Mother of Readers returns to Substack
I wandered around, tried different platforms and came back to Substack, with my tail between my legs + Review of Raman and Chandrashekar + Science books to make your child love the subject!
Hello again, readers!
For those who have been with this Substack since its Not Just Pooh, Pan, and Potter days, thank you for sticking around. It was almost as if you knew I would come back!
Everyone just joining in on the fun — Welcome! I hereby promise you
I will not spam your inbox with unnecessary nonsense
I will not send frequent emails. There will be a newsletter only when you begin to crave for one. As you think it, so it will appear
There will always be something you can use — a book recommendation, a funny comic strip, kid-lit trivia, a tip or trick to raise readers
Every recommendation will be from a parent's perspective to another parent — coz the lord knows this is a tough job!
So sit back, enjoy and let’s begin this year with renewed vigor to champion Indian children’s literature, shall we?
Review of Raman and Chandrashekhar: Lighting up the Stars
Author: Arundhati Venkatesh
Illustrator: Priya Kuriyan
Series: Great Minds at Work
Publisher: Penguin Duckbill Books
In honour of National Science Day, I thought a review of the latest book in the Great Minds at Work series, Raman and Chandrashekhar, would be most appropriate.
Raman and Chandrashekhar, written by Arundhati Venkatesh and illustrated by Priya Kuriyan, was a much-awaited book in our home. The previous book in the series by the same author-illustrator team, Ramanujan, is till today, one of our most favourite books and one that is read at least once every six months. So naturally, expectations ran high.
Raman and Chandrashekhar is about Nobel Laureates CV Raman and his nephew Subrahmanyan Chandrashekhar back when Chandrashekhar was a Form 3 student. Having been home-schooled until then and taken directly into Form 3 for his brilliance, Chandra is at the receiving end of barbs and taunts from his schoolmates. He can’t wait for the holidays to begin and for him to put some much-needed distance between himself and school. He detests going to school and longs to study at home and hopes to convince his parents to agree with him. As he gets ready for a fun-filled summer vacation with his seven cousins — Rajakka, Ramudu, Chinakka, Viswam, Bala, Sarada, and Vidya- news arrives of his uncle Raman Chittappa visiting the family for two weeks. They know him as a world-renowned scientist, but are they prepared for his crazy science-themed antics?
Arundhati Venkatesh meticulously researches the lives of both CV Raman and Chandrashekhar and writes a hilarious book that manages to make physics so much fun! Raman Chittappa is on a mission to train children to become good scientists through science demonstrations for the kids. He gets the children to do experiments in light and sound, and while the children show varying degrees of interest, Chandra’s Amma has had enough. Their cooks, Panchu Mama and Thyagu Mama, threaten to quit, and their neighbour Gopalaiyya thinks the family has lost the plot.
I enjoyed that this book managed to paint a visual picture of the interactions between Raman and Chandrashekhar and brought alive the childhood environment of the famous scientist. Priya Kuriyan’s illustrations and Arundhati’s words transport the reader to a Tamil Brahmin conservative household and society of the 1920s. We relate to the petty sibling rivalry, the harmless jokes and pranks, and share their frustration when science gets the better of them. But what we also understand is how science can be made fun and the influence CV Raman had on his nephew’s interest in Physics.
Be prepared for a lot of questions from your child as they get curious about the various science experiments in the book. Older kids will enjoy reading the quotes from famous scientists in the page footer and be intrigued by the math equations near chapter numbers.
These books become instant hits with young readers because Arundhati manages to pack so much humour and childhood fun into every page. Don’t be surprised if you catch your child laughing out loud while reading this book. These books are important because they show children that tough subjects like science can be fun, and Nobel Laureates were just children like them once.
Whether your child has a head for science or not, this is a book you need on their shelf.
Also read: Review of Ramanujan, the first book in the Great Minds at Work series
Can Arundhati Venkatesh write a serious book?
Turns out she can’t!
We have known and loved all of Arundhati’s books — from Bookasura to Petu Pumpkin - and each one of them has been a laugh riot! So when I spoke to her on Tell Me A Story, I asked her if writing funny books was her thing.
She says, “Humour is my default way of looking at things. The darker things get in the real world, or the more unpleasant…it is the way I deal with anything that life throws at me. Humour is my coping mechanism. So, for me, anything I write has to be funny; otherwise, I will get bored myself! I won’t be able to finish writing it, I think. It has to be funny!”
Listen to the entire podcast here!
Books to make any child fall in love with Science
There are sooo many books you can stock up on! Remember, the superpower of these books is to pique your child’s interest in the subject and maybe even the scientist! Be prepared to answer all the questions that come after!
Dreamer series: Short biographies written and illustrated beautifully by Lavanya Karthik. Has books on EK Janakiammal and Dr Salim Ali.
Little Jagadish and the Great Experiment by Anjali Joshi
10 Indian Scientists by Vaishali Shroff
Great Minds at Work series with Ramanujan and Raman and Chandrashekhar by Arundhati Venkatesh
Science for Smartypants series by Anushka Ravishankar an amazing set of books on diverse topics for science noobs.
How to reach Mars and other Impossible Things and Topi Rockets from Thumba by Menaka Raman
The Little Handbook of Cool Technology by Shalini Satish and Raam Baranidharan
Ammachi’s Amazing Machines, written and illustrated by Rajiv Eipe
Pratham’s STEM Library in a Classroom Set of books
Jagadish and the Talking Plant by Swati Shome
First Look Science Books by Tulika Books
Gutsy Girls of Science by Ilina Singh
DK Books on various topics
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.
Rati Girish