The Rumour
by Anushka Ravishankar and illustrated by Kanyika Kini
“The Rumour” by Anushka Ravishankar and illustrated by Kanyika Kini. Published by Karadi Tales. A hilarious and charming story from the village of Baddbaddpur which is deep in the Sahyadri mountains.
The people of Baddbaddpur were well off and happy. They did not have much work to do and indulged in talking, gossiping and telling tall tales most of the time. It was impossible to keep a secret there! Everyone gossiped about every little thing.
There was an ill tempered man called Pandurang in the village who was exceptional. He was so grumpy that no one had ever seen him smile. He scowled at stories and snorted at jokes. No one went near his house and he was quite happy with this state of affairs.
One day, Pandurang spat out a feather as he walked back towards the village after selling fruits in a nearby town. Intrigued by this strange occurrence, he came back home and told his wife Gangubai. He asked her to keep it a secret and not mention it to anyone. Well how can a secret remain in her stomach! She had to tell it to her best friend Sakhubai. The secret thus spread from person to person until the whole village knew about it. And the feather ended up becoming a forest.
What happened next? What did the villagers do? See how the rumour spreads in this humorous tale narrated so charmingly. The beautiful illustrations complement the story exceptionally.
Loved reading this with my (then) six year old who enjoyed it. The secret is spread from one person to another in verse! The book won the South Asia Book Award (SABA) in 2013. Thank you so much for recommending this one Vidya Mani of Funky Rainbow. The book is apt for children aged 5+.
Where to buy from?
The publishers Karadi Tales here.
An independent indie bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books. And, yes, they are having a sale right now (18% off) as part of their eighth birthday celebrations 😀
The love for children’s books deserves to spread like the rumour. Go ahead, spread it by sharing House Full of Books with your friends.