Book review + How to talk to kids about India/Pak partition + 5 books that celebrate the 'Everywoman'
Roop and the River Crossing: Review + Let's end pinkwashing this Women's Day with my 5 favourite books to celebrate women
Hello readers!
I am now wholly committed to my Substack journey, actively researching ways to make this newsletter better by offering something new in every edition. This week, I have a review of Roop and the River Crossing, read my interview with illustrator Shivam Choudhary, 5 books that will celebrate the everywoman, and a new feature alert on Instagram!
Review: Roop and the River Crossing
Author: Samina Mishra
Illustrated by: Shivam Choudhary
Publisher: Penguin Duckbill Books
If you have ever wondered about how to talk to your children about the India/Pakistan partition, then this book should be in your starter kit. Roop and the River Crossing is one of those finely nuanced books you come across that look gentle but will blow your mind away.
Roop has a new gift from her Jaggi Chacha - a kaleidoscope that breaks everything she looks at into colourful triangles and circles. But even as she enjoys her new toy, she can hear whispers around her of batwara and Hindustan and Pakistan. These whispers follow her to school, and her excitement to show her best friends, Preet and Noor, the kaleidoscope is somewhat diluted by her teacher announcing that the school will close early due to tension in the town. Over the next few weeks, Roop and her family live in uncertainty. until one night when muffled voices wake her up, and she watches her mother pack their life into small bundles they can easily carry. She grabs her kaleidoscope just as she is ushered out into a truck. Will she meet her friends, Noor and Preet, again?
Roop could only play the game of splitting up the world with her new toy.
Soon, they reach a river and are told they need to wade across. Roop is as terrified as her mother, but her father insists that everything will be fine. That is when she meets a tall Pathaan who offers to carry her across on his broad shoulders. Scores of people wade across the turbulent river in darkness, shushing voices and leaving their lives and homes behind.
Sometimes home can be as fragile as the glass inside a kaleidoscope.
Samina Mishra bases this story on a true incident. Her words, like the images inside a kaleidoscope, echo the turbulence in Roop’s mind. The book gently nudges the young reader to begin thinking about the concept of home, refugees, and displacement — words that are relevant geopolitically, even today. What does it mean to leave your life behind and start over? What do we miss the most? Through Roop’s eyes, we see this monumental, historical event and how it affects the innocent.
Read this book also for Shivam Choudhary’s illustrations. His warm and muted palettes mimic the earthiness of India and Pakistan, all while evoking the tensions and grief experienced by people. His figures are dynamic and chaotic, just like daily life. His illustrations express the hurry and turmoil felt by Roop, and the sections of her view cut up into triangles and circles remind the reader of the kaleidoscope. Every page is breathtaking and worth framing.
This is a book that is worth your time because no matter how many times you read it, there is something new that will stay with you. It grows with you and becomes better with every reading. Invest in this book and benefit from the mastercraft of Samina Mishra and Shivam Choudhary.
Conversations with a Creator was a small section I did for Room to Read India’s quarterly newsletter, Kuch Kitaabein, Kayi Baatein. I spoke to Shivam Choudhary for their July-Sept issue about his craft, his muse, and his passion for doing what he does.
Here is an excerpt. Read the complete interview here!
What has been your experience with creating picture books?
When I started creating picture books, I interned with Pratham Books for two months. Canato Jimo was my art director, and I would ask him, “How would I know that a child would like this drawing or painting? How would a person or a parent react to this book? If they see it, would they buy it?”
I carry what he said with me even today. He told me not to worry about what other people will think. As an illustrator, think about the story, and draw however you want to. If you enjoy the process, the reader will soak in the energy of your work from it.
What we are reading: Our Stack
Giggles (13) is reading Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children because he is interested in reading dark fantasy these days. He has also just finished reading the YA series, Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.
Gurgles (9) is happy to be reading one of his favourite authors, Vibha Batra’s new book, Zooni’s Alarm Clock. Perfect for the month of Ramzan, this book beautifully illustrated by the supremely talented Pankaj Saikia is a treat — both story and illustration wise.
I am reading History Unpacked: the Why, When and What of Ancient India, and it is promising to be quite interesting. A detailed review will follow in a future newsletter.
What does your stack look like? Go ahead, share a pic and tag me on @mother_of_readers on Instagram!
Women’s Day special: Let’s celebrate the everywoman
Aren’t we all tired of the naari-shakti, devi-power, she can do it all posts on Women’s Day? I definitely am! Every year, frustrated by all the pink-washing that happens around Women’s Day, I quietly retreat to books that offer comfort. These books celebrate female characters with all their drawbacks and shortcomings. They are strong women, they are moms, they are career women, and they have a voice. If you are looking for books that show women without the Devi-aura, then here is a list of 5 of my favourites!
Out in the Moonlight by Perumal Murugan and Ashok Rajagopalan shows a woman who is worried about pending work on the farm and decides to make the most of a moonlit night. She carries her baby and her five-year-old to the fields. She ensures they are safe and works through the night. You get an in-depth look into the life of a woman caught between family and work and watch as she handles them both with dignity and grace.
Nani’s Walk to the Park by Deepa Balsavar is the kind of Nani I want to grow up to be. She takes her grandson to the park but stops to do everything that brings her joy! They take a detour through the Lane of Treasures, the Lane of Beauty, the Lane of Happiness, the Lane of Mischief, and the Lane of Friendship. Here is a woman doing what she loves best!
When I Met the Mama Bear by Prerna Singh Bindra is about Priya, a single mother who takes a job as a forest officer and she juggles both her work and her acute longing for her daughter. Late one night her team comes across a distraught mama bear and she watches how nature mimics her longing for her daughter.
Zen by Shabnam Minwalla, a YA book about intergenerational conflict set in Mumbai featuring two strong women, is a must-read if you haven’t already read it this Women’s Day. Spunky, contemporary and spell-binding!
Who Clicked that Pic by Nandita DaCunha and Priya Kuriyan is a book about Homai Vyarawalla, India’s first woman photojournalist. Fast-paced and absolutely delightful, this is a book about a woman taking chances and doing what she loves to do.
New Feature Alert! Buzzing Books
Have you ever felt like your mind went straight to a book when you were in a situation? Ever felt like “X book would be perfect for this moment”
That’s exactly what Buzzing Books is about!
Check out this recurring feature on my Instagram page!
Exam season is upon us, and what better book to tide us over this stressful season than Exam Fever! Written by Loveleen Mishra, translated by Shabnam Minwalla, and illustrated by Priya Kuriyan, this is a book about a mom studying for her exams, but she has a fever! Watch how her family nurses her back to health and makes sure she goes for her exam!
I hope you enjoyed reading this newsletter, I know I had fun putting it together for you! If you like what you read, please consider sharing it with a friend who will benefit. Help a parent raise a reader and tell them about Mother of Readers. You will be blessed with good book karma for life! Love listening to authors talk about their latest book and the inspiration behind it? Listen to Tell Me A Story, a podcast that showcases some of the most well-known names from the Indian children’s literature world! Want to get a glimpse into bits and bobs of my life? Follow along on Instagram.
See you soon!
Rati Girish