#497 - A Bounty of Chillies

by Niyatee Sharma and illustrated by Vibha Surya

“A Bounty of Chillies” by Niyatee Sharma and illustrated by Vibha Surya. Published by Tota Books. An endearing story of Veer who has to somehow manage the abundance of chillies growing in his garden to avoid very spicy food.

Little Veer hated chillies while his Baba (father) loved them. Ever since Veer had accidentally eaten a hot pepper when he was five years old, he avoided chillies in his food. He wasn’t ready to try one even in his wildest dreams. Now Baba’s love for chillies was so great that he could even eat them raw along with his food. And not just that. He even collected chilli seeds from different places they visited during their holidays. He wanted to plant them in his garden as they were all so different from each other and had their unique flavours.

Veer was in a fix. When he heard the story of how chilli did not originate in India but was introduced by the Portuguese who brought them, he wished that they hadn’t. He wouldn’t have had to worry about eating spicy food then. When he saw that the chilli seeds sown by his Baba had grown into beautiful plants and were going to be ready soon for harvesting, his worry increased. He had to do something right away before those chillies made their way to his plate. What could he do with the bounty of chillies from the plants? Would his Baba ever get to eat those chillies? Read the delightful story to know what Veer manages to do and if he ever changes his mind about chillies.

The book proved to be a source of delight for me and my nine year old. He found the narrative very interesting and was curious to know what Veer would do to avoid chillies in his food. He was happy to know about the different kinds of chillies which were introduced through the story. He already knew the fact that they were brought here by the Portuguese from South America. The chilli map of India at the end of the story adds a lovely touch to the book. Chillies have become an integral part of the Indian cusisine within a couple of centuries and it is quite hard to imagine food without them. The book is a lovely means of paying a befitting tribute to them. Coming to the endearing characters in the story, we were already familiar with them having read two earlier books featuring them by the same author a couple of years ago called “The Tomato Thief” and “The Tomato Flood” which were some of my son’s favourite books back then. The book was therefore a nice way to relive our memories while getting to know more about chillies. The bright and cheerful illustrations complement the story well and add their own charm.

Recommended Age

The book is apt for children aged 4/5 and above.

Where to buy from?

The publishers Tota Books here.

Disclaimer - We received this book from the author, Niyatee Sharma, for review. Thank you for sending across the book Niyatee!