0 Bubble Ink : World Read Aloud Day : Post 4

The clue to the fourth and the last one in this contest is part of this post and the answers have to submitted via this form. All details of the contest are here. All blog posts can be seen here.

Arundhati Venkatesh is a children's writer. 
Her picture book, Junior Kumbhakarna*, won the RivoKids Parents and Kids Choice Award 2014 for the best book by an Indian author for ages 0-5 years. Her chapter books, Petu Pumpkin Tiffin Thief* and Petu Pumpkin Tooth Troubles*, were on the #2 and #6 spots of Flipkart’s Best of 2014 for children 5-9 years. Her latest book, Bookasura - The Adventures of Bala and the Book-eating Monster* had a fantastic launch at the Bookaroo Children's Festival in Pune, traveled to the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival in Mumbai and received a splendid response in Bangalore.
Find out more about her at arundhativenkatesh.wordpress.com.

She shares her Read Aloud experience with us.

If your kid loves Dr. Seuss, Julia Donaldson and Shel Silverstein, and you're wondering what next, read on.

I began reading to my son when he was two months old. The first couple of times he seemed to wonder what on earth was going on. Within a week, he was cooing along as I turned page after page of the most gorgeous books and translated the words into Tamil. 

Soon enough, he associated reading with joy, and began engaging with books of his own accord. This is him "reading" at four months! 

By the time he was a year old, he was excited by books of all kinds - even a tome on Service-Oriented Architecture!

When I was asked to pick a read-aloud favourite for this guest post at Bubble Ink, I knew it had to be poetry. Poems must, absolutely must be read aloud. One must delight in the sheer beauty of words; listen to the sounds and rhythms to experience poems fully.

If it is nonsense verse, in all likelihood, one is also laughing out loud!

Our favourites are the works of Lewis Carroll, A.A. Milne, Sukumar Ray's Abol Tabol (the English translation by Sukanta Chaudhuri, or the more recent one by Sampurna Chattarji), Vikram Seth's Beastly Tales, nonsense poetry by Edward Lear.

Edward Lear was artist, musician, poet and author (aside: where have all the polymaths gone?). His absurd wit in The Owl and the Pussycat was the cause of much merriment more than two decades ago.

A Book of Nonsense is a great way to introduce young readers to his work. Thirteen silly limericks, each on a double page spread. The accompanying illustrations by P. Mark Jackson are whimsical and utterly delightful. Sample this one:

There was a Young Lady of Greenwich,

Whose garments were border'd with spinach;

But a large spotty calf,

bit her shawl quite in half,

Which alarmed that Young Lady of Greenwich.

Then there is the Old Person of Dundalk who tried to teach fishes to walk, the young lady whose nose reached her toes, the Old Man of Coblenz who went with one prance from Turkey to France...

If you aren't able to get hold of a copy, the poems are available on the internet for free. Happy World Read Aloud Day!

As part of the Bubble Ink - World Read Aloud Day Contest - I am leaving a clue for our favourite Read Aloud. Guess the name of the book, its author and illustrator.

The answers will have to be submitted using this form . Please do not post the answer as Facebook comments or blog post comments. Alternately, can also be emailed to bubbleink.writes@gmail.com. 

The resident young reader goes through phases when he looks at picture books with disdain and declares, 'These are for babies.' All it takes is a book like this one to set him right.

Here are the clues that will lead you to the treasure, a truly wonderful picture book!

1. It all starts with a visit to the library. Yes! A book within a book. Don't we all love those?
2. An edge-of-the-seat tale in under two hundred words.

3. An alternative ending for more sensitive readers - done in the most delightful manner, with tongue firmly in cheek.

4. The creator won a prestigious award for this gem of a debut.

I was fortunate enough to meet and hear this most humble, lovely person talk about life, children's books and the process of creating them.

Post updated : The Contest has ended and the answers are below
Arts Tales with Arthi Anand
http://bubble-ink.blogspot.in/…/bubble-ink-world-read-aloud… : Martina the Beautiful Cockroach. Carmen Agra Deedy (Author), Michael Austin (Illustrator)
Tanu Shree Singh
http://bubble-ink.blogspot.in/…/bubble-ink-world-read-aloud… :
A book with no pictures by B. J. Novak
Sandhya Renukamba
http://bubble-ink.blogspot.in/…/bubble-ink-world-read-aloud…
Before I was your mother : Kathryn Lasky (Author), LeUyen Pham (Illustrator)
Arundhati Venkatesh
http://bubble-ink.blogspot.in/…/bubble-ink-world-read-aloud…
Wolves - Emily Gravett.
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