#452 - In The Bear’s Den & More Adventures of Little Shambu
by Reena I.Puri and illustrated by Savio Mascarenhas
“In The Bear’s Den & More Adventures of Little Shambu” by Reena I.Puri and illustrated by Savio Mascarenhas. Published by Penguin. The second book with a set of stories in chapter book format featuring Little Shambu who is none other than Shikari Shambu, a beloved character from Tinkle, when he was a child :)
Little Shambu continues to find himself in sticky situations in this book too like the previous book from the series. But then he has his loyal companion in the form of his dog Dum Dum and his best friend Shanti to get out of these misadventures. And no, it isn’t always grim or scary. It can even be exciting at times especially when creatures like grouchy bears, runaway elephants, sluggish snakes or cattle with rattles and even a playful tiger cub are involved. Sounds interesting right?!
There are six stories in the book. Two of them involve bears. One in which there is an angry bear in a rescue centre who finds himself disturbed by Dum Dum and Shambu. The other one is a bear who strays near a film shooting set where the main character incidentally plays the role of a bear. Imagine the confusion that can get caused :) Shambu and Shanti’s troubles with their class bully JJ continues but then they find help in an unexpected manner. In another story, Shambu decides to tie his baby cousin’s rattles to the cattle so that they don’t stray. Will he get into trouble when they start making a commotion in the night? If all this isn’t enough, Shambu finds himself encountering JJ of all people when he is on a holiday with his parents. But handles him in typical Shambu style, one can say! Read the book to know what happens in each of these stories and how Shambu gets his dose of unlimited adventures or rather adventures come looking for him.
There is no dearth of humour and action when it comes to books featuring Shambu. And this book was no less of an entertainer. My nine year old was glued to what escapades Shambu would find himself in next. This endearing character from Tinkle has definitely made a mark on him! With so much happening around Shambu, there wasn’t a single moment of dullness. The charming illustrations added a perfect touch in portraying the humour of the narrative. Without these how would one imagine that trademark hat of Shambu and wonder how he manages to see with it on. We enjoyed this book as much as the first one from the series called “Strangus Derangus & Other Adventures of Little Shambu”. As I write this, we have already finished the third book from the series. We couldn’t resist the charms of this beloved character you see :)
Recommended Age
The book is apt for children aged 7 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!