World's messiest room!

 

“World's Messiest Room Award” was an Archies’ poster put up on the door of my room when growing up… and frankly, it was more cosmetic than a reflection of reality. Being the obedient 90’s kid, I didn’t have the liberty to live up to the award…but it gave a “cool’ and a “bohemian” touch to an otherwise prim and proper state of things in my so-called room during an age when the concept of privacy was literally unheard of!

Little did I know that there was someone more deserving of the award than me and that too almost three decades later…a mini me of sorts …my daughter! My ten year old couldnt be bothered about the mess she creates and we are at our wit’s end with her dont-care attitude about the chaos in her room! Her table is perpetually cluttered with her stationery (which is and always will be her first love!), her innumerable diaries filled with her random sketches, books that she has been reading, or has already read and plans to read again, or the new books checked out from the library, origami craft works and the resultant craft waste, abandoned handcrafts kept as knick-knacks (passed on by another hoarder in our family!😊), half eaten fruit bowls, chocolate wrappers, crumpled paper with disregarded drawings….you name the waste and Aadya’s table will have it! Don’t even get me started on what she dumps on her bed, her mini drawing table and her mini trampoline that also doubles up as temporary stack for even more junk! So much so that the earlier inhabitant of her room (her older brother) is often appalled at what his erstwhile room has become! No wonder it became almost impossible for the siblings on the opposite sides of the spectrum on the point of neatness to share a room! With her older brother having moved to his own room, Aadya has the entire room to herself…… for making a mountain of a mess, while she couldn’t care less!

It's been a while since I picked up a picture book for my not-so-little-one owing to the fact that she now considers herself all too grown up for a picture book, and is miffed that it deprives her of a chapter book that she could have borrowed instead as per her 6-book plan of Kahaani box library. But I couldn’t resist picking out “Zippy Messes Up” by Anitha Balachandran and hoped it could instill the importance of cleaning up, in my untidy little devil. 

Part of the Zippy series, featuring an anthropomorphic Zebra named Zippy and her group of friends all belonging different species with distinct personalities. Zippy and her friends  are forced to shift their play indoors to Chikki, the monkey’s room, owing to the rains outside. As its time to wrap up their games of cars, carrom board, paper crafts, blocks, jigsaw puzzles all played over cookies and sandwiches, they finally acknowledge the mess in the room!  (That never happens in our case!) Reluctantly they pick up the toys one by one and put them back where they belong, whilst getting their feet stuck in the wet and gooey mess of food leftovers, wiping the walls clean of the paint stains, and exerting all their energies into pushing the carrom board across the floor and Chikki’s room is finally made livable after all the Shramdan!  A nice little book to goad your little ones to clean up after themselves. I was hoping that our little slob would take a cue from Zippy and her friends, only to find her smart-mouthing her way through her messiness with saying “An artist’s room will always be messy”!  😕

 

What shall I wear?

My little one has been a mini-fashionista ever since she learned to utter the word “Adalla” (“not that” in Kannada) and from then on, she would pretty much veto anything and everything I would pick out for her to wear and choose her own outfit for the day! It had been a formidable task to get her to wear her Montessori school uniform on the only two days of a five day week that required the students to don their uniform and just imagine what a mammoth effort it took for us to get her accustomed to wearing the school uniform “every single day” in her current school! “What shall I wear now” dominates her mind space and conversation with her nanny as she gets off her school bus in the afternoon and on most days, she greets me in the evening as I return home from work with “Amma, what shall I wear at bedtime today?” She would insist on a change of clothes even when accompanying me to the next door Kirana store for milk, or as she heads to my office (which is a portion of the ground floor of my house) or pillion rides the scooter with her dad to drop her brother to his bus pick-up point down our street! No matter what the book is about, it is always “what the girl is wearing” or “what sort of footwear has she worn” or “what kind of hairstyle is she sporting” that first draws her attention and trust me….she couldn’t be bothered about the boys at all! (At least for now!). Running short of ideas to engage her during the lock-down situation, we’ve given her a free rein to pull out whatever she likes from her wardrobe –  from traditional Indian wear to fancy party wear, from her various fancy dress-like outfits bought during our travels to her earlier school day costumes …. our little style icon isn’t complaining about being “All dressed up but nowhere to go! 😊

