Poonachi Lost in the Forest

by Perumal Murugan and illustrated by Priya Kuriyan

“Poonachi Lost in the Forest” by Perumal Murugan and illustrated by Priya Kuriyan. Published by Red Panda. A tale of adventure, wonder and belonging featuring a little goat called Poonachi.

A little baby goat and an old woman were inseparable. She called the goat Poonachi which means cat in Tamizh. One day Poonachi saw her friends Oothan and Uzhumban playing. They were running near the forest. She joined them in a game of hide and seek. When they started cheating her, Poonachi became upset and walked off angrily into the forest.

Initially she started eating bits of delicious fruit lying on the ground. She ended up walking deeper and deeper into the forest until she got lost. She couldn’t find her way out. There was no one to help her either. It was dark and scary. At the same time the forest felt magical. And she was truly free. No responsibility and no attachments. What happened next? Did she panic? What were the fears she faced? Was it nice being alone? Did she miss the old woman? Did she mind going back to her friends? Could she live in the forest forever? Even though the forest seemed magical and enchanting, did she belong there? Lots of things to think about. The book has been adapted for children from an excerpt of Perumal Murugan’s novel Poonachi. The illustrations are stunning to say the least. The colour scheme is just black, red and white but the effect is truly magical!

I enjoyed reading this with my seven year old recently. Somehow the book reminded me of one of our first few books which sort of resonates with the being free theme here. I am referring to the classic picture book, “Where the Wild Things Are”, by Maurice Sendak. Initially Max is happy to be with the wild things. Does his happiness last forever? Is being wild the same as being free? Well, everything has to be done in moderation else it will not be fun anymore. This is what me and my son discussed though it isn’t easy to implement many a times :)

Recommended Age

Poonachi is a delightful book which is ageless I would say. Anyone above the age of four can enjoy it and find their own takeaways depending on their age.

Where to buy from?

An independent indie bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.