The Talking Bird

by Swati Sengupta and illustrated by Sayan Mukherjee

“The Talking Bird” by Swati Sengupta and illustrated by Sayan Mukherjee. Published by Tulika. A humorous story of a toy bird which repeats everything it hears set in Kolkata.

It was a busy evening in Dalhousie Square. Vehicles were plying all around and the footpath was crowded with people. On top of this, the roadside hawkers were busy at work trying to sell their wares. Little Tokai’s Ma was on her way home from work. She spotted a beautiful and lovely bird perched on a bird-swing amidst the toys that a hawker was selling. She wondered if she should take it for Tokai.

Ma asked the hawker about the bird. He said it cost two hundred and fifty rupees. She was taken aback and started bargaining with him right away. He wasn’t one to give up so easily. It was a talking bird and needed four batteries to operate. Not just that. It had a special ability to repeat whatever it heard! One of a kind! Couldn’t be found anywhere else in the whole world. Ma still didn’t budge and walked away hoping that the man would call her back with a reduced price. But he didn’t. Ma couldn’t stop thinking about the bird and went back to buy it.

Ma tested the bird’s speaking ability and bought it. She put it in her bag and got into a bus. A big problem started when the bird couldn’t stop talking. After all, how could it when there were so many sounds it could hear!! This was followed by mayhem with a stalled bus and an angry policeman! What happened next? What did the talking bird do? What did Ma do? Will Tokai get his bird after all? Read the book to follow the adventures of Ma and the talking bird. The bright and bold pictures capture the spirit of Kolkata so well.

My seven year old has enjoyed reading the book in the last one year. He just couldn’t stop chuckling as we read about Ma’s adventures with the talking bird. He had already read a few books set in Kolkata like “Machher Jhol” and “The Astronomer”. This book added a few more sights of Kolkata to what he already knew making it exciting for him. Thank you Vidya Mani of Funky Rainbow for recommending this delightful book!

Recommended Age

The book is apt for children aged 5+.

Where to buy from?

1. The publishers Tulika books here.

2. An independent indie bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.