Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Susan Verde ILLUSTRATOR: Juliana Perdomo GENRE: Children's Picture Book. RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A soothing book about being more mindful of the world around us, using our eyes. This book belongs to a new series exploring the five senses through a mindfulness perspective. This first book focusses on the sense of sight. Narrated from the first person perspective of a young child, the book tells us how the child ‘looks’ at a thing, and ‘sees’ a lot more. It highlights how we have a tendency to use our ability to look without registering the sight in front of us. There are plenty of examples provided such that the tricky difference between the concepts of ‘looking’ and ‘seeing’ become amply clear. The text also makes the process interactive, by asking the reader on a regular basis: “What can you see?” I couldn’t help but remember W.H. Davies’ parting words in his poem ‘Leisure’: A poor life this if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare. This book reminds...

AUTHOR: J.M. Varese GENRE: Gothic fiction. RATING: 2 stars. In a Nutshell: Utterly confused about my opinion because this is an utterly confusing book! This does not realise the potential it had promised, though it has some good points. Story Synopsis: 1870. Twenty-four-year-old Lucy Braithwhite (Isn’t the right spelling Braithwaite?) is the heiress to the fortune of Braithwhite and Company – the most successful wallpaper manufacturer in England for almost a century. Braithwhite’s designs are original, and their colours unnaturally vibrant, but their wallpapers also seem to create hallucinatory effects or health issues, though no one knows the reason for this. When Mr. Luckhurst, the long-term manager of the company and surrogate father to Lucy and her invalid brother John, passes away suddenly, a young and eneigmatic man named Julian Rivers presents himself as being the successor appointed by Luckhurst. But the arrival of this stranger sets into motion many sinister happenings, and L...

AUTHOR: Chimeka Garricks GENRE: Anthology, African Cultural Fiction. RATING: 4.45 Stars. In a Nutshell: I am dazzled by this collection! One of the best anthologies I have ever read, EVER! Touching, realistic, well-written. Great character development. Captivating beginnings and perfect endings. Grab this ASAP! The only reason I had grabbed this anthology was that gorgeous cover and the title. Music has a great role to play in my life, a close second to books. Therefore a collection titled ‘A Broken People’s Playlist’ was bound to enter my agenda. I am so glad it did! This anthology has twelve stories, all matching the theme set out by the title. 1. Each story has a ‘broken person’ as its key narrator. The brokenness could be due to a broken heart or a fractured relationship or a dysfunctional family or a shocking life experience. The reasons are varied, but the impact on the character is profound, making the story enthralling. 2. Each story has been ‘inspired’ by a song. The m...

AUTHOR: Jesse Byrd ILLUSTRATOR: Andressa Meissner GENRE: Children's Fiction, Environment RATING: 3.75 Stars. A story with a great heart and a great message, but it required a few tweaks to be even better. Marina loves the sandwich that her mom makes for her school lunch. After she devours it during her break, she throws the plastic wrapper away in the trashcan, as a good child should. Unknown to her, the wrapper is carried away by a gust of wind, and it goes through a long underwater journey before washing up on the very beach where Marina is having fun with her family. She sure is surprised to discover her labelled wrapper again! Through the wrapper’s underwater journey, children will get to see many marine animals and how the strange plastic sheet bothers them. At the end of the book, there are some shocking facts related to marine plastic pollution. The message of the story is a much-needed one. There are so many instances of single-use plastic that are totally avoidable but man...

AUTHOR: William Landay GENRE: Literary Fiction, Family Drama, Mystery. RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: Better if read as a family drama with elements of mystery, than as a crime thriller. Not fast-paced but still gripping. Recommended to literary fiction readers who would like a well-developed, slowburn story. Story Synopsis: In November 1975, ten-year-old Miranda Larkin came home to find it empty, her mother nowhere in sight but everything else in its usual spot. Neither her dad nor her brothers know anything, What happened to Jane Larkin? Did she go somewhere? Was she kidnapped? Murdered? The suspicion automatically falls on Jane’s husband Dan, a criminal attorney who is vehement about his innocence. But in the lack of concrete evidence, the case goes cold. How does Jane’s abrupt disappearance affect the Larkin family? We get to hear this from four characters’ first person perspectives. The book is divided into four sections called ‘Books’, with each character getting one ‘Book’ t...

AUTHOR: Leila Seth ILLUSTRATOR: Bindia Thapar GENRE: Children's Nonfiction. RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: An interesting and essential book for Indian kids who suffer through boring textbook chapters on ‘Civics’ without understanding much about the Indian Constitution. 😉 ‘We the people of India’ – a phrase that reminds us instantly of our Constitution. The very first sentence of the Indian Constitution is a long (really long!) sentence that reminds us of who we are and what we are as Indians. This sentence is called the Preamble to the Constitution, and it is quite a complex line with magniloquent words. Check it out! (Imagine reading this at age 7-8! Too complicated!) Not only is the Preamble printed at the beginning of every school textbook, but it is also taught to us in our school within the ‘Social Studies’ subject, comprising history, geography and civics. Sadly, most of us don’t remember it, in part because it was taught in a boring way, and in part because we didn’t th...

