A NAUGHTY POTTY DEMON TALE

In author/illustrator Jatkar’s picture book, a youngster imagines himself in a mythical confrontation when striving to unblock a toilet.

While sitting on the potty, the young, unnamed protagonist—an Indian boy portrayed with brown skin—reads about how the king of deities, Indra, waged a battle against the demon serpent Ahi to free the world’s water. When the prideful boy declares himself too mighty for Ahi to challenge, the house’s water supply cuts out. The narrator traces the problem to a toilet blockage, and he believes it’s the work of the demon serpent. He imagines taking up Indra’s magical weapon, Vajra (actually a toilet plunger) to renew the epic conflict. Jatkar’s first-person narration captures the immediacy of oral storytelling and the excitability of a middle-grade fantasist. The shaky, faux handwritten typeface may prove challenging for some readers—especially given the additional sound effects and Ahi’s toilet noises. Jatkar’s full-color cartoon illustrations mostly favor clear action scenes set against white backdrops, but they’re most effective when they include other elements (such as a shower cubicle or mirror). Adults may question the protagonist’s unblocking technique, but this is by design; the boy’s triumph comes through Pyrrhic toilet destruction: “Indra defeated Ahi and became a hero. All I got was an epic timeout.” Young readers will likely revel in the chaos.

A lighthearted tale of mayhem and imagination.