February 22, 2004

Children’s storybooks by the Book Group are always a fascinating read — you should see the look on my daughters’ faces as they get totally lost in the story, with a finger in their mouth, mesmerized as the story progresses. Surely the look on their faces is a million-dollar one as nobody budges until I reach the end of the story. Their eyes glaring into the emptiness of air but a train of thoughts swishing though the mind as the story unfolds in the realms of their imagination. Such a response to me is the best way of gauging how hit the storybook is with children. Trust me, I have also seen them begging me not to tell them some stories that don’t interest them a bit, while I keep insisting on executing my parental duty to instil in them the habit to read.

The recent publications of the Book Group, Paaon, Paaon, Paoon, Chamak Bhi Jao, and Larai Jhagra are vivacious with an ideal amount of colours and spice thrown in to catch the eye of even those children who run away from reading books. Larai Jhagra is a little story of a noisy family of frogs who one day decide to relocate from the riverside, leaving behind other residents relieved from their noises and commotion, until they find themselves missing the noise. The interesting illustrations made in water colour make a cushion-like effect on children to see commotion in the frog’s family but only to fade out in due course. I somehow fancy the idea of water colours being used in children’s books as a medium for illustrations. They lend a softer touch to the text.

Chamak Bhi Jao is a combination of a story and information about the sun that shines in the sky. Following a little story is some information on how leaves are nourished and fruit ripened by the warmth of the sun. The information is basic and raw, though some terms used like photosynthesis are a little heavy for a student of class two. But the educationist would argue that such terms should be introduced to the child at an early age to make him familiar with them, until he or she grows to understand the meaning of it. The sooner children get familiarized with such terms, the better they would develop an understanding of such scientific processes.

Paaon, paaon, paaon is a small story about feet and their use. A hit with my kids, the text is a twittering account of big feet and small feet and all sorts of feet. Children enjoy reading them and sway with the text as it jumps from page to page with pictures of feet stepping up and down and all over the book.

Children’s literature is a great need of the day and publishers churning out quality books for the young readers are doing a great service to both parents and children.

Paaon, Paaon, Paaon
By Fatima Qazilbash
Illustrated by Mehreen Zuberi
ISBN 969-8556-92-3
12pp. Rs35

Larai Jhagra (An adaptation)
Illustrated by Ramzan Shad
ISBN 969-8556-51-6
10pp. Rs30

Chamak Bhi Jao .
By Ali Alam
Illustrated by Farah Farrukh
ISBN 969-8556-33-8
10pp. Rs30
The Book Group, 187/2-C, Block 2, PECHS, Karachi. Tel: 021- 4310641, 4538221
Email: bookgroup@cyber.net.pk
Website: www.bookgroup.org.pk

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