AUTHOR: Emily Satoko Seo ILLUSTRATOR: Mique Moriuchi GENRE: Children's Picture book. RATING: 5 Stars. In a Nutshell: A book made with and full of ‘kokoro’ (heart.) Loved it!! Little Miko likes everything to be perfect. For her grandmother’s upcoming birthday, Miko decides that she will make for her the perfect sushi. Unfortunately, even after multiple attempts, Miko’s sushi is lopsided. Even asking her grandpa for helps didn’t yield perfect results. When Miko stomps away angrily, she hears a sound… Following the sound leads her to the most perfect sushi ever! This would be great for grandma, right? I simply adored this book. Right from its story to its message to its illustrations, it got full marks on every aspect. Miko is an adorable little girl, though she does lose her cool “like a rice cooker’ at times. Her love for her grandparents and her passion for perfection come out clearly in the story. She will win your heart for sure. When the author and the illustrator both are of Ja...

AUTHOR: Clyde Boyer Genre: Middle-Grade Science Fiction Rating: 4.25 Stars. In a Nutshell: An intelligent and imaginative sci-fi read for middle graders. Covers some thoughtful themes. A bit too long for the target age group but the fast pace and thrilling action-adventures compensate for the length. Story Synopsis: Anna Armstrong has always been a space aficionado. After her parents pass away unexpectedly, she is sent to live with her Uncle Jack on his farm, which is not the kind of farm you might imagine. On her first night there, Anna sees some strange lights and a mysterious woman floating above the lake in the back of the house. Thus begins Anna’s thrilling adventure, courtesy Mara, the time traveller from the future who seems to be hiding from something, or someone. Mara needs Anna’s help in tracking some wormholes, but little do they know that an ‘unearthly’ visitor has already landed in their vicinity. Where the book worked for me: 👽 The story stays true to its protagonist’s a...

AUTHOR: Jules Howard ILLUSTRATOR: Lucy Letherland GENRE: Children's Nonfiction, Science. RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: An enlightening read for youngsters who are interested in animals and zoology. Most children love animals. However, a few want to take their passion beyond pets, and have a career connected to animals in the wild. How should they begin? What does a zoologist actually do? Where does a zoologist work? You will find answers to all this and more in this educative and entertaining book. The books begins with an introduction of zoology. It then covers various types of biomes such as temperate & tropical forests, the tundra, the grasslands, and even underwater reefs and the deep ocean. For each region, the book explores the kind of region, a few of the animals who dwell therein, some interesting facts related to the animals, and the work zoologists do in that region, and how they go about it. While there are many books that provide amazing facts about wild animals, ...

AUTHOR: H.G. Parry GENRE: YA Fantasy RATING: 4 Stars. In a Nutshell: A lovely coming-of-age historical fantasy with magical elements and creatures. Slow but enjoyable. Though YA in style, recommendable to all readers. Story Synopsis: 1912. For as long as she can remember, sixteen year old Biddy has lived on the magical island of Hy-Brasil with her beloved but mercurial guardian Rowan and his magical familiar, Hutch the rabbit. As Biddy is not a magician but still confined to the island, she begins to feel stifled by her loneliness. One night when Rowan fails to come home from his nocturnal outing, Biddy connects to him using his dream. Thus she discovers a little about where he goes every night, what’s worrying everyone in the world of magic, and what enemies lie awaiting Biddy, Rowan, and Hy-Brasil. At the same time, she learns that Rowan has not been honest about his past as well as hers. Can she continue to trust him? Is she safe at Hy-Brasil? The story comes to us in the limited th...

AUTHOR: Sophia Kolinas ILLUSTRATOR: Aparna Varma GENRE: Children's Picture Book. RATING: 5 Stars. In a Nutshell: Un-bear-ably cute and relevant! Loved it! A bear who lives in the forest is tired of doing bear things, especially as the world around him has changed, with fewer trees and fish. So he decides to try out the human way of living, which also results in dissatisfaction. Luckily, he finds a human girl who speaks bear, and she teaches him the art of being human. When this also doesn’t work, they reverse the training and the girl learns the art of being bear. This mutual friendship results in some thoughtful life lessons for the girl and for us. Every part of this story is adorable. Characters :  The bear and the girl are depicted in an atypical way, with both of them sharing a collaborative relationship than one based on fear or selfishness. I loved their bond with each other, and also how they were each willing to listen to the other. True friendship isn’t just about gettin...