So I have always wanted to lay my hands on Pratham’s “What shall I wear” by Natasha Sharma but as you have would have it with many Pratham books , it was out of stock in most places I inquired. (Of course most Pratham books are available online on storyweaver, but it is not the same thing as cuddling with your little one at bedtime with her favourite book or when she pulls out the book during her alone-time and pours over her favourite character!)   So imagine my delight when I came across “Snack time Story time” hosted by Natasha Sharma based on her books on Facebook last week which also featured  “What shall I wear” a Level 2 reader by Pratham Publications authored by Natasha Sharma and illustrated by Tanvi Bhat. Its wonderful when the author introduces the book as he or she always lets in a snippet or two on the author’s story behind the story and it turns out that Natasha  Sharma was inspired by her then six year old daughter’s love for clothes that lead to the book and we also got to see how her not-so-little-fashionista took the same forward to now designing her own clothes! Anyway, the book is about a little girl who is in a predicament that most of us often find ourselves in …none of her clothes feel right!  Sometimes it’s the discomfort of the shirt buttons, or the pant being too tight, or choli not fitting or the lehenga being too long, so on and so forth driving the little girl  to the wardrobe of her mother and brother with no luck! Read on to find a do-it-yourself-creative solution arrived by the little girl in tweaking her wardrobe a little with an intelligent mix and match….and voila!… she has a new outfit! Now ….isn’t that true for all of us too!  A laugh-out read  for our fastidious little divas who have us on our wit's end  in trying to fulfill their fashion demands!   Just as we were about to log on to Youtube for another story telling session …....…Aadya stopped me to ask “Amma what shall I wear for the story-time?” !!!:-)

Clara Button and the Magical hat day!

Abhay is extremely particular about his appearance   So much so that even at home or when he attends his weekly music or tennis classes near home, he is always trying to make a style statement - either his own or Bollywood inspired! For a while, our little fashion icon was into sleeveless waste coats and hats a la Dhoom 3 (Thank God that's over!) Anyway, the fall-out of all this is his little wardrobe that always looks like it's just been ransacked! Though we've mutually sorted his clothes into home clothes, music/tennis class clothes, outer wear and special occasion clothes, he couldn't care less and tries on whatever he likes, whatever be the occasion or not! So now, whether any other wardrobe is locked or not, Abhay's is most definitely always under lock and key!!!  

Come to think of it, I have always had a wardrobe issue with Abhay even when he was toddler! So one of our favourite books has been Mo Willems' "Naked Mole Rat gets dressed" -   brought out in the context of Wilbur's, a mole rat's fascination with clothes, this a great book on holding on to one's individuality and not being afraid to speak one's mind! 

For your little one, who loves to try on different costumes, there's Curious George "Costumes" by Margret and H.A.Rey from  Curious about Phonics series. For the Indian girl that you are and have or wish to have ...there is  "Granny Sari" by Asha Nehamaiah and by "My Dadima wears a Sari" Kashmira Seth and the ever so popular My Mother's Sari by Sandhya Rao.

Today reading for the 30 books in 30 days reading challenge is  "Clara Button and the Magical Hat day" by Amy Del La Haye and pictures by Emily Sutton. Little Clara has a fetish for hats and is particularly fond of her late grandmother Elise's exquisitely crafted hat, which her older brother mindlessly steps on. Clara is heart broken as she thinks she shares a special connection with her granny who was herself a milliner (Person who makes hats). To cheer up her daughter, Clara's mother takes the children to London's famous Victoria and Albert museum. This book also provides an armchair tour of one of world's famous museums. In the hope of finding someone to mend her broken hat, Clara carries her grandma's hat in her backpack. While Clara's jaded brother Ollie tours a part of the museum that displays weapons and artifacts of kings and rulers in the past, including the famous tiger statue named after Tippu Sultan, Clara  stumbles upon a section that is full of hats of various shapes and sizes and literally loses herself in it! Finally she finds a "hat doctor" who fixes her grandma's hat, much to her mother's relief! While this book highlights a little girl's penchant for beautiful creations, it works on different levels, including subtly showcasing sibling rivalry which is easily relatable if you have big-brother-little sister duo at home! Sure to serve as guide book for an upcoming visit to the museum, this is a great read not only for its story but also for its stunning visuals and imagery of London's streets and of  the Victoria and Albert museum. A relaxing read ...especially on a lazy weekend like this!:-)

 

Little Monsters!

