Grandfather’s Tiger Tales
by Anjana Basu and illustrated by Aaryama Somayaji
“Grandfather’s Tiger Tales” by Anjana Basu and illustrated by Aaryama Somayaji. Published by Talking Cub. A set of three unusual tales featuring the majestic Royal Bengal Tigers from the Sunderbans.
The stories are narrated to Rohan by his Dadubhai (paternal grandfather). All three stories are set in Bengal. The first and the third are true stories though they sound anything but true! The second is a legend from the folklore of Sunderbans. The Royal Bengal Tiger is undoubtedly the most majestic resident of Sunderbans. It can crop up in unexpected places at unexpected times as is seen in these stories. Nature can be quite unpredictable and present us with the most bizarre situations.
The first story took place as long ago as 1792. A Tiger was spotted during a cricket match being played on the ground near the river. Quite an unusual spectator! The cricketers and the rest of the audience who had gathered were thrown into a frenzy. They could not make the mistake of disturbing the tiger from whatever he was up to. A riveting tale indeed!
The second tale is of the legendary Bon Bibi who is revered by the people of Sunderbans who seek her blessings and invoke her protection each time they step out into the forests around them. Her battle with the ferocious and fearsome Dakshin Ray who tormented the dwellers of this region is the highlight of the story.
The third story is a recent one in comparison and took place a little over a decade ago. A storm is raging across the Sunderbans and the villagers are all stuck inside their homes and hoping for the storm to abate. A man is horrified to find a tiger taking refuge inside his tiny hut. Will he survive the storm or end up as food for the Tiger? Sounds straight out of the book “Life of Pi”, which was also made into a movie, isn’t it?! Read the book to know how all of these encounters of different people with Tigers took place and how they ended.
My eight year old loved reading the book with me. We were hooked to the stories and wondering what would happen next. Imagining ourselves in such situations gave us the goosebumps. Wonder how the people who actually faced it must have felt! The legend of Bon Bibi was familiar to us as we had read a slightly different version of the story from a picture book by Tulika. It was interesting to know another version of the same tale. The tales show subtly how fragile the ecosystem of Sunderbans is. The man-animal conflicts that can arise if we do not respect the rules of the forest and interfere with its incredible flora and fauna.
Recommended Age
The book is apt for children aged 7/8+.
Reasons to Read
For a glimpse into the enchanting world of Sunderbans and some riveting tales of the king of the Indian forest.
Where to buy from?
The publishers Speaking Tiger here.
An independent bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.
Disclaimer - We received this book from the publisher, Speaking Tiger, for review. Thank you to Tanu, from Speaking Tiger, for sending across the book!