Nalini Kalra
THE GRAND STORY OF IKLI CHOKLI
By Vinayan Bhaskaran. Illustrated by Rajiv Eipe
Tulika, Chennai, 2018, pp. 49, R165.00
As parents we want the best for our children and as the role entails, we guide them along the initial stages of their journey in life. But kids being headstrong do not always give their parents a patient hearing. This concept has been portrayed beautifully by Vinayan Bhaskaran. Sometimes it is best to let children learn from their mistakes which help them grow into better human beings.
Through the medium of Ikli Chokli, a street dog in the by-lanes of Karim Nagar, Vinayan takes the young reader through the escapades of this ostensibly brave and bold dog. In order to be different and always stay in the limelight, Ikli Chokli enjoys a dash in muddy puddles, drains, dirty ponds and all the mucky places he can see around much to the chagrin of his mother who worries endlessly for her young pup.
To his credit Vinayan weaves his magic as the readers are filled with awe, revulsion and laughter at the activities of this talking dog but at the same time leaves them feeling sorry for him. Written in a simple and easy to understand manner, the book will make the young readers chuckle at the stuff Ikli Chokli believes in and learn from his old age wisdom as he himself learns from his experiences.