Passepartout, Is That You?

MY THOUGHTS

I have been reading children’s books for longer than is probably healthy, and that has led me to an epiphany. My favourite kind of children’s book creates the perfect setting, lays a solid foundation, and provides the right vocabulary for meaningful conversations with children. With the very children who grunt, “Fine”, or mumble, “Good”, whenever you ask them a question. These HookBooks fall into that category.

The latest Hook Book by Menaka Raman and Jemma Jose is called Passepartout, Is that you?, and the brilliance starts there. How can you not pick up a book with that title? Anyone who has read Around the World in 80 Days will, and for kids, it is an exotic name, exciting enough to roll around on your tongue. The book is about a white banian sporting Shyam, who is visiting Thatha and is upset that Thatha has to work and is not spending enough time with him. He pays Thatha a surprise visit at the local police station, which is where Thatha works. Thatha has just rescued exotic pets from a smuggler, and there is absolute chaos! While the animals are being taken to safety, they leave Passepartout behind! Shyam is asked to watch him for a while, and he does, but he gets busy playing with Kannamma, the police dog. When they are done playing, they look around, and Passepartout has vanished! Will Shyam and adorable, drooly Kannamma find Passepartout along the bylanes of a small town in Tamil Nadu? More importantly, will Shyam find out who Passepartout is?

I love the characters Menaka creates. Her ability to get the body language and the speech of young boys is so spot on that I can imagine my kids doing and saying the same things! Jemma’s illustrations make this book come alive, and it really is futile to resist falling deeply in love with Kannamma the police dog. Shyam, with a small tear in his banian, Muthamma with the mallippoo in her hair, the structure of Nasreen’s shack is so ubiquitous to small-town culture and is highlighted beautifully.

The book will lead to meaningful conversations about the exotic pet trade and open the doors to many more. Buy this book — it is fun, meaningful, hilarious, and perfect for your child’s library!