The Tale of Babban Hajjam
by Ira Saxena and illustrated by Mayukh Ghosh
The Tale of Babban Hajjam written by Ira Saxena and published by Karadi Tales. The illustrator Mayukh Ghosh has been featured in iBbY's 2020 Honour list.
The book is packed with mystery and humour which my (then) six year old loved. This became our most read book in the one month since we laid our hands on it. A classic Indian folk tale has been told brilliantly and holds the attention of the readers throughout the book. The illustrations are also delightful.
Long ago, no barber in the kingdom of Rajatpur ever returned after giving the king a haircut at the royal palace. Every month a new barber was summoned to the palace and his fate would be sealed once the summons came. Babban belonged to a family of Hajjams and lived in a village near Rajatpur. Naturally he was curious to know what befell the barbers who never returned.
Unlike other hajjams who gave up their practice and took up different professions to save their lives, Babban decided to continue being a barber. As expected, his turn came sooner than later. He went to the palace feeling excited as well as nervous. What happened next? Did he solve the mystery? Did he manage to come back from the palace? Well this is what the story is about.
We loved the expressions on Babban’s face particularly in the illustrations. Not to forget the excitement and anticipation with which my little one turned the page to unravel the secret of what happened when Babban went to the king for giving him a haircut.
Also, do watch a brilliant storytelling video of this story done by Kapil Pandey as part of Katha with Karadi at
Where to buy from?
The publishers Karadi Tales here.
An independent indie bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.