Birds from my window...

...and the antics they get upto by Ranjit Lal is a book I picked up for my daughter but haven't parted with it ever since.

I can't call myself a hard-core bird-watcher but like Ranjit Lal describes in this book, one can enjoy the antics of the birds even from a wide open window. I belong to the category of humans who marvel at the various birds with a big mug of hot chai in one hand and Salim Ali's book in the other trying to identify the bird.

Ever since we moved into our present home which has a terrace, we spend many hours gazing at the skyscapes at different hours of the day and the birds form an integral part of the routine.

I think I got deeply involved in bird-watching a few months back when a pair of Scaly-breasted Munia ( identified by Salim Ali's book) built their grass nest on our potted Ficus tree in the terrace. Watching the super active tiny birds flutter in and out of the nest in the morning and running up at dusk to see them return home became something of an unsaid ritual.

When I saw this book, it just seemed too familiar not to pick up.

The illustrations are by Prabha Mallya.

Looking at the dark clouds at a distance I wrap my bright Fuchsia shawl tightly around myself and settle down to read how the Magpie Robin who sang sweetly in the morning lost it's voice in the evening....

Enjoy your day!

what we've been reading...

A friend of mine suggested Shel Silverstein's The Missing Piece for my daughter. It is a simple work but beautifully profound:-)

Recently we have been hooked on to Roald Dahl's children books. He is so charmingly disgusting;-) We love him.

...and not to forget the amazing Enid Blyton's The Magic Faraway Tree.

I am guessing during the summer holidays I would be reading more of children's books:-)

creative world of books...

As a mother of a 7 year old I am always on look out for good books that will enrich, educate, nurture & fuel the imagination of my girl.

In this world of fast food, in-your-face commercials, barbie-mania & pre-teen sitcoms...it becomes increasingly difficult to expose them to the beautiful world of books. The world where we grew up!

The world of Enid Blytons, of those Russian fairytales where Vasilisa was oh! so beautiful, of Amar Chitra Kathas where the illustrations by Uncle Pai always had me enthralled.

I am happy that my daughter shares my love for books and is intrigued when I narrate small incidents from my childhood about books & stories.

Recently I came across some lovely books, thanks to the amazing world of blogging & some helpful friends~

'Pampasutra' by Arshia Sattar with mind-blowing illustrations by young Shilo Shiv Suleman.

It's a beautifully illustrated story of the river Pampa as narrated by herself as she flows through the rich Vijayanagara Empire.

'The Fried Frog and other funny freaky foodie feisty poems' by Sampurna Chattarji

Here is a small excerpt from her book

"I am sick of learning Lochinvar,

I'm sick of Robert Frost,

Kept stopping by those snowy woods-

Why didn't he go get lost?

And daffodils and babbling brooks,

I don't care if they're pretty,

I'd rather read a wicked poem

About living in my city."

I quite liked Sampurna's style & here's something for me too;-)

My daughter strangely identified with her style of writing. She also narrated a poem from the book at her school recitation event:-)

Dinaben and the Lions of Gir by Meera Sriram and Praba Ram.

Though not for my daughter's age group, but a beautiful bilingual book for 4+ readers that captures how Man and Lions co-exist in the forests of Gir in Gujarat.

Meera & Praba are part of Saffron Tree ~ a website that brings to you reviews, recommendations, pointers to great children's books from India & the U.S.

This is their first book and has been published by Tulika and I wish them great success:-)

books in my compositions...

I love books.
I love reading books.
I also love photographing books.
I have other favourite subjects too, will share in the future:-)
What are you drawn to while photographing?

Enjoy your day!
...with books and magazines.

Of books and libraries...

I have been reading this book called 'Like the Flowing River' by Paulo Coelho. It's a compilation of his thoughts and reflections in the form of small stories.

Beautiful thought-provoking insights about everyday life.
I like it.

A small excerpt from on of the chapters about books...
" ...I used to say that I needed my books in case I ever wanted to look something up in them. now, however, when I want to find something, I turn on my computer, type in the key word or words, and everything I need to know appears on the screen- courtesy of the internet, the biggest library on the planet."

"Of course, I continue to buy books - there's no electronic substitute for them; but as soon as I've finished a book, I let it go; I give it to someone else, or to the public library..."

" Let's leave our books free to travel, then, to be touched by other hands, and enjoyed by other eyes. As I'm writing this, I have a vague memory of a poem by Jorge Luis Borges, which speaks of books that will never again be opened.

There is a line from Verlaine I'll never now recall,
There is a street nearby from which my footsteps are barred,
There is a mirror that has looked it's last on my face,
There is a door I have closed for the final time.
Amongst the books in my library ( I can see them now)
There are some I will never open again.

Have a great day!

( P.S.~ The summer mini- series of photographs is over for now, will try and do another series soon:-)

City of Djinns...

I just happened to borrow City of Djinns- A year in Delhi by William Dalrymple from one of our friends. The book is about old Delhi and I, having lived in Delhi for a large part of my growing years was very curious to read this book...

As I flipped through the pages, the motifs & illustrations caught my fancy and here I am sharing it with you all...

The illustrations are by Olivia Fraser.Do give it a read or flip through the pages in a bookstore;-)