Dada's Useless Present

It's Femme March and Women's Day as well, and so I have decided to post a review a day on a book written by a woman. Maybe I will say nice things about the book, maybe I won't. But I will strive to be fair and honest.

Beginning with the first of my #femmeMarch 2019 posts ... 

This review first appeared in GoodBooks.in
http://www.goodbooks.in/version2/2019/02/12/dadas-useless-present/

Dada may be celebrating his 82nd birthday but he still considers himself spry, until a seemingly thoughtful gift from his son tells him otherwise. Dada, however, is convinced it is a useless present – until he finds many useful things to do with it!

What Works:

• A charming story about the spirit of ageing grandparents who refuse to give up their independence. Dada gets a walking stick as a present from his son and believes it is completely useless till he finds all kinds of other uses for it except what it is meant for!
• Author Nalini Sorensen’s text is concise and skillfully portrays Dada’s various reactions to his present without being unnecessarily verbose. She also fleshes out the relationship between Dada and his granddaughter Panu lovingly.
• The author blends humour, affection and the little details of everyday life into an engaging tale.
• Allen Shaw’s beautiful water-colour illustrations invite the reader into Panu’s home and show the story of how her grandfather dealt with his ‘not-so-useless’ present. Shaw captures the beauty of the interiors as well as the verdant lushness of the mango orchard close by. The clever use of different angles makes Panu’s home appear three-dimensional.
• This picture book was the winner of the Jarul Book Award 2018.

What Does Not Work:

• If I can pick a bone with Allen Shaw’s art, it is that the facial expressions of his characters are indiscriminately jovial and pleasant.

CONCLUSION

It’s a lovely picture book for the 6-8-year-old and encourages the reader to be innovative and think out of the box.

BOOK DETAILS

Author: Nalini Sorensen

Illustrator: Allen Shaw

Page Extent: 26

Price: 250

Publisher: Karadi Tales 2016

Subject Category: Fiction/Picture Book/Humour

Age Group: 6-8 years