"Let the wild rumpus start!!!!!" .......is the first thing that came to my mind as I got to know about today's reading prompt - Monsters and Dragons. Children are fascinated with magical creatures like monsters and dragons. These so called monsters are hardly the scary creatures you would keep your little one away from, but silly little characters they can  can easily relate to and have a hearty laugh over. Who wouldn't be amused by a nose-picking, burping monster trying hard to look scary??  Not to forget...monsters make great tools for pretend play and dress up! What's life without a little mischief and muddle with your little one...huh? Go on …….let your little monster explore his wild side!!!!

 

Let your little one roar his terrible roar, gnash his terrible teeth and show his terrible claws....like little Max in Maurice Sendak’s "Where the wild things are"! A must-read classic that explores the power of a child's imagination! We first revisited the world of wild things today!

Another book that comes to my mind is Leonardo, the Terrible Monster by our favourite author Mo Willems which beautifully conveys the message to accept who you are and to make peace with your true self. We had just read "The Rumblewick and Dinner Dragons" by Hiawyn Oram and Sarah Warburton, a quirky comic tale on how to befriend the dragon by a story pie!

While we've been reading together, Abhay has also been reading on his own "The Monster-hunters" by Parinita Shetty and illustrated by Pooja Puttenkolam, part of the hole book series for younger readers by Duckbill publications. A delightful read that  revolves around two best friends Abhay (Yes.....and our seven year old was totally kicked about reading his namesake!)and Nithya who go finding  monsters in theirs and their friends rooms as a part of their class project. Abhay enjoyed the book and in fact imagined himself and his friend doing the same! :-)

 

For our reading adventure together, we also read "Vile - A Cautionary Tale for Little Monsters" by Mark Robinson and illustrated by Sarah Horne. At the start of a brand new term at Beastville, little monsters are faced with the choice between 'The Ancient school of Manners' for bright, smiling and friendly little monsters and the 'University of Vile' for the mean little monsters. The University of Vile encourages the monsters to explore their true potential of being the naughtiest, meanest and the dirtiest monsters of all! So at University of Vile, its vital that the students are messy, loud and spiteful in classroom, play with food and burp loudly at lunchtime,  experiment and explore with toxic and stinky gases without goggles or safety wear, and then be unfair and not take turns at the playground! Wow....University of Vile sounds fun...right?? One day, two little monsters are out playing when they fall into a big hole in the ground. As they try to shove one another to get out, they realize that there is only one way to do so - is to co-operate. The next day when everyone, including the Principal gets to hear of their good act, they are banned from the University of Vile as having disgraced the mecca of mischief! The two little monsters join the ancient school of manners instead and learn the right way of life and graduate as good little monsters at the end of the school term. Well...not quite .....as they indulge in what is probably their last act of mischief - as the university of Vile is shown exploding to bits! A funny little that is sure to have your little monster in splits! 

Trains......once again!

Like most kids, Abhay too was fascinated with different modes of transport and his penchant has progressed from trains to buses to cars to ships to planes and now to outer space travel by space-crafts! Depending on what his current transport interest was, his maternal grandmother would weave stories around them. So the boy who’d eagerly listen to the story of race between Udyan express and Rajdhani (Two of the prominent train routes starting from Bangalore) would continue to be baffled by the supposed row between Rajahamsa (Karnataka State Transport Service bus) and its private counterpart, Durgamba (a private bus operator). In fact, at one point of time the grandma- grandson duo would also discuss the day’s railway time-table that his maternal grandma would regularly listen to on the radio, whether or not anyone we knew would be travelling on the trains mentioned…..and this goes on to explain just why her grandson would love to randomly blurt out to a bunch of visiting guests that the Rani Chennamma express was late that day,  leaving them totally perplexed and leaving us in search of a reasonable explanation!:-)

