The Clever Tailor
by Srividhya Venkat and illustrated by Nayantara Surendranath
“The Clever Tailor” by Srividhya Venkat and illustrated by Nayantara Surendranath. Published by Karadi Tales. A charming adaptation of a Folk tale from Europe. The protagonist Rupa Ram is a highly talented tailor. Everyone loved the clothes that he made for them. They sang his praises.
Despite all this, Rupa Ram remained unhappy as he was poor. He had never been able to stitch anything for his family members even once. However hard he tried, there was never enough savings to buy the best cloth available and stitch something which was special for them.
At a wedding that he attends, Rupa Ram was welcomed with a gift of a brand new saafa. The saafa turns out to be a blessing in disguise. His life changes with the arrival of saafa. Rupa Ram thinks ingeniously and his wish is fulfilled. Intrigued? Read on the story to find out. The story is a take on reuse and recycle. Wonder if the name Rupa Ram has been chosen to symbolise the two Rs mentioned above! The last couple of pages talk about this to re-emphasise the theme.The power of stories is also stressed upon. How small things can bring about joy in someone’s life can also be seen. The vibrant illustrations are a delight to the eyes and add to the charm of the story.
Overall a lovely story which me and my seven year old have loved over the past one year. It has ended up becoming one of our favourite books. This was one of our first few buys after the lockdown last year. Couldn’t resist buying it after listening to the author Srividhya Venkat narrate the story in one of the “Katha with Karadi” sessions. The book has won awards such as Peek-A-Book Children’s Choice Award in 2018 and the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for the Middle East/India/Asia region in 2019. It was also short listed for the Neev Children’s Book Award in 2019. Apt for children aged 6+.
Where to buy from?
The publishers Karadi Tales here.
An independent indie bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.