Music for Joshua
by Chatura Rao and illustrated by Satwik Gade
“Music for Joshua” by Chatura Rao and illustrated by Satwik Gade. Published by Tulika. A beautiful story of a little boy who is passionate about music.
Eight year old Joshua lived in Mumbai and belonged to the Catholic community from the Konkan region. He loved music. He had a desire to learn to play an instrument. However his dad had said no when he asked about it. They could not afford as his dad was a car mechanic and worked two jobs. He rarely had time to talk to Joshua.
One day he is sent on an errand by his mother to get medicine for his baby sister. As he walked on the street, he heard the strumming of a guitar. He got carried away by the music and walked in its direction. He peeped through an open window of a ground floor flat and saw a man teaching a little girl how to play the guitar. He was a music teacher.
Joshua watched him through the lesson and started following him as he went about teaching other children at their homes. Those children didn’t have as much interest as Joshua and the teacher kept telling them to pay attention or practice what he taught. If only he could learn it too!
What happened next? Does Joshua get a chance to learn playing the guitar? The illustrations showing the hazy skyline of high rises behind the colourful old buildings with their lovely balconies, the monsoon skies, the cobbled alleys add a nice touch to the storyline.
My (then) six year old loved the story as he too wants to learn a musical instrument like Joshua. Thank you Vidya Mani for recommending this book in one of Funky Rainbow’s buzzaars! Apt for children aged 6+.
Where to buy from?
The publishers Tulika books here.
An independent indie bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.