A few years ago, we decided to buy only books as gifts for my Dubai based Sisters kids. As with most kids living in Dubai, there is no toy or dress that we can buy that they can’t find in Dubai or the extensive list of countries they travel to. Even with books, the Geranimo Stilton’s get guzzled down easily. But finding books that are set in India and have meaningful messages but at the same time are interesting become a tough find! In addition to the above if you want a series then there is very little choice.
In one of those treasure hunts for books with all of the above criteria, we came across the Ninja Nani series by Lavanya Karthik. Our 3 year old has a Pratham title from the same book, so we decided to give it a shot
Deepu and his Nani live under the same roof, but hardly know each other as people. This is not uncommon, elders are supposed to be venerated and kids are supposed to be impish. We rarely transcend the boundaries that these narrow role definitions confer on us.
There is a fight for the remote over cookery show vs a Ninja Dragon MoriMori show. Suddenly Grandma is transformed into a Ninja Nani and flies out of the window. Deepu follows and thus begins an adventure. Through the course of the adventure, they get to know each other more and surprisingly Deepu becomes the conscience keeper while Nani tends to show off her super powers even more.
The language is simple and it can be easily introduced to an 8-year-old kid. But I believe it can it can be read by anybody. Here is a confession; every adult in our house read it too! The illustrations are beautiful and capture the spirit of the book and make it a fun read. If only they were in color!
Since this is a super hero series set in India, it is almost unparalleled. There are three books in the series and fourth in the making. We love the fact that it is set in small town India, Gadbadnagar, beautifully capturing the spirit of an Indianan small town. Our nephews both love super hero series. We hit the jackpot! What is even better is that our nephews’ Grandmother has just started living with them. We thought it might be a great opportunity to make them bond with her more!
We highly recommend it for kids who have a penchant for guzzling superhero stories. (I have read all Geranimo Stiltons! Now what!) . Since winter break is almost here, these could be a good pick for the season
Role Models & Attitude Portrayal: 5/5 ( In fact we recommend this book, because it explores the way Grandparents and Grandchildren relate to each other)
Educational Value: NA
Age Band — broad band : 8+ years
Publisher : Duckbill books Written & Illustrated By: Lavanya Karthik
Books in the series:
Ninja Nani & The Bumbling Burglars
Ninja Nani & The Zapped Zombie Kids
Ninja Nani & The Mad Mummy Mix — up
About the Reviewer:
G.K. : City Dweller, Nature Lover| Father to an 4 year old| Avid Reader| Loves to watch and Play Cricket| Day Job at a Start Up
