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Book Review
Compilation of poems, drama
MINNAMINNUM MINIMOLUM — Children's literature: K. V. Baby; Current Books, Thrissur-680001. Rs. 40.
ELUPPAVAZHY — Children's drama: C. Vasudevan; Pub. by Malayanma, P.B. No. 43, Malappuram. Rs. 25.
THE FIRST book is a compilation of poems by K.V. Baby, a lecturer by profession. Only seasoned poets will be capable of catering the task of the old and young alike. Baby is one of them. Themes for children normally revolve around toys, games, moon, stars, mother and father, to mention a few. But these poems have something different to offer.
In "Varaata Veru" he portrays the natural impulse with which a child pulls out a sapling before watering it everyday just to check if the roots are growing. Children normally question the happenings/phenomena around them. A story, an anecdote or a real happening is explained to the child by way of answering him. The formation of waves is one such.
In the poem "Thirakatha", the child enquires how a wave got to be created in the ocean. The poet narrates a beautiful episode. Once while the ocean was surging with waves, Sage Durvasa was sailing across. Disturbed by a huge wave, he cursed it to sink into the depths of the ocean. The vibrations of the twirling waters of this wave are now disturbing the rest of the ocean to create waves all over. Put poetically and in rhymes the poems make an interesting reading. Picturesquely developed, the imagination of a child is kindled to sustain the reading in the form of couplets/poems.
The second book has a message: children can be the ambassadors to bring about harmony in a society overcoming the pressures of dissension, the seeds of which are easily sown by their elders. The hypocrisy and vain beliefs of elders is exposed by a group of children. The elders in the village suddenly treat a stone used by them to play as being divine. The ensuing confusion is put an end to by the children themselves who throw it into an unused well.
Written in a simple language the message is direct and the drama can easily be staged.
SANTHI MOHANAN
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