Munni Monster
THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
MY THOUGHTS
How do you talk or teach your children about engaging and behaving the right way with people who are visibly different? This is a sensitive subject and very often children tend to say mean things without knowing better. As parents, we need all the help we can to help raise a society of sensitive, empathetic children and that’s why I love when books like Munni Monster come around.
Books that introduce ideas and conversations to kids about things we usually don’t talk about, have to be celebrated. In their own subtle, nuanced way, they lay the foundation for our kids to think about difficult things and give us, the parents the strength and the vocabulary to explain. Munni Monster, by Madhurima Vidyarthi is a story that may not be easy even for parents to read, but is a book we must bring home to our children.
Munni Monster is about 10-year-old Mishti, whose idyllic life with her parents and her grandma, Thamma, is upended by the arrival of her grandmother’s cousin, Munni. Almost as old as her grandmother, Munni has cerebral palsy and looks and talks different from people Mishti has grown up with. What’s worse, she now has to share Thamma, her home, and even give up her beloved bed for Munni. She hasn’t seen anything or anyone like her before and wants her gone. A sudden turn of events pushes the family to a breaking point. Will Mishti find it in her heart to love Munni, and what will she learn along the way?
This book is as tender as it is powerful. Madhurima keeps it real and doesn’t shy away from writing about things that happen to real families. This book will resonate differently at every age and leave an impact long after they are done reading. Be prepared to have meaningful conversations and answer difficult questions about disabilities, money issues, peer pressure, and how families manage to navigate them all. This is a story that is as heartwarming as it is rooted in reality. Tanvi Bhat’s illustrations of the “Grandmother that crawls” is amazing and add to the charm of the story, especially when you focus on the tiny details that establish Mishti in her universe.
If you think your child would enjoy this book, you can buy it here →
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