Nargisa's Adventure
Author: 
age group: 
9+ yrs
Number of pages: 
175
Publisher: 
Scholastic
Themes:
nature and wildlife
Genre:
fiction adventure
 

 

The sequel to Manjul Bajaj’s children’s book series, Elbie’s Quest, is a delightful book, called Nargisa’s Adventures.

With excellent illustrations by Shreya Sen, the story comes to life and is a fun read for children. The fantasy world of rangeeli duniya and the life and issues of its inhabitants makes it an interesting read. The author’s sense of humour keeps the story light and positive.

Packed with tongue twisters, riddles, play on words, wild flights of imagination, adventure and sci-fi; the book is a sheer delight for the reader.

“Nice place you have here, “said Titli.
“No, no. No plays, my dear. I’m afraid, we don’t have any shows or performances for our guests.”

“That’s right, my dear,” a tiny voice piped up from nowhere, “If you want peas, it is better you head for the vegetable market down the road….”

Manjul touches on other contemporary challenges of environment, pollution and fossil fuels, of racism and nepotism through this simple tale. Each page reminds us of the world we are living in. It's not preachy but yet gives you some life lessons-If you can't find a solution, then maybe you're asking the wrong question. The important thing is, this is a book of hope, of trust and of conviction that good will always prevail; of the faith that “giving” people with “golden” hearts, will help the world survive, and that is what endears the book to the reader.

Reviewed by Donna Reen