In fact, my very first post on Onestoryaday was on trains! So as a throwback to those days, we read  “When Titus took the train” by Anne Cottringer and illustrated by Sarah Mclyntyre, an ideal book for train and dinosaur lovers! I had come across this book a number of times, but it is only today I picked this up, thanks to Bubble Ink's reading prompt - Transport. This book features a regular train journey ....yet made  extraordinary by  a child's imagination, and well complemented by striking imagery.  Titus is all set to make a train journey to a far away place where uncle Henry lives. Titus has travelled by train before but this time around, it's special as he'll be travelling all by  himself! On ensuring Titus has all the things he needs to avoid getting bored- his lunch, books and games, his father requests the train guard to keep an eye on him.  As the train pulls out of the station, chugging along the railway track, rolling deeper into country, Titus seated with a pen and paper, is up to something. All he needs is to look out of the window for inspiration and  he imagines all kinds of spine chilling adventures along the train ride. Titus pictures the train attacked by bandits and masked men who are after the gold bullion in the guard's coach, bumping into a roaring  T-rex in the tunnel,   having a break-down on top of highest and the longest rail bridge and losing control as it speeds down the mountain - all of which Titus manages to thwart and fix in a true Super-hero style, after which he calmly settles down back in his seat (or so he jots down in his notebook!).  As the train finally reaches its destination, Titus is received by his uncle who along with the guard asks him if he was bored during the journey....Titus cannot but suppress a smile! Well, imagination knows no boredom...isn't it??

Junior Kumbhakarna!

Over this weekend, we went for a book launch of “Junior Kumbakarna” at one of our favourite book stores, Atta Galatta. It had been a while since we went for a book launch and I was quite looking forward to being there with Abhay….from start to end! But since I had to finish up some work at office, it was agreed that I would go in directly while it was my husband’s job to drive Abhay from home. But as I reached the venue at sharp 5.00 PM on Saturday, both Abhay and his dad were nowhere in sight! As the author began reading aloud from her book, with the help of puppets and props that had the whole group of kids and their parents in splits, all I wished was for Abhay to join them soon. Though he missed the initial round of questions and discussions, Abhay sauntered in just in time to wake up Kumbhakarna!:-) Well, before I could pull up the daddy for his presumed tardiness, he passed the buck over to our little "Junior Kumbhakarna” who’d refused to be woken up from his Saturday afternoon siesta! :-)

Abhay also enjoyed the fun activities post the story while I met up with many like minded moms who enjoy reading, blogging and writing children's books! Of course....one can never leave Atta Galatta without a book and so we bought a few, besides picking up our copy of "Junior Kumbhakarna" signed by the author!  As if to make up for their delayed entry and in keeping with the daddy’s posting day on 30 books in 30 days  challenge promoted by friend and fellow blogger the bubbleink, Abhay’s daddy read “Junior Kumbhakarna” by Arundhati Venkatesh and illustrated by Shreya Sen. I must say that we loved the illustration of Kumbhakarna  which appears both authentic and hilarious at the same time. It’s bedtime for Kuku and like most kids, he wants his favourite story – the story of Kumbhakarna and his appa has no choice (like most appas!) but to regale him with Kumbhakarna’s giant lifestyle, with an appetite equivalent to that of a hundred men, with a burrp loud enough to make your little one giggle, a stretch here and a yawn there to ultimately slip into what Kumbhakarna is most famous (or infamous) for – his deep slumber yielding snores like thunder! As animals from donkeys to elephants, from people blowing trumpets to making laddoos, all  attempts to wake Kumbhakarna fails and Kumbhakarna only goes ZZZZZZ! So what happens? As you read on, your little one will be surprised as to just whom is the book talking about – the mighty Kumbhakarna or junior counterpart! A mythological tale beautifully adapted onto what is an everyday saga in most homes with kids! A great book to reflect on and have a hearty laugh over our daily morning mania!

No excuses on Read-aloud Day!

One of our first family story times at the library was back when Abhay was just a toddler and believe me, the last thing that our two year old wanted to do was sit in one place for the next twenty minutes or so. But we took heart (at least my husband did!) that Abhay was not the only one roaming all around when the librarian was reading a picture book, and there were a couple of other toddlers to keep him company…… (or rather inspired by him!) While we wondered if we should wait for a year or two before Abhay could really focus on the story being read out, the people at the library assured us that more we bring him to such story times….the more he gains exposure to books and stories. So we kept at it and sure enough…..he began to look forward to the weekly family story time at the library. We have come a long way since board books or simple picture books and Abhay has begun to read on his own. But apart from the advanced early readers and emergent chapter books that he reads, we still continue to read to him every night. Of course, I try to find picture books that are slightly complex in their narrative or where the underlying humour is meant more for children aged five or six and above. But there are some books that are universally enjoyed by all kids ….whatever be their age or reading level and it feels unfair to deny Abhay that experience simply because he is supposedly too old for picture books!  So also the parents as reading aloud to your little one or not-so-little one at bedtime can be one of the most relaxing and therapeutic experiences at the end of day! Like all routine parenting tasks, my husband and I take turns to read to Abhay, and we are strict on who’s turn it is on a given day, but not because it’s only fair……but because we hate to miss an opportunity to read to our baby!

