From the illustrated endpapers to the tiny details on the pages, this is a wonderful book about a big country, with a story running through it.
Thara often stays at her Nanijee’s (Grandmother) house and tucked away in a corner of her bedroom is a carved wooden trunk. Every Friday night Nanijee will take an item from the trunk and tell Thara the story behind it. The items range from a little metal tuk-tuk, a stamp, a seed pod, and a train ticket.
Each item is given a double spread with space for Nina Chakrabarti’s evocative illustrations and Jasbinder Bilan’s words describing the landscapes, noises, smells, and colours of that area of India and the people who live, or who have lived there. There are little extras like the countdown from 10 – 1 in Hindi on the Space Centre pages and an historical timeline at the back which puts everything into context.
I loved the idea of a technically non-fiction book but with a story woven through it like the river Ganges. There were people mentioned who I know, it makes me want to discover more about them, which is always good. An amazing book with something for everyone. If you’re lucky enough to have a school library, this should be on the shelf.
Order a copy here. India Incredible India
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