Reviews of Children's Books
The Five Fingered Family by Shakta Kaur Khalsa, Illustrated by Siri-Kartar K. Khalsa
The Brookfield Reader, May 2000.Picture Book, 32 pages
Ages 4-8
ISBN: 0966017293.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
The story of the five fingered family originated in the
Punjab region of Northern India, and is charmingly
retold in this beautifully illustrated picture book.
In the magical land of India, there lived a family
who was so dedicated to each other that they
were like the five fingers of a hand. When Papa
Angulee has to inform his wife and three children that
their home and business was destroyed by fire, the
family bands together to travel to find a new life.
They stop in a forest to make dinner and to spend the
night. But a horrible old troll sees them, and
jumps out of the tree to threaten them. By working
together as a team, the family defeats the troll and
wins a fabulous treasure, which enables them to
start a new business and build a new home.
But when the family's greedy next door neighbors
decide to try their luck with the troll, a very different
result ensues, driving home the lessons of unity,
loyalty and family love.
Former Montessori teacher Shakta Kaur Khalsa does an excellent job of taking this legend and making it accessible to modern readers. The illustrations by Siri-Kartar K. Khalsa are absolutely superb. Rendered in the 18th century Moghul style, the paintings are colorful and vibrant. The people are dressed in the style of the Punjab, and their faces vividly reflect the emotions of the story. Parents can use this story both to teach lessons about other cultures, as well as to talk about the important concepts of family unity and teamwork. Highly recommended.
Touch and Feel Halloween
DK, July 2000.Board Book, 12 pages
Ages Baby-Preschool
ISBN: 0789465116.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
Halloween is almost here, and Dorling Kindersley
has provided a charming accompaniment to the holiday
for the board book set. A happy little boy dressed in a
wizard's costume invites us to come and join his
Halloween party. Children can feel the wizard's smooth
velvet cloak, touch the pirate's rough beard (if you dare!),
feel the scarecrow's scratch sack shirt, stroke the black cat's
silky fur, and touch the pumpkin's waxy skin. Each page
features DK's trademark beautiful photos on a glossy,
thick board background, making for a sturdy book which
won't fall apart, like so many board books tend to do.
This would be a great addition to your child's Touch and
Feel book collection, and is sure to make Halloween
even more fun that it already is.
Whoo's There? by Charles Reasoner
Price Stern Sloan, 1999.Board Books, 14 pages
Ages Baby-Preschool
ISBN: 0843175141.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
Just in time for Halloween are new and old versions of
Charles Reasoner's popular glow in the dark board books.
"Whoo's there?" is the cry of a darling brown owl, with large
glow in the dark eyes and a somewhat confused expression on
his face. All in costume are a cat, a bat and a bear.
"Whoo-whoo's outside?" asks the owl. "A witch on a
moonlight right!" is the reply. Accompanying each
page is a charming illustration of various creatures
that one might encounter on Halloween night.
The witch is not scary at all. Although
she is green, with big eyes, her expression is
benevolent (and unthreatening) as she rides past
the moon on her broomstick. The owl ends his
journey by asking the child, "Whoo whoo are you?"
giving the child the chance to respond himself to
the friendly owl's question. This Halloween board
book is certain to be a favorite, especially as the
child sees other children getting ready for the holiday by putting on costumes.
The illustrations are colorful and cheery, and the big, glow-in the dark
eyes provide a fun (and not too spooky) introduction to
Halloween which small tots are sure to enjoy.
Return to the October 2000 issue of The IWJ.
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