#438 - Trunk Call For Ajju
by Anjana Nagabhushana and illustrated by Siddhi Vartak
“Trunk Call For Ajju” by Anjana Nagabhushana and illustrated by Siddhi Vartak. Published by Penguin. An endearing story of two eight year old friends pitching together for helping a baby elephant who was in a desperate situation due to the cruelty of humans.
The story starts off with Ajju aka Ajay making sugar igloos with Kini maasi. They share an endearing bond and are always partners in play (which more often than not lands them in trouble!). Much to their dismay, they end up making a mess just in time when Ajju’s parents arrive home from their errand. Not good timing at all :D Both of them get reprimanded naturally!
When they meet next, Ajju notices that Kini maasi has something weighing on her mind. She runs an animal shelter which takes care of injured and abandoned animals who need help. She is worried about how she can raise money to help an eight month old baby elephant called Molly in distant Zimbabwe who has been grievously injured in a hunting accident. Molly is in a critical condition and desperately needs to be treated. Ajju is moved by Molly’s story and can’t just stop thinking about the situation. What can he do? How can he pitch in to help? Will his best friend Karthik who doesn’t seem to love animals much be able to give him an idea? Will Kini maasi be able to collect funds for Molly’s treatment? Read the sensitively portrayed book to know what happens.
Written by a debutant author, the book portrays the love for animals through the story of Ajju. It shows how people can be sensitised to have a change of heart towards animals and lend a helping hand towards their protection. My nine year old was moved by the story based on a real incident. The story was highly engaging and he was eager to know what would happen next. The bond between Ajju and Kini maasi, the friendship between Ajju and Karthik and the supportive environment at school when they decided to work together to help Molly were the highlights of the story. Also the fact that winning isn’t the most important thing but one’s conviction and faith is comes out beautifully through the story. The power of a community coming together to support a genuine cause and how every drop counts are some takeaways. Through this figurative call for Ajju, the hope really is that we, as a race, can be kind towards all other creatures that inhabit our planet. And who better as advocates for this than children!
Recommended Age
The book is apt for children aged 7/8 and above.
Disclaimer - We received this book from the publisher, Penguin India, for review. Thank you to Mansi, from Penguin, for sending across the book!