 Today being World-Read-aloud day, what a better way to dedicate this day than with a book by one of India’s most famous children’s writer Anushka Ravishankar.  The book titled “Excuses Excuses” is a story of a boy named, Neel, narrated in rhyming verse, like many of other books, one of which I co- incidentally happen to read on World Read aloud day last year! J A good part of the read-aloud experience is also about the book’s illustrations…..so not to forget the illustrator of this book Gabriel Manglou who’s combination of real life-like images of “Neel” side by side with imaginative illustrations make this book a sure treat! At the start of the week, Neel has it all planned out…..to be a good boy every day of the week. Monday, he’d be in time for school, on Tuesday, he’d obey every rule, Wednesday, he’d be a helpful son, on Thursday, he’d get all his homework done, on Friday, to be sociable and good, on Saturday, he’d do everything he should and finally on Sunday he decided to mend his ways, and then ……( in true Anushka’s Ravishankar’s style) he realized that he’d run out of days! J From this introduction….I could sense Abhay’s ears perk up….as it almost sounds like his story too (We even replaced Neel with Abhay while reading!). So is Neel able to achieve all what he plans ?? Is he successful? Read on as you find out how Neel has an amazing ability to come up with some of the most incredible excuses! Well, an excuse a day has Neel get away! J

 

Is your G.E.M under control?

We may envy others who appear to have a perfect life, but who knows what lies beneath the surface! For all you know, that someone may probably envy you for those aspects of your life that you take for granted! Haven't we all come across a situation like that? For instance, a friend or a peer who seems to have everything one would wish for……but the fact of the matter is that while we know the perks, we don’t know the pressure; we only see good days and don’t see the bad days; we only see what that person has gained and not what he or she had to give up! Many a times there's more to what meets the eye and all we see is what we choose to see! :-)

Today we read “G.E.M” by Jane Clarke and illustrated by Garry Parsons, a story revolving around a boy named Royd and his envy quotient called the “G.E.M” meaning the Green Eyed Monster (which is literally a small green object hovering around everyone) Royd thinks his friend Gark has everything – a space pod for a birthday gift, a booster bouncer and a performing magician at his birthday party and best of all a free ride to Mars as and when he pleases!. He doesn’t heed to his mom’s warnings to keep an eye on his G.E.M lest it may gobble him up! But as Royd finds that the party is getting more and more fun, he cannot contain his jealousy and his G.E.M grows twice, ten times and finally a hundred times bigger until it puffs up so much that it gobbles him up! As Royd’s sister drags Royd’s G.E.M back home, his parents sympathise with his state by recollecting their childhood G.E.M experiences and explain that no one has everything. A couple of weeks later, when its Royd’s birthday, Royd’s mom and dad organize a super fun birthday party and Royd’s G.E.M grows back to its normal size. But its Gark turn to check on his G.E.M as he in turn considers Royd to be lucky to be having a little sister and a stay-at-home mom! As Royd’s mom serves some baked goodies, Gark mentions that his mom never gets to bake as she travels a lot on work……and guess who’s G.E.M grows bigger…….Royd’s mom who wishes she were working too! J Abhay was amused that both Royd and Gark were in fact jealous of each other!  So you see…..everyone has their own G.E.M to keep a check on!

The Great Show-off!

