#505 - Animals in the House
by Ruskin Bond and illustrated by Saumya Oberoi
“Animals in the House” by Ruskin Bond and illustrated by Saumya Oberoi. Published by Penguin. A delightful glimpse into the world of young Ruskin having fun with his grandfather’s incredible collection of odd pets.
The book is narrated by Ruskin who recollects the good old times he had with his grandparents at their home in Dehradun while growing up. Instead of siblings or cousins, he had an odd collection of pets for company. This was thanks to his grandfather who had an eye for the most unusual creatures that were expected to be kept as pets. His grandmother certainly did not take to this quietly and raised her objections in many ways. She did tolerate this habit of his grandfather on quite a few occasions and even liked some of his pets. However Ruskin was an accomplice in his grandfather’s weird choices in this matter.
Whenever his grandmother decided to get rid of a pet like a white rat or a squirrel, Ruskin would hide them in a hole that he had found in the jackfruit tree in their garden. Thanks to pets like the mischievous monkey named Toto, their house was always a centre for continuous action and fun. All kinds of creatures from furry to feathered to friendly to fierce found shelter under their roof. Read the charming book to dive into the world of this exotic menagerie with an odd assortment of animals in the nostalgic world of Ruskin’s childhood.
The book was a treat for the Ruskin Bond fans in me and my nine year old. He was delighted to read about this delightful phase in Ruskin’s childhood, glimpses of which we have come across in some of our earlier reads. It was fun to read about the antics of Toto, the mirror loving python, the frogs who couldn’t control their urge to croak despite being put in a jar and so on. Ruskin’s friendship with Ramu and his buffaloes was full of old world charm and carefree times. The stories were filled with fun, innocence, mischief, love for nature and it’s creatures, humour and adventures. It was heartening to see the beautiful spread portraying grandfather and Ruskin peering at the changing landscape in Dehradun. Grandfather’s respect and love for creatures and his bonding with Ruskin are aspects we loved. The bright and cheerful illustrations enhanced the visual effects of the narrative. As always, the master storyteller has wonderfully presented endearing characters and humorous episodes from the childhood of Ruskin. The book is part of the Puffin Chapter Books which are good for children who have moved on to chapter books and begun reading independently.
P.S - Some of the other books from the Puffin chapter books by Ruskin Bond that we have read and enjoyed are “Getting Granny’s Glasses”, “The Cherry Tree”, “Mukesh Starts a Zoo”, “Cricket For the Crocodile”, “The Day Grandfather Tickled a Tiger”, “The Tunnel” and “White Mice”.
Recommended Age
The book is apt for children aged 6 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!