Come!
Author: 
Reshmi Dastidar
Illustrator: 
Roomani Kulkarni
age group: 
5+ yrs
Number of pages: 
20
Publisher: 
Tulika
Themes:
nature and wildlife cycle of life
Genre:
picture book, fiction
 

With its zen-like simplicity, minimalistic design and economy of words 'Come' is an alluring invitation to children to step in and experience the bhava behind the words and images. The wisdom inherent within gently conveys the message that the only thing constant in life is - Change. That the circle of life moves slowly and steadily in an never-ending cycle - stars make way for the sun at dawn, tiny seeds become plants, snow becomes water, clouds become rain and the young eventually become old, even as the old make way for the new!

Enhancing the text is the rich imagery, controlled and yet charming colour palette with lots of white space that invites introspection.

The book also lend itself to a whole range of discussions in the hands of a creative educator - the plant cycle, the rain cycle, the process of aging, maybe even the cycle of life and death can be inferred from these pages for a child who has recently experienced the occurence of death in the family.

 

Reviewed by Shamim Padamsee