Abhay loves to show off and play to the galleries! If Abhay finds someone in sight, he is in his best elements- be it at park, music class or his recently enrolled tennis class! J So when asked to demonstrate the swing of his tennis racket or sing a music verse to a fellow batch mate, Abhay will act as if he was born to play tennis or sing classical music! I still cant forget the day when as a three year old in the US, my little one began to croon his version of the film song “My Desi girl” in the park at the sight of Indian-origin girls his age! Similarly, I never knew he could do a Bollywood style dance until I saw him groove to a Bollywood number at the aquatic play area in an amusement park last week, only to realize there were other kids looking on!:-) I guess we all love to bask in others’ attention and the same is harmless as long as our sense of self worth is not dependent on the attention others shower on us. So also it is important to be able to share the limelight without a fuss while enjoying it just as much. Being a single child, though Abhay doesn’t have to rival with siblings on a day-to-day basis, but there are times when he does feel challenged by his cousins as they seek to share his spotlight. But I guess, in time Abhay will realize that the world does not revolve around him…. after all …and that’s what is called “growing up!”J

Today I read a book titled “Limelight Larry” by Limelight Hodgkinson, which centers around a peacock who thinks that he is fantastic, so fantastic that he feels that there should be more books about him, let alone this book! Suddenly, Limelight Larry sees a threat in the form of a mouse who peeks in wanting to share the page with our Mr. Showman! Closely following on the heels of the mouse, comes a bird hoping to put up a funny show on the next page! Not amused at all, Limelight Larry makes it clear that if anyone’s going to do anything funny, it will only be him! But then an elephant, a wolf, a bear and a bunny, all join in one by one, as if it were picnic, threatening to steal Larry’s limelight!  Faced with the prospect of the others raining on his parade, Limelight Larry doesn’t waste any time in pushing everyone out and taking the whole of the next page to spread out and show off his beautiful peacock feathers! But after a while,  Larry begins to feel alone and wonders what's the point in showing off on his own! Larry then calls out to the others and as a grand finale, Larry happily shares the last and the most important page with everyone…..though he still saves the very last page for himself! :-) Hilariously written and vibrantly illustrated, this book is a sure-shot entertainer for one and all! If you have a little showman at home ……let him hog the Limelight ….with Larry of course!

 

 

 

Super-heroes!

Super-hero action figures are a big part of growing up and though boys are believed to be more enamored of them than girls, I guess movies or television series inspired from the comic book heroes have a universal appeal. Well, I remember being just as fascinated by “He-Man” as my cousin brother!  But the children of today are spoilt for choices when it comes to action super-heroes with a whole range of toys, merchandise and products based on their favorite superhero. Before they can put their creativity into use and visualize an imaginary play with Spider-Man, there is an X-Box or a Wii game that lets them do it! Before they can weave a fictional story about various action figures battling it out, all the super-hero franchises collaborate to cash in on the ultimate action movie! Of course, their loyalty to their declared favourites is to be measured on the basis of how much merchandise of their favorite super-hero, they can boast of!  Abhay was never into super-man, spider-man or bat-man until we took him to Iron Man III and ever since he has forced us into buying one of those iron man action figurines that he lugs around wherever he goes ……like a Barbie doll!:-)

Speaking of action figures, I found this book at the British Library that I had been wanting to read for a long time, but somehow could not lay my hands on the same. Recommended by the Hillsboro library’s children’s reading list, I don't know why it took me so long to read to my little hero! “The Traction Man is here” by Mimi Grey is a wonderful book that is both a parody and a tribute to all the super-hero figures that captivate our kids. A boy receives a gift of “Traction Man”- wearing combat boots, battle pants, and his warfare shirt, that comes wrapped in a box. The Traction Man soon accompanies the boy everywhere and the boy imagines his favorite action figure take on many a household adventures like launching a search for the sieve in the kitchen sink while it is the boy’s turn to do the dishes, or rescuing the dolls from being buried under the mulch by the garden spade, or saving the spoons from being swept away by the broom at Granny’s house and what’s more he dons a different costume for each of his numerous feats! Traction Man may not be your typical super hero jumping buildings or stopping moving trains but he can find a solution to the minor and major irritants around the house and working with everyday things lying around the house. Complemented by hilarious illustrations, this book takes you through the exciting world of a child’s imaginative play with his favorite toys!  So move over Iron man......for Traction Man is here! :-)

Really rude .....Abhay!