AUTHOR: Louiza Kallona GENRE: Middle-Grade Fantasy RATING: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: Exactly as the blurb promises. Humorous, exaggerated, whimsical. A fun story for middle-graders. Story Synopsis: The world has not seen laughter since a few months now, and no one knows why. Well, almost no one. Lucy McClafferty’s eccentric grandma takes Lucy, her brother Ben, and Uncle Patrick on a secret journey to meet Gabel Lylhu, one of the ticklers of the world, staying somewhere in Smoo Cave. Unless Gabel does his tickling job with his magical laughing gull feather, the world might just be plunged into permanent gloom. Will the McClaffertys be successful in their mission? The story has everything that kids will enjoy – quirky characters, fun adventures in caves and through magic portals, over-the-top comic elements, fun word play and even some invented words à la Roald Dahl. The author even incorporates some interesting facts and anagrams seamlessly in this plot. While I do love MG fiction (a ...

EDITORS: Deepa Anappara & Taymour Soomro GENRE: Nonfiction, Writing. RATING: 3.9 Stars. In a Nutshell: This should be called ‘Letters from a writer of colour.’ Has many thought-provoking points for writers and readers of all colours, including white. A relevant read in today’s world. Ought to be present in every library and added to literary courses. It doesn’t take a genius to know that the world of fiction is extremely white-dominated. As the book also tells us, “the publishing industry is mostly white, straight, and abled.” But times are a-changing, finally. In the last few years, there has been a riot of colour and a rainbow of gender in the fictional world. Today, we get to see books by writers of various ethnic, national and gender backgrounds. We live in times where the "whiteness" of English language fiction has slowly started turning multi-hued.  However, does this point to a change in dominant voice? Are things now smooth for PoC writers? You already know the an...

AUTHOR: Anna Finch ILLUSTRATOR: Wathmi de Zoysa GENRE: Children's Picture Book RATING: 3.75 stars. A cute indie picture book that depicts a little mermaid who is never scared, and too confident about her bravery. Mellie the Mermaid loves to explore the ocean around her. Though her parents advise her to be careful, Mellie is not scared of anything and continues to go further and further in her adventures. However, one fine day, she has an encounter that does give her the jitters. How will this scary experience change her? I have read many picture books telling kids not to be scared, to step beyond their fear, to be brave. Here’s a book that begins the opposite way. Mellie is shown as being so confident that nothing rattles her. At the same time, she doesn’t heed her parents’ warnings about being careful and hence she goes a step too far. Her sense of curiosity comes out well in the story. The book works at many levels. It shows children that there is a thin line between being brave...

AUTHOR: Atelier Sentô (Cécile Brun & Oliver Pichard) GENRE: Graphic Novel. RATING: 4 Stars. In a Nutshell: A graphic novel with an intense story that belies belief. Mind-blowing artwork. Left me with many questions at the end. Story Synopsis: Naoko lives in an isolated mountain Village in Japan. The residents of the village, mostly senior citizens, are in charge of bringing peace to the shadows--the souls of people who have passed away but have unresolved issues. The villagers get one year to help the souls before they turn monstrous and become stuck in the mortal realm. Naoko has handled only one shadow so far but that wasn't a successful endeavour. Now a year later, she has been assigned another shadow, the soul of a young man. As the months pass by, Naoko feels close to her shadow and even visits his home in Tokyo to get a better idea of her feelings. But is she doing the right thing, both for herself and for her shadow, by getting personally attached? We all have heard how ...

AUTHOR: Marya Zarif ILLUSTRATOR: Marya Zarif TRANSLATOR: Yvette Ghione GENRE: Children's Picture Book RATING: 3.75 Stars. In a Nutshell: A magical realism story about a little girl from Syria who finds solace through her stock of magical seeds. Dounia lives a happy carefree life with her grandparents in Aleppo, Syria. But when a bomb explodes in their verandah, her grandpa decides that it's time for them to move out of Aleppo. While Dounia doesn't want to leave her home, she knows that they have no choice. Though the journey ahead seems scary, but Dounia knows that everything will be well because she's carrying magical baraka seeds along with her. And sure enough, the seeds step up whenever Dounia needs assistance. This book was originally published two years ago in French under the title "Dounia". This is the translated English edition, due to be published on 14th March 2023. The story sure is imaginative. While it takes facts from the war in Syria and the re...

AUTHOR: K.A. Last GENRE: Retelling, YA Fantasy Series: Wonder in Neverland, #2 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A worthy continuation to the ‘Wonder in Neverland’ series with the mashup of Wonderland and Neverland. Loved it almost as much as the first book. Be warned though – this one too ends on a cliffhanger!! Story Synopsis: Seventeen year old Alessa’s elder sister Alice is being sent away to the asylum to stop her crazy ramblings about some place called ‘Wonderland’. When Alessa discovers that her sister’s outlandish thoughts were true, she is enthusiastic to discover more, and the clear her sister’s name. All she has to go on are her sister’s notes and a broken pocket watch. Ronan is still trapped in Neverland after the events of the first book. Eager for his revenge against Cordelia and Peter, Ronan knows he needs to get the key back at any cost, even if it means alienating himself from his friends. But just as he seems close to accomplishing his mission, he tumbles out of his ...