"Up World, Down World" written by Padmaparna Ghosh on StoryWeaver is a great book that gives children a very important message - " We have prejudices mostly because we don't interact"
Fatima lives in a beautiful home, just near a forest. Most families have Sunday rituals and so does Fatima's. After a lunch of beans and kofta, Maa reads the newspaper, Paa takes a nap and Fatima walks across to the canopy forest and sits under the trees to read her favourite books.
Maa had warned Fatima that she should not climb the trees , because there could be scary animals in the "up World". One Sunday afternoon, a little book falling from the top, makes Fatima climb the tree. She finds out that not only are the residents of the "Up World" amazing , but that they had also been warned by their parents about the people of the " Down world". As Fatima interacts with the anthropomorphised animals in the up world, she learns to love them and make friends with them. There is a crisis that the forest faces, because of human activities and one must read the book to see how Fatima and her friends help each other out.
The book has so many beautiful messages and lessons for children, done in an unassuming and non preachy way. The beauty of friendship in breaking prejudices in a plural society, environmental conservation through actions rather than just activism - are just a few to name.
The illustrations by Sunaina Coelho are captivating and the children are sure to love them.
The book is available in 11 languages and can be downloaded here - https://storyweaver.org.in/stories/4991-up-world-down-world
About the Reviewer:
Roomana Basha: Mother to a 4 year old | Founder and CEO ekdali.com | Loves books - Currently reading V.S. Naipaul's " The Mystic Masseur" | Fitness Freak
