Park benches, bus stops, restaurants, in auto rickshaws or at work — there are so many places where one can lose an umbrella. Theertha Raj, author of The Magic Umbrellas , published by Chennai-based Ms Moochie Books, must know some of them. “I was a forgetful child who lost a lot of things; in fact, I lost an umbrella on the first day of my internship with Ms Moochie,” grins the 20-year-old, who is currently pursuing an MA in English Literature at IIT, Madras.
But it proved to be fodder for her book, first conceptualised during that internship, and released at The Brew Room, Chennai, on May 7. Illustrated by Nancy Raj, the book tells the story of little Leena, who keeps buying and losing umbrellas, much to the chagrin of her long-suffering mother.
The story is set in a little village in Kerala. “That is why the coconut trees, wooden easy chairs, the tiled houses and Leena’s wild curly hair,” laughs Nancy, flipping through the pages of the book and pointing out other delightful, little details. Like the snoozing kitten hidden behind a cushion, a cup of filter coffee perched on books in Leena’s teacher’s house, a boiled egg cosily nestled in a steel tiffin box, and Leena’s too-long pinafore, obviously designed by a thrifty local tailor, who foresaw a future growth spurt. “I wanted my characters to look very Indian,” says the former graphic designer, who holds a Master’s degree in Fine Arts.
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This is a welcome change from many other popular stories, “with people like George and Anne, who ate pancakes in the morning,” laughs Theertha, “They are often so removed from our reality.” The pièce de résistance however, are the umbrellas, of course. Whether it is the purple one with a brinjal-shaped handle, or the red one with rhinos and hippos all over, they all have “that element of the outrageous,” as Theertha, puts it.
It helped that Multistory Learning Private Limited, under whose umbrella (no pun intended) Ms Moochie falls, also runs The Book Lovers’ Program for School. As the name suggests, the reading programme has partnered with over 50 schools, helping its students discover the magic of books. “After I had finished writing five-six drafts, I took the story to PS School and introduced it to students there,” explains Theertha, who made her narrative more dramatic, after receiving feedback from these children.
“I have developed a new-found respect for children’s literature. You can’t meander behind some large theme with it,” she says.
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