#545 - Mehar’s World of Colours

by Arti Sonthalia and illustrated by Tasneem Amiruddin

“Mehar’s World of Colours” by Arti Sonthalia and illustrated by Tasneem Amiruddin. Published by Penguin. A heartwarming story of Mehar and her colourful world in which she found herself.

It is the first day of grade five for Mehar when the story starts. She doesn’t want to be late to school due to the swimming practice that she goes to in the mornings with her elder sister Saanvi. She was made to stand out of class most of last year and she hopes that this year turns out better. Mehar doesn’t want to swim but her mother wants her to work hard on her swimming to win medals and accolades just like Saanvi. Mehar loves art and prefers spending time on drawing and colouring. She dreams of making a comic along with her best friend Ananya. No one knows about this aspiration of Mehar as she has never been able to share it with anyone.

Mehar is in for a pleasant surprise when she finds that her new teacher is very different from the others. She asks the children to address her as coach and explains that the role of a coach is to help one find their self. Initially Mehar finds it a bit strange but gradually she begins to adore her and her dreams start to take shape under the guidance of coach. When the school announces an after school comic making class led by coach, Mehar is on cloud nine. Will her mother approve her attending the class instead of swimming practice? Can she make her mother understand about her love for colours and her wish to pursue art more than anything else? Is Mehar’s dream of making a comic with Ananya going to come true? Read the endearing book to find out how Mehar’s life goes about in grade five.

This simple yet powerful story left a remarkable impression on me and my ten year old son. Being the same age as Mehar, he could empathise with her situation. Torn between the choice of her mother and her aspirations, Mehar trying to strike a balance between the two was quite heartening. We loved the way in which coach played such an important role in Mehar’s life by nudging her gently towards realising what she really wanted to do. Her presence wasn’t overbearing for Mehar or the other children in her class and they could always share their thoughts with her without any fear or anxiety. The children in the class started bonding better and thereby became more inclusive by shedding their prejudices about each other thanks to the gentle guidance of coach. Her strong character made us feel very hopeful. My son felt very happy when the classmates started warming up to Mehar’s fear of upsetting her mother by not doing what she expects her to do has been portrayed wonderfully. The story reinforces the fact that imposing our dreams on someone else when they are not interested is not a fair thing. We loved the way in which Mehar associates each of her feelings with a colour from her crayon set. The illustrations bring the characters to life and complement the narrative very well.

Recommended Age

The book is apt for children aged 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!