Title: The Secret Songster
Author: Shyama Panikkar
Publisher: Self-Published
Type: Children's Fiction
Price: INR 399
When was the last time you read a book on birds?
Or a story about birds?
So, here's a wonderful book that I picked up for my little one lately.
The book is a short story about three birds, Sona the Shama, Chiru the Crow and Babli the Bulbul living in Bird Valley.
These three birds are good friends with differing personalities, just like how children are. One is shy and introverted who dislikes attention, another is an extrovert and confident to tell the world and the other who needs that little extra nudge.
One day, the annual Bird Valley fair was declared, and a singing competition was going to be held. While Babli is super excited to perform, Chiru and Sona are not too confident about it.
This story is about believing in oneself and giving yourself a chance to shine. It also talks about what it means to support friends even when competing with each other.
My favourite quote from the book:
"Sometimes, what other people say about us, starts defining us, and we forget who we really are, and what we are capable of."
The illustrations in this book are bright and colourful, making it difficult to put down once picked up. Perfect for gifting for Christmas, Birthday or simply for the love of books to early readers, ages 5-8.
Needless to say, my little one enjoyed this quick read. This easy-to-read simple story is bound to delight all age groups. The author, Shyama Panikkar, has also written two more books prior to this, all revolving around music.