Off late, I have noticed that Abhay has been rude and disrespectful particularly towards his grandparents, including his favorite Sannajji (maternal grandma) and more so with his paternal grandmother (my mother-in-law). When he can’t get what he wants, he doesn’t shy away from snapping or talking back and what’s more, he gets away with it! Abhay sees nothing wrong in being nasty to his Sannajji at times, or in throwing  a fit over a one-time refusal by his grandpa (as his grandpa never refuses to buy him anything), or simply in choosing not to respond to his paternal grandma! I am not sure if it arises out of impatience or pure arrogance or if it’s an attitude issue or an attention issue; or if it is a matter of minding his manners or much more; I am aware that children learn by imitation and so I know who is to blame when he yells (Me!!) but I cannot figure out his sarcasm or his “put-down” remarks at his grandma! Whatever it is, I realized that it has to be nipped in the bud lest it goes out of hand and I get blamed even for that!

So when I found “The Really Rude Rhino” by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross at the British Library, I had to pick it up! Once upon a time there was a really rude Rhino, who was  rude from the day he was born! Even when his auntie complimented him on what sweet baby he was, the rude Rhino goes “Pthhhhh!”. He didn’t care that his mom advised him not to be rude and continued to be rude to his brother, sister even to his grandma! (Just like Abhay!) “He will grow out of it” said his grand-dad, typical of most grandfathers (including Abhay’s). But he didn’t and he pulled out his tongue or pulled down his pants and went “Pthhhhhh!” in public, or in private, to his teacher and even to Santa. His mother even consulted a doctor who diagnosed that he was suffering from “Ruditis Rhinoceritis” and it was incurable. But one day, after his fifth birthday, Rhino woke up with a rude mood and set off to the waterhole where sat a polite looking girl eating a water-melon. Rhino thought how wonderfully rude it would be to charge out from the bushes and scare her so that he could he knock off the melon. But as he charged, the girl put out her tongue, simply “Pthhhhhh”ed back sending the shocked Rhino all the way back home! From then on, Rhino was never rude to anyone again! While Abhay found this book hilarious, he did understand why was I reading this to him and I must say he didn’t quite like the comparison. So ...only when we do to Abhay what Abhay does to us would he realize what in fact he does to us! In other words, So give them the taste of their own medicine, they’ll fall in line! So if you have a little rude rhino driving you nuts……“Pthhhhhhh”…..him with this book!

The Transformers thing!

Staying on the subject of television, my son is fascinated with the television series of Transformers that plays on Discovery kids every day. I find him so immersed in the world of the Autobots and Decepticons, that the giant robots-turned-vehicles seem to dominate his play, conversations, and not to forget even dreams!  Like any boy growing up, Abhay revels in mindless fight sequences complemented by graphic visual effects and deafening sound effects and the Transformer series offers plenty of entertainment on that front making me wish in moments like these for a daughter instead!:-) I am also beginning to now understand how boys will be boys….no matter what age  and  are naturally drawn to action figures and adventures. I am not sure of other moms, but frankly I am not a great fan of the series and just like fan clubs, I guess moms of Transformers-obsessed-sons should start a support group to empathise with each other!  While I always make an effort to evince some interest in something that my son is into, the world of Optimus Prime and Megatron and their legendry rivalry around which the story revolves is completely lost on me, considering that I have neither been enthused by science fiction nor too fond of action!  That said, there is no rule that parents should share the same interests as their kids just like the kids need not always relate to their parents’ tastes….. though we wish they would…don’t we? :-)

Despite my misgivings, I couldn’t resist picking up a book on Transformers from the Om Bookstore titled “I am Optimus Prime” from the adapted from the second movie in the series “Transformers Revenge of the Fallen” by Jennifer Frantz and illustrations by Guido Guidi, presented in an Early Reader format brought out by Harper Collins publications. Optimus Prime, the brave leader of Autobots (who are Robots in disguise) is a friend of humans. Optimus Prime who stands for the good, vows to protect the earth from a new threat called “Fallen” who seems to be even more powerful than Megatron (the bad guy in the first movie). After a fierce battle, read on about how Optimus Prime fights the evil  with the help of his friends Ironhide, Bumble bee and Sideswipe and finally rescue the earth, at least for now!  Hmmm……for now, I can only draw consolation from the fact that this may just be a phase and hope that like all the other phases, the “Transformers” phase too will soon pass and transform into something more interesting!!

Guddu's photo!

