Children of all ages love Picture Books and there is just so much of imagination and creativity that goes in a picture book. the colours illustrations take the onus of narrating a story that words cant express.
We love Picture books and today we review a book called If there was one Place I could be.
Published By: Little Latitude
Story: Kalpana Subramanian
Illustrations: Prashant Miranda
From the series: Anahi and Vir
What is it About: If there was one place that our little girl Anahi would wish to be if she could, it would have to be under the sea. She is in love with what lies deep under, and this is her way of making sure that you and I do too – by taking us on a magical journey through the enchanting alive underwater world.
Form and language: Easy verse that kids will know through-and-through in no time. Sample this:
Some look like stars, some look like jelly
Some look like flowers, and some are smelly.
Fun, isn’t it?! Kalpana’s clever use of words lets the child discover so much about aquatic life in just about twenty lines.
What we love:
1. Illustrations! They are fresh, vibrant, detailed, intelligent, witty, and charming. Be prepared to go WOW! at every turn of the page. Without exception. Sea-God promise
2. 2+; fish lovers, scuba divers; scuba divers in the making; snorkellers; dreamers; believers; naturalists; lovers of picture books.
3. Kids can spend hours looking at all the living creatures shown in the illustrations and spend the rest of the day creating their own stories around each!
For the more non-fiction oriented kids who want to know more about underwater life – and believe me, this books makes you want to learn more – the web’s the limit.
Love Ratings?
Ha Ha! Quotient: 4
Touches the heart: 5
Cuts through the clutter: 5
Visual appeal: 5
Encore Quotient: 5
Thank God it’s not moral science: 5
Show, don’t tell: 4
Hey, this is a really important book!: 4
Want to Read More?
This book is every bit about all the wonderful things a picture book is / should be about: gentle words that flow smoothly rendering themselves perfect for being read aloud (the meter is a little less-than-perfect at places, though); crisp content; out-of-this-world illustrations where every eye, every leaf, every bubble conveys a thousand stories of its own; a rich splash of colours which is not harsh on the eyes; and contents (both written and visual) that make you and your little one fervently pray that the book never ends J. Both the words and the illustrations ensure that there’s a delightful surprise waiting at every bend in the line. And the surprise holds equally well even on the fifteenth read!
The book draws the young reader into a magical world which is as real as her own little play corner in the house is. She knows that the next time she goes anywhere close to the sea, all her friends will be waiting to bob up for a split second to say hallo to her. Because the book makes every reader believe that Anahi’s world can be hers too.
What a brilliant book, this! Made with love. It shows
This article has been contributed by Richa Jha. If you would like to contribute to Kids Stop Press please do write to us at kidsstoppress@gmail.com
KSP Team
Neha Savla
