A beautifully written account of the childhood of one of India’s favourite writers.”

 

NO MAJOR SPOILERS

This, as the title asserts, is a collection of Ruskin Bond’s childhood memories put together for children with bright illustrations by Sunaina Coelho.

Bond occasionally refers to the photographs that his father took of him and one feels that there should perhaps have been photographs of the chubby cherubic baby, but the illustrations do a good enough job of projecting the feeling.

The memories put together are the ones of Bond’s childhood in Jamnagar and his parents’ gradual separation from each other.

There is the familiar cast of characters, his uncle Ken who slings him up in a tree and rocks him, his strict Dehra granny and her neighbour the brave Miss Kellner who fights against crippling odds and gives the young Ruskin a refuge.

He mentions his relationship with his ayah in Jamnagar, his father’s gramophone and his various friends. Some of the memories have more detailing than before though combined with the illustrations they have the ability hold out a refreshing welcome to Bond fans.

 

Reviewed by:

Anjana Basu

Added 6th February 2019

More Reviews By
Anjana Basu