Once you become a parent, you become what is called ‘camera ready’…..anytime, anywhere or anyplace! I mean…who doesn’t love taking pictures of the little ones especially since sharing photos with friends and family has never been easier! However the only ones who don’t share the same enthusiasm as their parents are the kids themselves…with some exceptions. Well, one can’t expect young kids to take time off from exploring the world around them all for a mere photograph! But if you thought it would get better with age…think again. As our little celebrities get older, they have attitude issues with posing for the camera…….making us feel like the nosy paparazzi! Of course, some of the best pictures shot are the ones captured naturally without going through the ordeal of getting them to strike the perfect pose, but there are times you just wish they would oblige and at least look into the camera …let alone smile for you! A couple of days back, Abhay came into my office and saw me in my Advocate’s garb and couldn’t resist trying it on and when he did, I couldn’t resist taking a picture, much to his irritation. In fact, I get a jaded look every time I ask my six year old to pose for one of my ‘blog’ pictures …with an even more jaded question “For your bloooog, is it?”

Today we read about the plight of one such mom keen on taking a solo photo of her little boy who is turn hell-bent on posing for the camera with his toys. “Guddu’s Photo” written by Nandini Nayar of  "What should I make?" fame and illustrated by Zeel Sanghvi. Brought out as a bilingual book mainly for very young children by Tulika publishers, ‘Guddu’s photo’ is an endearing story of Guddu who refuses to smile for a photo without his toys! As Guddu’s mother makes him sit on the chair sans his favorite cat, dog, monkey, horse and parrot. As they move from indoors to outdoors to under the tree, to near the gate …Guddu’s favorite animals follow them everywhere not letting his mom click the camera! The illustrations bring alive the child’s imagination of his favorite toys without whom he feels left out. Finally …like all moms, Guddu’s mom too gives in and lets Guddu pose for the camera with all his favorite toys! Described as ideal for children aged three and above, this book incorporates a simple concept and weaves it into a charming tale. Packed with curious illustrations and repetitive sentences, easy for the younger kids to follow that can also double up as an early reader for young readers,  “Guddu’s Photo” is sure to make your little one smile…..just make sure you have your  cameras ready!:-)

Childhood fascination revisited!

There is a saying that an apple does not fall too far from the tree. But does it have to fall so close to the tree either? I can’t say that we are happy to have Abhay take after us because Abhay seems to have picked up each of our quirks or foibles as opposed to those traits that we are admittedly proud of! So he has got my husband’s worrying nature and his mother’s impatience or he has inherited his father’s poor interest in food (during childhood!) coupled with my fussy attitude towards its presentation! But off late, he seems to share even some of our childhood admirations, like my childhood crush on Michael Jackson. Of course, I am still a fan of Michael Jackson’s music, but I didn’t expect my six year to turn into a Michael Jackson aficionado so early in life. Abhay is fascinated by the King of Pop and he couldn’t contain his excitement when Discovery channel aired a documentary on the occasion of 25^th anniversary of his album BAD, a couple of weeks ago. I was quite amused to find my little one groove to Michael Jackson numbers like “Beat it” or “The way you make me feel” or “Dangerous” as they transport me back to my teens! But the flipside to this obsession is that there is no other music but only Michael Jackson playing on our car stereo nonstop for the last four months, and believe me this will tire even the most fervent Michael Jackson fan ever!

Abhay has also been curious about the Michael Jackson story, about how it all began and the mystery surrounding his death and so imagine my delight as I stumbled upon “Michael Jackson at a glance"at Sapna book house! Abhay couldn’t believe his eyes as he saw what I was about to read to him! A part of "At a glance" series of knowledge books about famous personalities brought out by oyster publications. Other books in this series are on " J.K.Rowling", "Sachin Tendulkar", Barack Obama, etc. though not a full fledged biography, these books provide a brief introduction to the making of the legend and their principal acheivements, just about enough for a six year old. For instance, Abhay learnt that Michael Jackson formed a music group along with his four elder brothers called Jackson 5 in 1964 which went on to record a number of hits. Abhay now knows that Michael started his solo career with "Off the Wall" and there was no looking back ever since. I felt the series fell a tad short of "a glance" and needed some more details about the superstar singer. As far as illustrations go, I prefer actual images as opposed to the look-alike sketches. However, considering the short attention span of children for non-fiction, this is a good start.  So if you have a little MJ fan at home, treat him to "Michael Jackson at a glance"! :-)