TITLE: Magic in Marble: Building the Taj with Attaullah and Saving the Taj with Aradya

AUTHOR: Arthy Muthanna Singh and Mamta Nainy

PAGE EXTENT: 48

PUBLISHER: Puffin Books (Penguin India)

GENRE: Young Readers

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

SIDE A

Magic in Marble: Building the Taj with Attaullah

Attaullah has to leave his playmates and the beautiful trees of Lahore behind as he makes the tiring journey to Akbarabad on a camel cart. His abbu, a master architect, has been summoned there to help build the most extraordinary monument ever-the Taj Mahal. The mausoleum will immortalize the memory of Jahan Panah Shah Jahan’s beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. And Attaullah wants to be a part of history as it’s being created. But how?

Travelling across two timelines in history, this is an ulta-pulta book about two children whose paths collide in a mysteriously magical way.

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SIDE B

Magic in Marble: Saving the Taj with Aradya

Aradya has read everything she could find on the greatest monument ever built-the Taj Mahal. So, when her papa, a conservationist, invites her to join him on his quick work trip to Agra, she feels like she’s the luckiest girl in the whole, wide world. Her papa’s team is working on a project that will help preserve the Taj’s beauty and ensure its survival for future generations. And Aradya wants to help. But how?

Travelling across two timelines in history, this is an ulta-pulta book about two children whose paths collide in a mysteriously magical way.

Ever wondered how the Taj Mahal was built? Do you know what makes it so fascinating that it’s one of the seven wonders of the world? What was the process of building it like? How has it stood the test of time and will it continue to do so? If these questions are swirling around in your brain and you want to put them to rest, pick up this book!

Magic in Marble is a chapter book that’s also two books in one! First, we follow Attaullah, the son of the chief architect of the Taj, Ustad Ahmad Lahori as he sees the Taj Mahal rise up from scratch! What do you do next? You flip the book and read about Aradya, who visits the Taj Mahal with her conservationist father and learns about the impact of pollution on it’s otherworldly beauty. But what connects the two youngsters who are born centuries apart? Read the book to find out!

With pollution levels on an all-time high, not only is it impacting our health, but also destroying nature and precious monuments which have been around for ages! This book discusses the impact of climate change and makes it palatable for young readers, thanks to gorgeous illustrations by Aniruddha Mukherjee and Mihir Joglekar!

Mihir’s illustrations of the Taj Mahal had me going WHOA! I read up quite a bit about the Taj Mahal after reading this book and if a book piques a reader’s curiosity to learn more, it has succeeded indeed! Here’s to hoping there are more books in the Ulta Pulta series!

Waiting for the day I get to witness this architectural marvel in person!

Have you visited the Taj Mahal? What did you like the most about it?

TITLE: The Yoga Sutras for Children

AUTHOR: Roopa Pai

PAGE EXTENT: 296

PUBLISHER: Hachette India

GENRE: Middle Grade

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️⭐️

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

What are the Yoga Sutras? Instructions for bearded rishis who lived in the forests of ancient India? Or the complete manual of asanas? Neither! In fact, the text may well have been called ‘Maharishi P’s Ultimate Handbook of Mind Control’, for it is really a set of techniques to help us – all of us – awaken and harness the explosive power of our minds, through our actions, our attitudes and our awareness. And not our asanas? Those too, but not in the way you imagined it. In this surprising, sparkling book, Roopa Pai unravels the secrets of Patanjali’s compact 2,000-year-old text in ways both fun and accessible. Walk down the well-marked paths into a dazzling world where a whole new version of yourself – self-assured, fearless and free – awaits you. Go on, then – what are you waiting for?

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word “yoga”? Fancy yoga instructors on YouTube contorting their bodies into all possible positions? Meditation and pranayama which Indian aunties have been vouching for since forever? Well, set those thoughts aside because this book is about to change every perception you’ve had about yoga!

