Impeccable Petunia by Katie Christine

Title : Impeccable Petunia (Part I : Claws, Paws, Feathers & Jaws)

Author : Katie Christine

Pictures By : Jonathan Edward

I always maintain that animal stories are a sure way to entice a young readers's heart.  Here in 'Impeccable Petunia' the readers actually get to peek into the high drama life of a chicken who happens to have unusual tastes and likings.

Petunia is a chicken who has fascination and appreciation for everything colourful and beautiful and this talent of hers makes her stand out from the rest of her mates. The other hens are happy following the regular routine and are not into trying anything new or different. But Petunia's quirky nature does not go very well with the hens at higher pecking order and this gives rise to many gossips and interesting incidents in the hen house.

Various characters join the storyline - Silkie the kind woman, Macy the house cat,  Ronald the one-eyed fox and many more. Each character is beautifully sketched and their unique personalities add flavour to the story. The adventure packed days in a chicken's life make a delightful read.

I liked the subtle message of how sometimes the pressure to conform builds too much but still standing for what you believe in and not wilting under the pressure is the best way to go about it. It is very important to appreciate the uniqueness in every individual and just because an individual is different does not make him/her bad.

A very cute, interesting and engaging story and author does a brilliant job of bringing the animal characters to life.  However I feel the vocabulary is a little overwhelming for the target readers. I like the challenging vocabulary in the books for children but it should not be to that extent where it becomes a dampener and the effectiveness of the book gets compromised. I guess, a right balance is very important. Having said that, I would look forward to Part II of this series.

The illustrations by Jonathan Edward take the story to an entirely new level and the bright colours of the pictures beautifully reflect what a palette of vibrant colours does to Petunia and her inner feelings.

Kuttan’s Dilemma by Leni Varkey

Title: Kuttan’s Dilemma

Author: Leni Varkey

Illustrator: Rishi Bhardwaj

Price: INR 95

ISBN: 978-93-81115-90-9

‘Kuttan’s Dilemma’ begins with a situation most of the children face, beginning of school holidays but nothing much to do!

Kuttan’s holidays have begun and he is not thrilled about it. After some mouth watering description of puris, ladoos and many other food and bakery items, the story progresses when Kuttan’s mother sends him to his lonely neighbour’s house to deliver an important letter. Some unfortunate events occur while he is there and lead him into a dilemma. Leni Varkey has done a wonderful job by picturesquely describing how the little boy goes though the mental turmoil. The pretty illustrations give an added advantage.

It is really fascinating how the author has beautifully described even the minute aspects so artfully rather than just slightly mentioning them or not mentioning them at all. For instance, the image that the fat policeman’s buttons could pop off any time or the description of Achayan’s living room! Do read the book to find out all about this..

The best thing I found about the book is the storyline. Parents won’t need to worry before buying their kids this book as it shows how it is always proper to confess the truth rather than stay like a culprit forever.

A very fascinating, gripping and praise-worthy storyline, trust me, you’ll surely regret not reading it! 

Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney

Title : Five Little Peppers And How They Grew 

Author : Margaret Sidney

Reviewed By : Sandhya's A (11 years)

I have read many stories about families. This one is about a very poor family – five children Ben, Polly, Joel, David and Phronsie - and their mother, ‘Mamsie’. Their father dies when Phronsie was a little baby.

The children barely have enough to eat, let alone to go to school. Mrs Pepper has to earn a living through sewing for other people, so Polly has to take care of the house.  To make it easier for her, all she wants is a new stove. It is difficult to get even that much.

After a spell of measles for the whole family, Phronsie makes a new friend, Jasper, who is very rich. Is it possible for Jasper and his father to help the Peppers?

This book has helped me realize that I am one of the few who have so many privileges like an education and 3 good meals every day. It reminded me of another book I have read, called Little Women. I am sure that there are many more gems like this book yet for me to discover.

This book is an abridged version from the Classic Starts series. I am sure I will enjoy the original just as much.   

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire by J.K.Rowling

Title : Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Author : J.K.Rowling

Publisher : Scholastic
Reviewed By : Abhinav Behl (10 years)

In this book, Harry is chosen for a contest. It starts with the night, Harry was dreaming. His dream was true to life but he didn’t know that yet. In the morning his friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger told him that they were going to the QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP! It was great!                             

At Hogwarts a strange competition called the Triwizard Tournament was being held. In this competition, other wizard schools will compete with Harry’s school. But only kids who are 17 can compete. Surprisingly, Harry’s name comes out of the goblet of fire even though Harry is only 14! Still, Harry has many adventures like battling a dragon or going through a maze. He even meets his enemy, LORD VOLDEMORT!

