Yes, I will read with you

Sung with a feisty beat that has you tapping your feet, "Monkeys on a fast" is one of the audio books by Karadi Tales. Getting a fat bunch of monkeys to go on a diet (in the guise of a fast) is no joke, especially for the monkey chieftain, Chakrapani. He is worried about the growing waistlines of his furry tribe.

August 13, 2009 04:24 pm | Updated 04:24 pm IST

Chips and chocolate we like to eat

Dosa and Dhoklaa are a treat

But the food that we like the most

Is bananas, bananas, bananas.

Pizza, pasta, nacho, noodles

Sizzler make us drool and drool

Payasam, paapad, gulab jamun

Rossogulla are so cool, cool,

But the food that is the coolest

Is bananas, bananas, bananas.

Sung with a feisty beat that has you tapping your feet, “Monkeys on a fast” is one of the audio books by Karadi Tales. Getting a fat bunch of monkeys to go on a diet (in the guise of a fast) is no joke, especially for the monkey chieftain, Chakrapani. He is worried about the growing waistlines of his furry tribe. Does he succeed in getting them to fast is the story. Reading is enjoyable, but reading along with someone like Sunjay Dutt makes it doubly so. Dutt livens the story with the right inflections, pitch and dramatises so that the story just jumps off the page. Listening to him and reading along with him, you learn to become a storyteller in your own right. Instead of relating a story in a bland and monotone fashion, you will now have the experience of knowing how to make a story come alive.

This enriching aspect is found in the other three books, The Lizard’s Tail, Little Vinayak and the all time favourite, The Monkeys and the Cap Seller.

Pure fun

Remember the story of the cap seller whose basketful of caps was stolen by the monkeys and the cunning way he got them back? Well, here’s the story repackaged delightfully, because of Dutt’s narration. Little Vinayak is a baby elephant who has a huge problem — he trips over his long trunk when he walks — till a friend helps him out, by teaching how to walk the right way, as all elephants should. Vidya Balan narrates the story with warmth, making it endearing and funny as well. She goes to regale us with The Lizard’s Tail where a baby lizard realises that he needn’t get so upset when he loses a tail for there’s a secret behind it.

While the audio books, with the sound effects and folksy ethnic beats make “the reading out aloud” experience enjoyable, the witty, funny, wacky illustrations done by Malavika P.C.,Christine Kasti and Shilpa Ranade are spell binding. Each time you look at them, you will be able to see something that makes you giggle all over again.

LITTLE VINAYAK, THE LIZARD’S TALE, THE MONKEYS AND THE CAPSELLER, MONKEYS ON A FAST (With a CD), Karadi Tales, Rs. 145 each

An excerpt from The Lizard’s Tale:

“Ma…aaa….ma,” he cried and went running to his mother. “Look what’s happened to my tail.”

“Why little one, you have lost your tail,” said the mother lizard, smiling. “Maybe it is time for you to get a new look!”

The little lizard did not understand his mother. A new look? What did she mean?

As he thought about this, he saw a squirrel running up and down the chikku tree.

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