Hop on to a super fragilistic story-tour that will take you far and wide to places you have never been and people you have never seen. Meet Chicken Mama, the spiky-haired medicine woman who can move Time backwards; Mokel-embe-embe, the world’s last dinosaur, about to be captured by British explorers; Spooky95768939123, the ghost in danger of becoming extinct; and Manto the Degree Master, equally expert at calligraphy and ‘chumpy’. Salute freedom fighter Shankarrao and his defiant chappal-throwing; and tag along with old Das Babu to Bombay’s Hanging Gardens, Arabia and the yucky-mucky footpath; and find out if Asha and Dhiren are ever able to fool the very clever Chachaji. There’s never a dull moment in this selection of unusual stories. From the laughable antics of Sammy the penguin to the secret of the snake-stone in the Himalayan meadows to Epsilon the biologist’s Amazonian hunt for the rare How-D’You-Do Bird-each story in this exciting collection introduces you to real characters you will never forget and imaginary ones you will want desperately to meet.
Catagory: Literature & Fiction
Puffin Classics: The Land Of Cards
Poet, novelist, painter, musician and Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore was one of modern India’s greatest literary figures. This collection brings together some of his best works—poems, short stories and plays in one volume. Be it the wit, magic and lyricism of his poetry or the vividly etched social milieu of his stories, or the sheer power and vibrancy of his plays, Tagore’s versatility and unceasing creativity come alive in these writings. The title play ‘The Land of Cards’ is a satire against the bondage of orthodox rules, while in ‘The Post Office’, a child suffocated by his confined existence dreams of freedom in the world outside. From a son’s cherished desire to protect his mother in the poem ‘Hero’ to a fruit-seller longing for his daughter faraway in the story ‘Kabuliwala’, Tagore’s works convey his humanism and his deep understanding of human relationships.
Skunk Girl
As soon as I make it home I run upstairs to my room and tear my clothes off. I twist my head to get a good view of my back. And that’s when I see it. A wide line of soft, dark hair running from the nape of my neck down to the base of my spine. A stripe right down the center of my back, like a skunk. I’m not just a hairy Pakistani Muslim girl any more.I am a skunk girl.’ Nina Khan is sixteen, and has a few problems at hand. She is the only South Asian student at Deer Hook High; she doesn’t care about calculus, unlike her over-achieving older sister; she has a genetic disposition for excessive body hair; and if her parents had a whiff of her thoughts about Asher Richelli, the cute new Italian transfer student, she would be grounded forever. In this funny, wryly witty debut novel by Sheba Karim, Nina navigates her way through the first year of high school, dealing with friends who don’t even need to wax, and who don’t have a ghazal-listening father waiting round the corner. She realizes that though balancing two cultures is never easy, with a little spunk and a lot of humor, one can always find a way.
Indra Finds Happiness
* Why was Indra an unhappy god?
* What are the many magical things Indra has in paradise?
* Will Indra ever find happiness?
Little Harsha was sad, so a cloud flew him up to Indra’s palace, just to show Harsha that the king of gods was sadder than him! There, with his new friends Indra and Airavata, the six-tusked white elephant, Harsha sees so many amazing things a wish- fulfilling tree, a pot of never- ending gold, and a potion that keeps him healthy.
Then Indra thinks of a naughty plan to steal Vasishta’s cow! When he catches Indra, a very angry Vasishta tells him the secret to being happy. (And no, it has nothing to do with ice creams, video games or wish-fulfilling trees.) But will the king of gods learn his lesson finally and stop being sad?
Gauri and The Talking Cow
* Why is the cow useful to everyone?
* How are the earth and the cow similar?
* Why is Gauri another name for a cow?
Little girl Gauri thinks milk comes from packets, till she meets Sweety the talking cow. Sweety tells Gauri about the first cow on earth, Surabhi, and how she provided so many useful things to man fuel, manure, medicine and shelter. Sweety narrates stories about a king who found good luck because he gifted cows to many people, and how another king was turned into a lizard because he was not careful about who he gave his cows to! Sweety also tells Gauri how Krishna the cowherd looked after his beloved animals, and why Kali decided to comb her hair.
An Identity Card for Krishna
* Why are identity cards important, even for gods?
* How can you tell a Deva from a Manava?
* How would you find a particular god in a crowd of gods?
One day, when Krishna wanted to board an aeroplane, he was not allowed to! All because he did not have an identity card. Then his friends Garuda and Sesha took him to meet Lata-kumari in Guwahati, who told him the story of Anasuya and the Ashwini twins, and why Rishi Chavan made a rule that all gods should carry a dhvaja a flag with each god’s very own symbol. Did Krishna get his identity card so he could ride the aeroplane finally?
Shiva Plays Dumb Charades
Five children are having fun one evening; playing dumb charades; when Shiva appears and wants to join in! Shiva turns out to be the best at dumb charades; as well as in asking riddles. He can say so much with only his actions! He also tells the children wonderful stories with the help of the many objects he carries with him; like the rattle drum; the crescent moon and a fountain of water that rises from his head. Soon; thanks to Shiva’s playfulness; the children know much more about Shiva and the other gods—even more than their parents!
Kama vs Yama
Jayshree loves doing homework! But one day; instead of studying; she hears voices out in the garden and goes out to see who’s there. She meets a strange man called Kama. Poor Kama was made invisible by an angry Shiva once. Now that Jayshree can see him he shows her all the magic he can do—make butterflies appear; bees buzz; fill the garden with fragrant flowers. But then Yama appears; and he does not like playing at all! Yama believes only in working. Kama and Yama start fighting about who Jayshree will be friends with. Who do you think Jayshree will choose—the fun-loving; naughty Kama; or the stern; no-nonsense Yama?
The Secret Diary Of The World’s Worst Cook
Rohin is fifteen and, despite his father’s wishes, wants nothing to do with science in school. But what does he want to do instead?
On vacation at his grandparents’ rambling haveli in Lucknow, he stumbles upon the secret diary of fifteen-year-old Hassan Ali, or Hasnu, reluctant cook’s apprentice, the despair of his father and black sheep in a long line of illustrious chefs to the nawabs of Lucknow. As Rohin reads the story of Hasnu’s doomed culinary career, he decides he has to track down Hasnu and find out what happened to the Bekaar Bawarchi. Did he escape the kitchen? What did he do instead? And how did he tell his father he didn’t want to be a cook?
Rohin’s search unearths some hilarious stories-of spotted eggs; how a famous actress demanded a hot meal; the disappearance of a khandani khazana; of friends and kitchens!
And one day Rohin realizes what it is he wants to do with his own life.
