Brachio
MY THOUGHTS
Brachio is a book that arrests your eyes and forces you to pick it up. The cover, for starters, has the legs of an extraordinarily tall person, who is so tall he can’t fit on the cover page. Minimal with playful illustrations, the book makes you flip through to know more.
And once you do, you will realise that Brachio is about a willowy, toweringly tall person called Brachio. He lives in a village by the sea and loves helping his community. He would pluck stars for the kids’ birthdays and bring balls down from rooftops. He would rescue kittens from tall tree tops and pluck fruits from tall trees. One day, a travelling salesman comes to the village with his wares. The villagers like his contraption, and suddenly, Brachio’s long limbs are not needed by the villagers anymore. He leaves his village and finds himself joining the circus for better prospects. But the circus isn’t everything he thought it would be. The book is all about how Brachio embarks on a remarkable journey, one where he finds himself and learns about what it truly means to be a part of a community.
This is one of those quietly powerful books that makes you think long after you are done with it. Read it aloud to a little child, and they will find the humour in the story. A middle grader will probably hone in on what it means to be a part of a community. A young adult may understand the meaning of finding one’s worth as they understand and embrace what it means to help and be helped in multiple ways by people.
Author Venkatraghavan’s bio at the back of the book says he is a very tall person who can touch most ceilings. Perhaps this book is a deeply personal one for him? I love the whimsy of the story and how fresh and universal the subject matter is. Illustrator Ananya Broker Parekh’s style adds that playfulness to the story. The colour palette and the bold stripes make this a strikingly stunning book! Don’t miss the interactive page!
This is a book about finding oneself and learning what it means to belong — a story that will deeply resonate with every reader. Add playful and fun illustrations to the mix and this is a book every body should own!
If you think your child would enjoy this book, you can buy it here →
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