Because, in fact, yoga is all about MIND CONTROL! Maharshi Patanjali(a certain brand of products may or may not be named after him haha) or Maharishi P, as we adorably call him, gives us the essential tips and tricks to achieve absolute control of the mind and it looks like he’s chosen Roopa Pai to be his voice in this generation, because oh man, what an amazing job she has done indeed!

Maharishi P spoke all about mind control in just 195 sutras, which happen to be small sentences of two or three words each! Well, compared to other Indian scriptures which are HUMONGOUS, the Yoga Sutras seem like a pamphlet! BUT, in order to concise and compress all his teachings into this tiny little sheet, he didn’t explain what each of them means! Here come the real heroes, the interpreters! Wait, did I just INTRODUCE THE BOOK OVER THREE PARAGRAPHS? I shouldn’t be left unattended when I write reviews, you see? 😂

The Yoga Sutras consist of 4 pAdas (quarters or parts, if you will) but the last two deal with telekinesis and superhuman powers(which are best left to fantasy books for now) so this book focuses on the first two, the perks of having a mind as calm as a mountain lake and the nitty- gritties on how to achieve it!

Well, if you’re wondering if the book is going to be all preachy, you couldn’t be any more wrong! Pai has explained every single concept in the Yoga Sutras with a ton of everyday examples that make this book so so RELATABLE: Instagram reels, anxiety over vast syllabi to be covered for exams, best friend problems, to name a few! Did you EVER think an ancient Indian scripture would be remotely relatable in today’s scenario?

Being an avid fiction reader, non-fiction is the one genre I steer clear of. But having read and LOVED the first book of the series, The Gita for Children, I knew without a doubt that Roopa Pai is going to slay with this book as well! 💃🏾💃🏾

Scattered throughout the book are adorable illustrations by Sayan Mukherjee and snippets of what seems to be a fun conversation between the Maharshi and the reader! If there is one author who can turn the most dense and drab Indian scriptures into the most fun reads ever, for adults and children alike, it’s definitely Roopa Pai!

If you are someone who thinks this is all going on a very religious tangent and you’re an atheist, let me tell you one thing: most of these scriptures do NOT talk about God but talk about YOU. And how to BE a better version of you! Believe me, I was of the same assumption too and boy, was I wrong!

A minor flex here but I got to be in conversation with the author during the launch of this amazing book in Bangalore! Yay!

So, what are you even waiting for? Do you want to be one of those super calm people who aren’t swayed by any circumstance and take things as they come and overcome every single obstacle effortlessly and stay composed throughout? You’re in the right place! Read this book NOW!

Have you read any books based on Indian scriptures/mythology? Let me know in the comments and let’s discuss!

TITLE: Trunk Call for Ajju

AUTHOR: Anjana Nagabhushana

PAGE EXTENT: 120

PUBLISHER: Puffin Books

GENRE: Middle Grade

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Hello! Can you hear me?

Between working out countable and uncountable nouns with his best friend Karthik, learning to be a budding guitarist with his music teacher Miss Alva, completing his homework, and getting into trouble with his parents for building sugar-cube igloos with his Kini Maasi, Ajju was living the life of a normal eight-year-old.

And it was all going great until a baby elephant walked into his life. Molly was an eight-month-old elephant in distant Zimbabwe. What could the connection between them possibly be?

“She loved children. They gave her hope in a world that seemed like it was being dragged down the drain by angry, frustrated people.”

Wow! What a solid debut! Middle Grade has always been my favourite genre and books like these keep reminding me why! The sheer innocence that makes children, well, children is what makes Middle Grade the pure and fun genre it is!

Ajju is an 8-year-old fun-loving kid from Bangalore(Yay! We live in the same city!) who loves spending time with his Kini Maasi and building all kinds of contraptions! He loves spending time with his best friend, Karthik too. What happens when an eight-month-old elephant calf from Zimbabwe, called Molly, makes an entry into his life? Read the book to find out!

