Raja Raja and the Swapped Sacks
by Natasha Sharma and illustrated by Nilomee Jesrani
“Raja Raja and the Swapped Sacks” by Natasha Sharma and illustrated by Nilomee Jesrani. Published by Duckbill. A mystery and adventure filled story laced with a generous dash of humour set during the reign of the great king Raja Raja Chola.
Raja Raja Chola, the King of kings was upset. His pet project, the gigantic temple was almost complete. But there was a big problem cropping up. The shipments of goods sent from the Chola empire to China which had been paid for in advance were all arriving wrong. Naturally the Chinese were not happy with this. They had sent their ambassadors to complain to Raja Raja Chola. While they poured in their complaints, the Ayyavole who were the traders that controlled all trade across the Chola empire vehemently denied any knowledge of this.
Someone had been swapping sacks of precious pepper with goat droppings, muslin cloth with scraps of rough jute and precious gemstones with pebbles. No one in Raja Raja’s kingdom seemed to have a clue as to who could be doing this and how. Also at what stage of shipping was this happening. The Ayyavole seeked the help of the King to restore their honour and reputation. The Chinese were threatening to stop all trade with the Cholas. This led to Raja Raja Chola summoning his super sleuth called Only One. Read the story laced with humour to find out how Only One goes about his mission and whether he can help the emperor solve this mystery.
My 8.5 year old and me had a rollicking time reading this hilarious mystery. He is a big fan of Raja Raja Chola ever since we read a book on him from Amar Chitra Katha three years ago. He was thrilled to lay his hands on a story set during his reign. And the author known for her wacky sense of humour does a great job in this historical fiction story as well. The knock knock jokes kept us giggling as we read the story. We get a glimpse into the lives of the people living during the glorious reign of mighty Raja Raja Chola whose naval strength was quite a marvel. The last couple of pages talk about historical facts used in the story and what are the fictional elements used. The book is part of the “History Mystery” series which also has a couple of other books. Thank you Vidya Mani of Funky Rainbow for recommending this lovely book!
Recommended Age
The book is apt for children aged 8 and above.
Reasons to Read
The story is appealing to children given that it has mystery and adventure along with a generous dose of humour while getting to know about a part of history which they will surely appreciate.
Where to buy from?
An independent bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.