But who put Harry’s name in the goblet in the first place? Read the book to find out.                                                   

I liked this book a lot and I recommend people to start the Harry Potter series! You won’t regret it!

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone by J.K.Rowling

Title : Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1)

Author : J.K. Rowling

Publisher : Scholastic
Reviewed By : Abhinav Behl (10 years)

This is the story of an eleven year old boy named Harry Potter. When he was a baby, his parents were murdered by a powerful evil wizard named Lord Voldemort. After that, Harry got adopted by his mean Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. Their son Dudley made his life more miserable. But, on his 11th birthday Harry gets a mysterious letter saying he’s a wizard who would be taught at the witch and wizard school, Hogwarts.


Harry's adventures about the strange school are rather peculiar. He boards a magical train, meets new friends, becomes seeker in the school Quidditch team, meets his professors, and tries to find the sorcerer's stone which is hidden in Hogwarts!! Want to know more about Harry's adventures? Read the book to find out!!!

THE WATER CYCLE : WATER PLAY SERIES BOOK 1 BY MAYRA CALVANI

TITLE : THE WATER CYCLE :  WATER PLAY SERIES BOOK 1
AUTHOR: MAYRA CALVANI
ILLUSTRATIONS BY : ALEXANDER MORRIS
PUBLICATION : GUARDIAN ANGEL PUBLISHING, INC.


 This is Mayra Calvani's second book that I have read. While the first one was sweet, this one is simply outstanding.
                                          As the name itself suggests, this book is about the journey of water droplets from the clouds to earth and then again back to the clouds.The book is very comprehensively written in lyrical form. It covers nearly everything on the topic from drizzle - rain - downpour - flood - hail- snow -blizzard! Not only there is information on all the aspects of water cycle but also how water reaches our homes. The book is peppered with interactive questions, that makes it more interesting and easily understandable for children. At the end of the book there are activities like, seek and find words, puzzles etc.
The illustrations have been done by Alexander Morris and are wow, simply excellent!
 In my opinion, both  Mayra Calvani and Alexander Morris have done a very good job. The book teaches, but does so in a very playful manner. The suggested age for readers is four to eight.
                                                   I loved this book and would definitely recommend it to all kidlit readers.

Summer Special 2012

And here comes the summer of delight!!

This June, Zealot Readers is inviting book reviews from children below 15 years of age.

So let your kids pull open their book racks, take out a lovely little book, read and send its review @ readers.zealot@gmail.com .


Your reviews shall be published on this blog and on Zealot Readers' Facebook page as well.


We're waiting...

Heidi by Johanna Spyri

Title: Heidi

Author: Johanna Spyri

Type read: Abridged

Publication: Tiny Tot Publications

Price: INR 50

Review By: Vidhi Sethi (10 years)

Heidi, one of the best classic kidlit books of English language is a wonderful story. It is about an orphan little girl named Heidi who is brought up by her maternal aunt, until Heidi is four. When her aunt gets a good job, she leaves her in her uncle's house.She is very happy in the beautiful  Swiss Alps. Her only kid companion is a herds boy named Peter.

But after sometime, her aunt comes back and takes her away to Frankfurt again, where Heidi is sent to school for the first time. She is very unhappy with the new city life and becomes very thin and sickly. She also meets Clara there. But for her health, the doctor advises that she must go back to the mountains to get well. She is extremely happy to live with her grandfather in the Swiss Alps again.

 

It is truly a beautiful story. It is best for young readers. 

Have a good time reading!!!

No Talking by Andrew Clements

Title: No Talking

Author: Andrew Clements

Illustrator: Mark Elliot

ISBN: 978-1-4169-0984-2

Publication: Autheneum Books

The story of 'No Talking' revolves around a bunch of fifth graders from Laketon Elementary School in New Jersey. They were considered the most talkative class in the history of the school and were thus comically named as 'The Unshushables' by their teachers.

One fine day, a student Dave Packer, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's a-day per week vow of silence,decides to not talk for as long as he could. An interesting scheme of events lead Dave to challenge his classmate Lynsey Burgess into a boys vs girls "no talking" competition, in which they were not allowed to speak for two whole days!

The most interesting part of the book is to see how the students act and react in the given situation and how their behaviour shapes the ultimate fate of the contest. It is also incredible how the teachers, though utterly distraught by the talkative nature of the kids, also get perturbed by the new setting and how one teacher sees a new opportunity in it.

I would personally recommend this book to all kidlit lovers as it is a true delight for the readers. The story gives a deep insight into the psychology of the children and their adult mentors and how, even though similar, their individual behaviours tend to vary. How the children started of as a lot divided among themselves, stand up unanimous when formally asked to break apart.

A perfect pleasure read.