Satya’s Boat
by Saraswati Nandini Majumdar and illustrated by Ayeshe Sadr
“Satya’s Boat” by Saraswati Nandini Majumdar and illustrated by Ayeshe Sadr. Published by Tulika. A magical story which captures the hustle and bustle of the Banaras riverfront.
Little Satya was the daughter of a boatman and lived with her family in Varanasi. Satya loved her father’s blue and green coloured boat. She wanted to learn to row it. But her father would brush off her request to accompany him to learn saying she wasn’t strong and old enough yet.
Satya would watch the riverfront perched high up on the steps. The boats were alluring. She loved watching the boatmen tying their boats or building new boats or rowing them far out on the water. She would dream of the day that she would also go down the river in her own boat.
One afternoon Satya felt very restless in school. She fished out a piece of wax paper from her pocket and made a boat out of it. What happens next? Does her father get convinced about her passion to have her own boat? Does Satya get to learn to row a boat? This is what the book is about.
I read this recently with my seven year old and we enjoyed the story. The illustrations are so stunning and bring the charm of Benares alive. We were reminded of our lovely trip to Varanasi few years ago. Thank you Vidya Mani of Funky Rainbow for recommending this gorgeous book! 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.