Reviews: (by author)

(2 Reviews)

Ravishankar, Anushka. Moin and the Monster. New Delhi, India: Puffin, 2005. ISBN 0-14-333515-4. 155 Rupees—around $3. www.penguinbooksindia.com Age 6+

Moin and the Monster exemplifies the best of contemporary children’s literature as it burgeons now in India. Ravishankar’s many books are outstanding for their humor, their use of language, swift pacing, and their child-pleasing stories. Moin is sure to please as well. He’s just a regular kid who discovers a monster beneath his bed, and, as the monster insists, draws him into corporeal existence according to both the monster’s self-description and his own rather limited artistic skills. Thus, instead of intimidating, the monster merely looks goofy. But goofy or not, the monster abides by the rules of monsterdom (which he conveniently announces at crucial moments) and so must Moin. Try as he will, Moin cannot rid himself of the self-willed little pink being, even with the help of his friends. They have a lot of covering up to do as the monster follows Moin to school, resulting in a trip to the school psychologist’s office for Moin (naturally, the monster sneaks in, too) and causing many other near disasters through his hijinks. A plot twist at the conclusion finishes a very enjoyable book.

I hope this becomes a series, since Ravishankar is a natural storyteller and a book like this can do a lot for reluctant readers, in addition to tickling the ribs of those kids who already read enthusiastically. It is a far better book than most of the Early Readers published in the United States.

A. Allison, June 2007

Ravishankar, Anushka. Tiger on a Tree. Illus. Pulak Biswas. Chennai, India: Tara Publishing, 1997; New York: Farrar Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0-374-37555-0. $15. www.fsgkids.com

Bold in language, design, and illustration, this is an original, funny, provocative, read-aloud-oriented brief tale of a tiger who starts on the shore in India and winds up on the same shore. His adventures in between are relayed in enjoyably playful language; among other things, the tiger is scared by a goat and trapped in a net. All ends, however, well.

Biswas’ illustrations are black and orange on nice white paper stock. They have a tactile, textured feel and a lot of movement. The words are in different sizes and part of the overall design. An exuberant, unusual book good for early readers and well as younger listeners.

A. Allison, June 2007

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