Kini Maasi has to be my favourite character in this book! Not only is she an animal lover(she runs an animal shelter too), she is that one aunt we all want to have! The one who is quirky and always thinks out of the box! I loved how hanging out with Ajju brought out the child in her!

Ajju’s love for an animal who is thousands of kilometres away and how he goes to great lengths to help collect money to aid in her treatment after she gets injured in a hunting accident goes on to show how kindness and compassion is always the default. We also get to learn quite a bit about elephants and their herds. Siddhi Vartak’s cute illustrations also deserve a shout-out!

If you are an animal lover(if you aren’t, you should be), this book is right up your alley!

Are you an animal lover too? Do you have any favourite books that discuss animals? Let me know!

TITLE: All-Time Favourite Nature Stories

AUTHOR: Ruskin Bond

PAGE EXTENT: 216

PUBLISHER: Puffin Books

GENRE: Middle Grade

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

‘I am lucky to be up here on this mountain, where the wind still hums in the deodars, the horse chestnuts fall in the autumn and the flycatchers flit among the ancient oaks.’

ALL-TIME FAVOURITE NATURE STORIES is a collection of twenty-five soulful and timeless tales about nature, featuring endearing characters and stunning illustrations.

From ‘The Cherry Tree’ to ‘Grandfather’s Feathered Foes’, each story is replete with a different sensorial experience-rustling leaves, still forests, burbling streams, chirping birds, picturesque landscapes and so much more!

Curated by Ruskin Bond, this book celebrates the magnificence of nature and his deep, abiding love for it.

“I never cease to wonder at the tenacity of water— its ability to make its way through various strata of rock, zigzagging, back-tracking, finding space, cunningly discovering faults and fissures in the mountain, and sometimes travelling underground for great distances before emerging into the open.”

I have been a huge fan of Ruskin Bond’s lush, gloriously descriptive writing style right from Middle School when we used to read his short stories during English classes! It never failed to mesmerise me how he manages to transport you to the pine forests and foothills of the Himalayas and paints a beautiful picture with his words!

From the rich fauna of the Himayalan slopes to the glistening glaciers, from the myriad variety of flowers that dot the grasslands to the fun and frolicking children, this collection of 25 stories, each with a full-page illustration by David Yambem, is the perfect portal to go to the Himalayas, all in the comfort of your reading nook!

Ruskin Bond’s immense and undying love for nature is evident in every sentence and shines through the pages! His astute observations of nature’s sounds, sights and smells which we tend to overlook is what makes him one of the best writers out there!

Here’s all you have to do: grab a copy of this book, make yourself a cup of cinnamon hot chocolate and snuggle up under the covers on a rainy evening!

Have you read any of Ruskin Bond’s books? If yes, let me know in the comments! 🍃

TITLE: My Grandmother’s Masterpiece

AUTHOR: Madhurima Vidyarthi 

PAGE EXTENT: 88

PUBLISHER: Duckbill Books (Penguin Random House India)

GENRE: Middle Grade

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐💫

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

‘This is the story of how my grandmother became a famous artist. It happened somewhere between my seventh and eighth birthdays, so she was really old and also a grandmother, and I didn’t know she was an artist. And, of course, she was not famous. And then she was both, all at once.’

For Nini, Minima is just her normal everyday grandmother. So when Minima suddenly shows an interest in doing something new, Nini is not sure that she likes it. After all, a grandmother’s first job is being a grandmother, isn’t it?

Have you ever wondered if you are too old to start a hobby? Have you considered taking art classes but worried you’re old for it? Have you ever stopped yourself from doing something simply because the society thinks it’s not appropriate for your age? If you are someone who feels so and needs a push to pursue that passion of yours, all you have to do is pick this book up!

Minima, Nini’s grandmother, has a passion that was suppressed for way too long: her love for painting! So, when she gets a chance to paint and bring out this hidden talent of hers, Nini isn’t the happiest person. Will Nini turn out to be happy for her grandmother? Will Minima finally find solace in doing what she always wanted to do? Read this adorable, little book to find out!

