#435 - The Boy Who Wanted to Fly : J.R.D.Tata

by Lavanya Karthik

“The Boy Who Wanted to Fly : J.R.D.Tata” by Lavanya Karthik. Published by Duckbill. A delightful short biography of the childhood of the pioneer of aviation in the Indian subcontinent.

J.R.D.Tata is a known name in most Indian households. Most of us know him as a great industrialist, aviator and a philanthropist. Before he became all of these, he was a bright little boy called Jeh. The book is about this boy and how he found his future in the skies. His story is quite interesting and inspiring.

Jeh was part of two worlds. One of them was Indian like his papa and the other was French like his mama. The family was constantly on the move across countries given their business. This led to Jeh wondering to which world he belonged. He would always get mocked for not fitting in either of the worlds. A spark of interest was kindled in him when he saw the famous aviator Adolphe Pegoud perform flying tricks. Read the book to know how the dreamy little boy who always yearned for an adventure filled life found his calling and became the father of Indian civil aviation.

The story of Jeh was quite motivating for my nine year old. He was curious to read the book having come across the name of J.R.D.Tata so many times. He has lately been figuring out the presence of the Tatas in so many sectors. To get to know about the childhood of this great personality was something he enjoyed given his love for true stories. It was a pleasure to know the story of the man responsible for changing the way the nation travelled. This is yet another beautiful addition (the ninth in fact!) to the amazing “dreamers” series by Lavanya Karthik. The series is a super-hit at our home. The accompanying illustrations are gorgeous and inspired by the artwork of Pestonji Bomanji who was known for his portraits of the Parsi community.

P.S - The previous books from the series are on Satyajit Ray, Teejan Bai, R.K.Narayan & R.K.Laxman, Janaki Ammal, Salim Ali, Bachendri Pal, P.C.Sorcar and Mahasweta Devi.

Recommended Age

The book is apt for children aged 7 and above.

Reasons to Read

For an amazing and inspiring story of how the father of Indian civil aviation came to be.

Disclaimer - We received this book from the publisher, Penguin India (Duckbill), for review. Thank you to Mansi, from Penguin, for sending across the book!