, just maybe, the effect of cumulative thinking and wishing may actually please our Rain God and he may literally shower his blessings on us!

          The book I'm talking about  is 'Rain, Rain!' By Sanjiv Jaiswal 'Sanjay' and illustrated by Ajit Narayan. It is published by Pratham Books, a non-profit organization.

          A small book narrating the importance of monsoon in our everyday life and its after-effects is described beautifully. Perfect even for our tiny bunnies and rabbits, this book can be used as a great read-aloud or for even reading alone.

THE STORY -
          Once, a cloud is wandering by. Each character in the story whether a peacock or a farmer is requesting the cloud to rain, albeit for different purposes. Soon, the cloud starts raining and makes everybody happy.

          This is the beauty of rains. Everyone wants it but for a different reason altogether. Just a drizzle here and there, everything looks new and fresh!

THE LESSON -
          Making others happy without expecting anything in return gives us satisfaction and contentment.

WHAT I LIKED IN THE BOOK -

• Colourful and bright illustrations.
• Extremely simple text for budding readers.
• A very small book of just 12 pages which can keep even babies engrossed. This is the star feature of Pratham Books.
• Simple language used to narrate why do we require rains.

A NOTE ON THE AUTHOR ND ILLUSTRATOR -
          Sanjiv Jaiswal is a senior official in the Ministry of Railways. His books have won many awards at the national level.
          Ajit Narayan is a cartoonist consultant for Scholastic India and is the author of 'Cartooning with Ajit Narayan'.
         

Till next week, Soak in the showers sipping hot cuppa of tea and Happy Reading!

Book Review - Wilbie Footie mad!

BOOK PICK OF THE WEEK - 7/7/14

NAME OF THE BOOK - Wilbie Footie Mad!
AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR - Sally Chambers
AGE GROUP - 3 to 8 years
GENRE - Team spirit, Football, Sportmanship.

With the ongoing FIFA 2014, Reading Rabbits couldn't be left behind in exploring a book about football. Though essentially a boy's game, this book can bridge the gender gap and inculcate interest in the game.

THE STORY -

          Wilbie, a duckling adores football so much so that he has read every book, watched every match, heard everything related to football. Except, practice! The passion of football has rubbed on him due to his father's keen interest in the game.

          One day, team trials are held in the park. Wilbie is confident that he will secure a place in the team since he is so knowledgeable about the game. But alas, he cannot even manage with the ball. He feels very disheartened. The coach sees his enthusiasm and keeps him as an extra to do odd jobs.

          His dad kindly encourages him to practice everyday. They bond very well at the practice sessions. And, at the team practice sessions, he works hard like fetching drinks and snacks to his team members with sincerity and dedication. Being so helpful, one day the team members decide to give him a chance to play at one of the sessions.

          What happens next is the rest of the story. Upon receiving a golden chance, does he prove himself? Can he secure a place in the team? What lesson does he learn? Or he just remains an extra?

THE LESSON -

          Merely being knowledgeable is not enough. You should be wise enough to use that knowledge to accomplish success and be victorious.

WHAT I LIKED IN THE BOOK -

• Abundant soccer vocabulary with plenty of illustrations to inculcate interest in the game even for toddlers. Sally has done a good job with illustrating.
• The bonding of father-son duo over practice is depicted very nicely. A subtle message for all of us - Spending quality time is more important.
• Every day is not your day - An another lesson. Children will learn the spirit of sportsmanship.
• The book shows how not to be bogged down by failures. Rather, take it in your stride and work towards it.
• Often, over-confidence brings you down. Being merely knowledgeable but not making use of it is also disastrous.

 Till next week, happy Reading!