A SHADOW IN ETERNITY , Payal Dhar; Zubaan, Rs. 295
Maya looks and behaves like any other school girl of her age – she's 12 years old. But she has abilities that most 12-year-olds don't — she can travel beyond time into the Eternal City and become a Defender of the Light — that is, keep time constantly ticking.
It's truly exciting when Maya suddenly finds herself staring into the eyes of a stranger, in a land she cannot recognise and has to trust him to help her find her way out. Travelling back in time is pretty much what you would imagine it to be like — arriving at an ageless city where everybody is dressed in strange but beautiful costumes. As Noah, the stranger takes her around, she learns to trust him a bit more. She meets fascinating people and sees the strangest of things, but has to learn some difficult lessons. A lot of things are pretty much like the normal world in which Maya lives – learning new skills, making choices and trusting friends.
Fantasy lovers will be hooked with the haunting images and strange encounters.
WATER STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD , Tulika, Rs.385
Water, a precious resource, is fast being depleted from the earth, mainly due to human consumption. “Why do the rains fail?” “How can we share water?” and “Why does water get angry” are some questions this book asks. It brings a collection of folk-stories on water from all over the world – India, China, Australia, Greece…Nigeria. A frog that is partial to water drinks it up in vast quantities and has to be tickled till she laughs to death…and out gush streams of water from her gut! A green man travels to the other end of the world, but will water be his friend on or won't it? And Ayesha from Egypt thinks even the sun with his scorching rays is less cruel than her companions. What could they have done to provoke such a reaction? A ‘water timeline' with facts about water through the ages makes fascinating reading.
THE VEENA PLAYER , Anjali Raghbeer, Tulika. Rs.200
Being left alone with an aunt who messes about with old paintings all day cannot be fun for a ten-year-old, but that's what happens to Valsa when her parents go away during the holidays. Aunt Prima has a dilapidated painting of Ravi Varma's, and she is bent upon making it look as good as new. As they work through the painting, uncovering layers of dust, chipping of bits of dirt, Valsa discovers that the painting is of a Veena player. And it looks as though he is looking straight at her! This is a feature of all Ravi Varma paintings. Imagine Valsa's shock when the person in the painting begins to speak to her! And, there are more surprises in store!
PANNA , Kamala Das; Puffin Books; Rs.125.
Panna and her brother Moti live by the sea, where they explore all its wonders and delights. They live quite companionably, telling each other stories and singing songs together. One day, Panna decides to delve into the water and is first confused and shocked at the depth and vastness of the ocean. Not in her wildest dreams did she think the sea was so full of life! The fish laugh at her and tease her, which leaves her even more confused. and wanting to meet her brother Moti again. But meeting a certain big funny fish she strikes up a conversation, she feels a bit better...Beautifully illustrated with Madhubani-like prints, the story is engaging to the end.
MALGUDI SCHOOLDAYS ; R.K.Narayan; Puffin Classics.
Swaminathan lives in Malgudi, a small town where nothing much happens. The hub of all excitement is Swami's school, where he and his friends Mani and Rajam are always in trouble and try to escape the punishment meted out to them. Swami is not very good at his studies — he is dreamy and prefers to gaze out of the window. Rajam is an all-rounder; good at studies and strong enough to fight the toughest boy, Mani. Swami gets to be friends with both of them. Then, they organise a cricket match! The three of them, part of the M.C.C. (The Malgudi Cricket Club) invite the Young Men's Club to a ‘friendly match' … – and they have to make all arrangements themselves. Swami finds himself facing some tough questions…
