Book title: A Clown for Tenali Rama
Author: Subhadra Sen Gupta
Publisher: Talking Cub (the children’s imprint of Speaking Tiger Books)
Type : Paperback
Pages : 154
Age group: 8 to 12 years
This review is written by my son Medhansh Dwivedi who will soon be 10.
This book revolves around two children named Sivakka and Basava, a magical chisel and hammer, who went back in time to the famous city of Vijayanagar!
At first when I saw Tenali Rama written on the book cover, I felt excited as I knew his stories are based around city of Vijayanagar. I have always been curious to know more about this magnificent city and so with lot of eagerness to read the book, I opened it. Once I started, I nearly couldn’t stop, until I got tired and thought to finish it later.
The next day I was almost glued to it for the story was so interesting.
Sivakka and Basava who loved dancing and carving respectively, lived in Hampi, Vijayanagar. One day they suddenly landed in Hampi of the 16th Century, while Basava was carving a dancing Ganesh. They were so surprised as to how they reached to a totally different Hampi!
There they met one dancer who told them that she could give them shelter. They also made some new friends. And then they met Tenali Rama, who was a minister in King Krishnadeva Rai’s court.
One day Tenali Rama asked Basava to make a clown which he did happily. In fact, when I saw the picture of the clown in the book, I found it too funny myself.
However after few days Basava figured out how to go back home and they finally went to their own town Hampi. In this journey they met their mentors who also taught them carving and dancing. To know more, you must read the book yourself.
I loved reading this book more so because of its history connection. The part which I liked the most was when the two kids met the famous King Krishnadeva Raya, how the temple carvings were done and lots of other details related to the same. In all, this book is a mix of adventure, magic, history and all three put together makes it a good read.
This book is recommended for children 8 to 12 years who like history and fiction. Some more books from the author Subhadra Sen Gupta, which I have read in past are The Constitution of India for Children, A Bagful of History and A Children’s’ History of India. All of them are very insightful.
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