A Girl, A Tiger, and a Very Strange Story
From the book
She and her people had no home to call their own. They were nomads, but they never felt that they were homeless. Far from it. In fact, they felt at home wherever they happened to be at that moment. So, quite literally, the whole world was their home.
MY THOUGHTS
We have all grown up listening to the story of Mowgli and his adventures but did we truly understand the human-animal conflict, then?
A Girl, A Tiger, And A Very Strange Story is about Junglee, a girl from the Pardhi community and Raunaq, a baby tiger she befriends. When they both lose their family around the same time they come together — to save and protect themselves and each other. Junglee teaches the cub to hunt and fend for himself while Raunaq protects Junglee and offers his companionship. They live deep in the jungle, hunting and building a home for themselves until they realise they need to know what happened to their families.
Paro Anand has worked extensively with the Pardhi children and in a layered fashion she unfolds the lifestyle of the Pardhi community who know the animals and the jungles so well but are forced to become poachers because society won’t accept them. She writes Junglee as a spunky girl who refuses to be bogged down by her situation. Junglee’s story tugs at your heart and makes you root for her against society, laws, and even fate.
Priya Kuriyan’s black and white illustrations play a huge role in a book that is half graphic novel
Her illustrations of Raunaq and Junglee are evocative and play a huge role in helping the reader imagine situations where a tiger and a little girl are friends.
Special awe-struck mention for the end papers and the breathtaking cover.
This is a book that will help young readers look at wild animals with a little less fear and marvel at the practical knowledge of children from communities unlike their own. It teaches them to pause before jumping to conclusions and to exercise kindness. Perhaps these are the reasons we read children’s books – for these simple lessons?
If you think your child would enjoy this book, you can buy it here →
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