“A delightful romp alongside a rhyming bat, an adventurous granny, a magical bear named Soosoo . . . and, of course, Tootoolu Toop, the spunky, book-loving little witch who is determined to crack the confusing world of humans. Packed with magic, mystery and fun.”
NO MAJOR SPOILERS
Stuti Agarwal has evolved her own version of Harry Potter with a witch escaping to the world of Muggles – Agarwal calls them ‘Glum’ with a distinct emphasis on the pun. Though Tootoolu Toop can’t bear her world of witchery which consists of hiding underground with her family and brewing potion after potion. She prefers fresh air, bats in trees and he grandmother’s humongous bear Soosoo.
Children will find the conglomeration of o’s distinctly funny not to mention the fact that runaway adventures are always intriguing especially when they end with creepy old ladies who serve cockroach stew and school bullies with a fancy for super glue. There is also the different perspective that Tootoolu brings to the Glum world – she prefers it to her witch world with a touch of magic when help is required which is something all children want after all.
There are noisy words and funny illustrations to engage young readers further. Agarwal’s mix will fascinate without being text heavy – though the ending can be guessed at – and she throws in Darjeeling as an unexpected background for the adventure
Reviewed by:
Anjana Basu
Added 21st May 2021
