A diverse, offbeat, and amusing tale.
Jatkar’s picture book tells a modern tale of ice cream making, rooted in Indian folklore.
The main story is prefaced by the Hindu tale of Bakaasur, a human-devouring demon who terrorizes villagers and is killed by Bheem, a visiting king. Then, in a more modern scene, seven young cousins play at their Amma and Baba’s house on a hot day. Suddenly, Baba announces, “Let’s make ice cream!” The children hide because they know that Baba will insist on using his own hand-powered ice cream maker, which they’ve dubbed Bakaasur. The family members, who have varying skin tones, prepare by sourcing milk, rock salt, and ice. Baba makes a schedule, Amma combines an assortment of ingredients, including almonds and cinnamon, and the laborious endeavor begins. Then the old machine conks out. When a rigged-up rickshaw can’t get the machine to churn, Amma and the children formulate a new plan. Many kids love ice cream, so the subtitle of this book may be enough to woo reluctant young readers. It may particularly interest those who may be unfamiliar with the tradition of churning one’s own ice cream as a family event spanning the majority of a day. The stylized, detailed full-color depictions of rickshaws, spices, the marketplace, and customary clothing bring vibrancy and authenticity to the pages.
A diverse, offbeat, and amusing tale.Pub Date: April 23, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-9977181-2-6
Page Count: 46
Publisher: Monkey Mantra
Review Posted Online: May 25, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Give this child’s-eye view of a day at the beach with an attentive father high marks for coziness: “When your ball blows across the sand and into the ocean and starts to drift away, your daddy could say, Didn’t I tell you not to play too close to the waves? But he doesn’t. He wades out into the cold water. And he brings your ball back to the beach and plays roll and catch with you.” Alley depicts a moppet and her relaxed-looking dad (to all appearances a single parent) in informally drawn beach and domestic settings: playing together, snuggling up on the sofa and finally hugging each other goodnight. The third-person voice is a bit distancing, but it makes the togetherness less treacly, and Dad’s mix of love and competence is less insulting, to parents and children both, than Douglas Wood’s What Dads Can’t Do (2000), illus by Doug Cushman. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: May 23, 2005
ISBN: 0-618-00361-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2005
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