Title: Nisha Small – The Strand of Silver (hOle book)
Author: C. G. Salamander
Illustrator: Rajiv Eipe
Publisher: Duckbill Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House India
Type: Paperback
Pages: 80 pages
Recommended Age: 7 – 10 years
Pongal is here and this was the ideal time to pick this fabulous book as it had elements of mystery, and some Jallikattu history! Jallikattu is a traditional sport in Tamil Nadu, India, where people try to tame a bull by holding onto its hump while it runs through a crowd. The event usually takes place during the Pongal festival. It’s a very exciting and challenging competition, but also very controversial because it can be dangerous for both the bulls and the participants. Some people see it as an important cultural tradition, while others believe it’s unfair to the animals.
Ananya (7 YO) had already read Nisha Small – the Knot of Gold (our review) and found the chaos totally worth it. She was super excited to know what Nisha is up to in her new mystery book. Here is her review verbatim.
I just read Nisha Small – The Strand of Silver and it was so cool! It’s about a girl named Nisha who is like a junior detective and is now part of the elite Madurai’s Ace Detective (MAD) Club. She even has her own visiting card but without the moustache, of course! She loves solving mysteries. One day, a barn full of bulls is burnt down in Madurai, and Nisha and her friend Jamie have to figure out who was behind this crime.
Initially the police on ground – Officer Medium, Large, Extra Large & Extra-Extra Large doubt and try to shoo away Nisha and Jamie, making fun of her surname and not believing her to be part of the elite detective club. Walrus Moustache and other MAD club members arrive to help Nisha identify the culprits following her distress call. There was a lot of confusion in this episode, but I really liked that Nisha despite being so young, is so smart and fearless. No matter who tries to make her feel small, she does not take it seriously!
The most powerful thing you can do is believe in yourself, even when no one else does.
Detectives led by Nisha start looking for clues while also interviewing the different people involved – Jai (owner of Jai’s Jallikattu Jilla), Ashok (bull trainer), Mary (barn worker), and Animal rights Usha (Founder of Bully Rehabilitation Ranch). Jamie draws everything from the crime scene, frame-by-frame with the right amount of colour perfection. Nisha uses the psychological torture and interrogation techniques inspired by her class teacher who had been able to easily crack open 100+ children’s lies. The first clue being the strand of silver has been said to belong to a very scary ghostly Jallikattu bull called Komban, who died 5 years ago. Why is Komban’s strand at the crime scene? What has happened here?
Every mystery begins with a question, and the answers are hidden where you least expect them.
The end is quite surprising, and you must read the book to know more on how Nisha unveils the mystery. I enjoyed C.G Salamander’s representations of all the characters as well as their names. MAD club and their moustaches are the best and funniest. Jallikattu as a concept was new to me and I was scared to hear such a sport exists today. The illustrations are a treat to the eye. The story was quite serious, but the illustrations made everything seem so light.
Duckbill hOle books are a must have for any independent reader (ideally for 6.5+ YO) – the stories are short and crisp with big font size and illustrations in between to break the text monotony.
Happy Reading, everyone!
The bookset of 25 hOle books is also available and works out awesome for gifting throughout the year!
NEW! The Library of hOles Box Set Product Bundle – Import, 22 May 2023 – This box set has 33 hOle books – Buy 30, Get 3 free!!
If you found this review interesting and want to be a part of the MAD Club, please order your own copy from Amazon (kbc affiliate link),
CLICK & BUY NOW!Disclaimer: Pooja and Ananya are a part of the #kbcReviewerSquad and received these books as review copies from the publisher via kbc.
