BOOK: POONACHI LOST IN THE FOREST
AUTHOR: PERUMAL MURUGAN
ILLUSTRATOR: PRIYA KURIAN
PUBLISHER: RED PANDA
PAGES: 24
AGE RECOMMENDED: 3+
I love reading Perumal Murugan’s stories, and I really enjoyed the novel Poonachi. It talks about the patriarchy surrounding the women, and how they try to fit among them. He talks all about them through the eyes of a female goat. The words in the novel were so good and with that expectation, I got this picture book for Nathan.
Poonachi is the powerful protagonist in his novel and this children’s story is just an adaptation of the incident that happened to Poonachi. The story starts with Poonachi finding itself deep in the forest, separated from his flock and the beloved owner. There, she discovers a dark, scary, but also magical world within the trees. She goes through uncertainty and a mix of emotions. The fresh air lured her not back to her safe haven. Will she return to her owner or stay in the forest forever?
This is a beautiful picture book illustrated by Priya Kurian. She used red, black and white colours throughout the book and the forest scene is portrayed so beautifully. This book also paves a way for the discussion of young kids about Poonachi’s decision to run away and how she handled all her emotions. We can talk about what she did when animals come close to her or what made her go back again. Each line in this book is so good and If you have a chance, Poonachi is a must-read novel for adults.
To read more book reviews CLICK HERE
