#485 - The Shell Story

by Mallika Ravikumar and illustrated by Zainab Tambawalla

“The Shell Story” by Mallika Ravikumar and illustrated by Zainab Tambawalla. Published by Katha. An interesting story of Ria who discovers the meaning of the scary monsters that keep returning in her nightmares.

Ria is on a holiday at her grandparents place in an enchanting village on the Konkan coast of India. The place is quiet and serene with just the sound of waves at night. But Ria keeps waking up with nightmares of being put in a jar and then a sack by some scary monsters. She is unable to get any help and come out of the jar. Her Aaji (grandmother) suggests that she think of what she has been up to in the last few days to make sense of this.

As Ria recollected the events of the last couple of days, she wondered if there was a creature trapped in one of the shells that she and her cousins had picked up from the beach. The shells were in a packet in the garage. As she started looking for a creature that may be trapped inside a shell, her mama (uncle) found her with the shells scattered all around. Mama decides to talk to her and the other children at home about shells and their stories. Interesting isn’t it? Read the book to dive into the world of shells and get to know some interesting facts about them along with Ria and her cousins.

The book proved to be very informative and interesting for us. My nine year old couldn’t wait to know what was coming up next. He was as eager and curious as Ria to know more about her nightmares at first and then the shells. He has a preference for books which have a good mix of fiction with non fiction and this book proved to be a good fit. We loved the way the facts have been woven into the narrative. Most of it was a learning for us. The accompanying illustrations are charming and bring the beautiful setting of an enchanting village on the Konkan coast of India to life. Like most books published by Katha, this book also ends with facts and activities.

Recommended Age

The book is apt for children aged 8 and above.

Where to buy from?

The publishers Katha here.