Book: Pinkoo Shergill Pastry Chef
Author: Vibha Batra
Genre: Children's Book (8-12 y)
Pages: 184
Publisher: Scholastic India
Price: ₹219 (on Amazon)
'There's this bunch of stupid guys at school. They think baking is girlie.'
'Hmm...We can't have them thinking that now, can we?'
Pinkoo Shergill is a 10 year old boy who goes to shooting class everyday. But the thing is, he doesn't like shooting. He finds joy in baking delicious deserts! He wants to be a world famous pastry chef, not a shooting champion. Nobody understands his passion, except Tutu, his ever supportive cousin.
Now, guess what, The Great Junior Bake-a-Thon, an international baking contest is in India and of course Pinkoo wants to participate. But how?
'You know how much it (shooting) meant to Pitaji. It was his dream…'
'His dream, not Pinkoo's.'
So, this lovely book is about not giving up and following your dreams. It has several cute, little twists and turns, and I particularly loved how it slams the gender stereotype without being preachy.
The writing style is so engaging and light. The author has used some fun words like, confuzzled, yummilicious, irritatinoying, wonderlicious…funerific etc. Also, there are different kinds of words for sound: bang, clang, swoosh, clatter, whirr, ting, slurp, squeal, they are enjoyable and educative at the same time. I think the kids would really enjoy as these terms, written in bold, large and interesting font, can easily grab the attention of the children.
The author has used humour and wit so smartly, without making fun of anything. It's funny and sensible at the same time. For example: Since nobody knows about Pinkoo's passion for baking, he (and Tutu, of course) often sneaks in to the kitchen for his baking adventures when nobody is present in the house, but, to my relief, he doesn't do it alone. Gurdasji and Datthi bhaiya are always there to keep an eye.
The main characters-the fantastic four: Pinkoo, Tutu, Manu and Nimrat (they have special names for mission Bake-a-thon: Pastry, Tooty-fruity, Macaroon and Nutella respectively) are adorable. I love Tutu's loyalty. And I really liked how Pinkoo-Nimrat friendship burgeons and they, finally, grow to like each other. I can't forget to mention Chef Khanna. A smart, strong and encouraging character, a teacher every child deserves.
As expected, the story features food extensively. They are described so creatively that you could almost smell and taste them. Truly yummilicious!'
The illustrations are quirky, unconventional and interesting.
Overall, it was a joyful, entertaining and uplifting read. You can read it with your kid. I'm sure they will enjoy this lovely story, and the reading session would be a fun, enriching activity.
You can buy the book HERE
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It does look like an interesting read.... would give it a go.....
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