Amar Chitra Katha

My generous childhood friend, Kunmun, used to have a huge collection of Amar Chitra Kathas (ACK)s and I was a keen borrower! However, it is this title of ACK, 'Gopal And The Cowherd' that is etched in my mind ever since I first read it as a child.

To me, it is one of the best ACK in the 'Fables' category. It is a heart warming Bengali folk tale of a simple little village boy who is scared to cross the jungle to attend school. His mom suggests that he calls out to Krishna, his brother, for help. And sure enough Krishna appears and escorts Gopal to school and back. Gopal doesn't realise that he is the God, Krishna. It is when he takes a pot of curd as a gift from Krishna to his school master that he realises that something is special about this friend.
It is written by Gayatri Madan Dutt, illustrated by Ram Waeerkar, and edited by Anant Pai. Please grab a copy not only because the story is so touching but also because the illustrations are so real- showing every emotion and thought.

You can either buy it online from Flipkart or from the ACK website: http://www.amarchitrakatha.com or look out for it in any of the large bookstores in your city.

Anant Pai passed away in March, this year. A touching obituary, http://m.timesofindia.com/PDATOI/articleshow/7691545.cms, talks about his personal life while another  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/07/anant-pai-obituary sums up his work.

Long Live Uncle Pai! He really played a big role in providing good reads in my childhood!

The No. 1 Book on this blog has to be Victor Dragunsky's "The Adventures of Dennis"

Victor Dragunsky's "The Adventures of Dennis" published by Progress Publishers in Moscow in 1981!!!

I have read this book and re-read it and re-read it a 1000 TIMES and that may just be an under estimation! I really wanted to grow up and be an author like Dragunsky and write about everyday things from the point of a 4 year old.

A lazy Google search  revealed that I'm not the only mad fan; look at all this:

1. Fans who took the effort of typing out a few stories from this wonderful delight of a book: http://www.koryagin.newmail.ru/doc/denis.htm
and here. http://decayingechoes.blogspot.com/2006/02/victor-dragunsky-adventures-of-dennis.html
2. Facebook fan page of a Marathi version!!! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dennis-chya-goshti/131015890275222?sk=wall
3. http://wrecktangle.blogspot.com/2004/10/from-russia-with-love_109748075277926645.html who writes, "Of all those beautiful Russian books, my absolute favourite is ‘The Adventures of Dennis’ by Victor Dragunsky. The sheer magic, with which all the simple complications of Dennis’ (and all our) childhoods are captured in this book, is beyond anyone but the author’s words"
4. http://cartoonwale.blogspot.com/2009/01/adventures-of-dennis.html who laments, "It is the greatest children's book ever written and I had a copy of it which I read and read and in the disaster of growing up and changing homes lost it. Now I have come across it online for free reading but not on any site to buy. I would have paid any price for the book."


Thinking about this book always makes me smile. Thank you Victor Dragunsky for many many many happy moments!