Paplu, the Giant
Author: 
Ramendra Kumar
Illustrator: 
Zainab Tambawalla
age group: 
7+ yrs
Number of pages: 
20
Publisher: 
Pratham Books
Themes:
value education helping others giants
Genre:
picture book, fiction, fantasy
 

There once lived a giant, Paplu, who was a disgrace to the giant family for instead of fighting and playing mean tricks on tigers and dinosaurs, he actually protected them.
Deciding that he was unfit to be a giant, his parents shrink him to a human size and leave him in a village where he lives happily.

However, trouble strikes the village. Bandits are on the rampage. Paplu uses the magic spell that his mother had taught him and grows into a giant once again but his clothes rip apart, and that’s where the story begins. How does one dress a giant dressed only in his birthday suit and has to hide under a bush?
The resourceful villagers find a way out and soon all is well. The bandits are beaten back and Paplu, modest once again is a hero.

To children fed on a diet of mean nasty giants of the fe-fi-fo-fum variety, this story conveys a very subtle message, that one should not make generalizations. For every evil giant there are also the happy and helpful ones. As can be seen from the Indian take of two other giant stories on this site: Wedding Clothes and Pintoo and the Giant.

Well illustrated, this book is sure to have a fan following amongst the little ones.

 

To hear the audio story, click here. https://soundcloud.com/prathambooks/paplu-the-giant-english?in=prathambo...

Especially brought for you by Radio Mirchi
 

Reviewed by Shamim Padamsee