The Great Birdywood games!

 

During our stay at Vythri resort, we were treated to some of the best kept secrets of a tropical rainforest! We watched the forest come alive with all it's attendant sounds, through different weather spells, from summer heat to pre-monsoon showers! The forests surrounding the Wyanad region are home to a number of birds, including the Great Indian Hornbill, which is even the State bird of Kerala. Through out the day, it felt sublime to have calls and tweets of various birds and insects playing like a background score, in a way adding to the calm around and within! We only had to listen to the change in climate and it was amazing to hear the birds and insects play weathermen signaling the onset of the impending thunderstorm and rain….may be our meteorologists need to learn a thing or two from them!:-)

 

It was in this setting that we chose to read Tulika's "The Great Birdywood Games" by Shamim Padamsee and picturesby Soumya Menon. The jungle was awaiting birds from all over the world to participate in the Great Birdywood games! With the rainbow as it's emblem, the Great Birdywood games is declared open by the famous movie director, the peacock, Mor Khan, amidst the applause of flapping wings,cheeping, chirping and twittering beaks! Various species of birds compete with each other in events ranging from diving to sprinting and finally the grand finale to determine the fastest flierin the world, with the horned owl playing judge! With the sporting event resembling international games such as Olympics or Commonwealth games, the author offers a bird's eye view into its highlights, while skillfully combining both fiction and non fiction. Who wouldn't be eager see the record breaking performance in diving by the Penguin, the rivalry between Road-runner and Ostrich, and the flying contest heat up between Racing Pigeon and Swift, amidst the falcon facing disqualification! :-)) The Great Birdywood games would not be the same but for its playful yet authentic illustrations of our feathered friends. Ideal for children aged five and above, The Great Birdywood games presents the fascinating world of birds in a new and interesting light! Not only would your little one learn about the different species of birds in the world and their unique ways, but he is sure to ask for a replay of the Great Birdywood games!!