By Mamta Nainy, Illustrated by Ankur Mitra, CBT, 2018, pp. 16, Rs. 40
This prize-winning story is a heart-warming tale of a little girl who dreads the annual Class Photo session at school as she is self-conscious about her buckteeth. It touches lightly upon issues of body image and peer pressure. Bela finally faces the camera with a broad smile, as a compliment from a thoughtful teacher fills her with delight. She still has her buckteeth, but that’s alright, for she now knows she has ‘the cutest smile’ ever.
The illustrations and choice of colours are very professionally done, and the book is a delight to go through.
There are some issues however that I wish to highlight. Since these picture books are generally directed at beginner readers, it might be a good idea if the author does not use words like ‘stifle’ or ‘vigorous’. The editor also needs to check for grammar as the author tends to incorporate both past and present tense in a sentence, which is just plain wrong.
This review originally appeared in The Book Review, November 2018.
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