It didn’t escape my notice how this book highlights the misogyny that’s rampant in our country even to this day, especially among the older generations. Through Nini’s grandfather, we see the perceptions of men from the older generations and I wanted to cheer loudly for Minima when she stood her ground and spoke up for what’s right!

A big shout-out to Nini’s mother for being the most supportive family member ever! Not only did she help Minima with procuring painting supplies, she also helped her enrol for art classes! She’s a true hype queen!

Tanvi Bhat’s illustrations are the perfect match for this story! I believe Madhurima and Tanvi are the best author-illustrator duo out there!

If I could sum this book up in a sentence, age is just a number! You are never too old to try something new! All you need is passion and an undying love for what you do!

Do you have any hobbies? Let me know in the comments down below!

TITLE: The World of Butterfingers – Adventure in Texas and Other Stories

AUTHOR: Khyrunnisa A and Abhijeet Kini

PAGE EXTENT: 104

PUBLISHER: Puffin Books

GENRE: Comics

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Chaotic Butterfingers, aka Amar Kishen, and his misadventures return in this collection of 3-in-1 comics. From travelling to Texas to solving a shoe mystery to getting into trouble and then saving the day–Butterfingers does it all!

Brand new baby shoes in a pile of garbage invite Amar and his friends to unravel the mystery of the missing baby.
A trip to Texas and Amar’s clumsiness take a rather unexpected turn to dizzying new heights!

Disaster strikes when Amar is tasked to run a marathon with his school principal leaving everyone with a case of the giggles.

So, drop everything and jump into this book . . . because where there’s Butterfingers, there’s bound to be fun, thrills and, of course, spills.

If I could sum up the entire experience of reading this book in one word, it would be NOSTALGIA. It reminded me of my 10-year-old self running to the newsstand in the neighbourhood at the beginning of every month to grab the latest issue of Tinkle! And needless to say, Butterfingers was one of my favourite Tinkle toons and I constantly looked forward to his clumsy shenanigans!

So, when I got a chance to read this collection of three fun-filled stories of Amar Kishen aka. Butterfingers, I flew through this book in one sitting!

For those of you who are new to Tinkle, Amar Kishen is an eighth grader whose (not-so-)famous skill is being clumsy and dropping things all the time; hence the nickname of Butterfingers!

What happens when Amar and his friends come across a pair of new baby shoes in a pile of garbage? What will Amar do on his trip to Texas? Will Amar be able to win a marathon relay to fund the replacement of broken lab equipment? Read this book to find out!

Abhijeet Kini’s classic style of illustrations is something every Tinkle fan loves and enjoys! And without a doubt, he has knocked it out of the park with his fun, quirky illustrations in this book too!

What are you waiting for? Pick this book up right away, and make sure you don’t drop it, unless you want to be called the next Butterfingers! Haha!

What is your favourite comic? Did you read any magazines as a child? Let me know in the comments and we can discuss!

TITLE: The Paper Plane Flew

AUTHOR: Bharti Singh

PAGE EXTENT: 40

PUBLISHER: Duckbill Books (Penguin Random House India)

GENRE: Chapter Book

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

One afternoon Mithi and her father make a paper aeroplane and send it into the sky. How far it will travel?

In this adorable chapter book, we follow the journey of a paper plane flown by a young girl, Mithi, as it travels through various towns and terrains!

Adorned with cute illustrations by Sheena Deviah, this book will definitely have you smiling from ear to ear!

Not only is this book simple and easy to understand for budding young bookworms, it also carries a deeper meaning: how everything in life comes around. Through the journey of a simple paper plane, we get to see how life comes full circle.

If you have a budding reader at home or if you want to nurture the child in you, gift yourself this book!

Is there any book that reminds you of your childhood? Let me know!