Who Clicked That Pic?
MY THOUGHTS
Who Clicked That Pic, written by Nandita Da Cunha and illustrated by Priya Kuriyan, is inspired by the life of India’s first woman photojournalist, Homai Vyarawalla.
In the book, Pari Mistry is excited about clicking the perfect picture that will make it to the front page of Mr Nakhrawalla’s newspaper. The winning entry gets One Rupee, and Pari needs that to buy more film for her camera. She has 10 pictures left in her camera, and she needs to make them worthwhile.
She sets out with her brother Parvez to capture the perfect shot of the Ganesh procession in Mumbai. Author Nandita DaCunha fills the pages with snippets from daily life and transports you back to Mumbai in the 1930s. You can see that the city is her muse and she knows it intrinsically. Mumbai pulsates and comes alive during the Ganesh festival, and she manages to make that happen even for the most non-Mumbai reader!
The visuals and illustrations in this book are simply breathtaking! Illustrator Priya Kuriyan weaves her magic and makes you feel like you are running shoulder-to-shoulder with Pari and racing through the streets of Mumbai. Both DaCunha and Kuriyan create tension and drama with words and illustrations as we see Pari running and racing to get the perfect shot from her limited film reel, even as chaos and confusion from the procession mounts all around her. She scrambles from place to place to find the perfect spot to frame her photo, when it suddenly starts drizzling, and the drums get louder! She has but minutes to get her shot! The procession starts moving again, and it is mere seconds before the idol is obscured from sight by a sea of black umbrellas! Will Pari get her perfect shot? By the end of this, you are breathless, on the edge of your seat and cheering wildly!
This is a book filled with action and tension, and it makes for an amazing read-aloud! This picture book biography is such an amazing way to introduce Homai Vyarawalla to young kids. Be prepared for many questions about the camera, film reels and why there are only a limited number of photos! The spread with the open black umbrellas took my breath away! It is my favourite page! Spark that interest in history, have meaningful conversations, and read a book that quite clearly takes you on a ride you will never forget!
If you think your child would enjoy this book, you can buy it here →
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