Who Stole Bhaiya’s Smile?

                                               


Grade - 4th
Genre - Fiction

Theme - Dealing with depression 

Author - Sanjana Kapur

Illustrator - Sunaina Coelho  

Publisher - Pratham Books



Biography of the author-

Sanjana Kapur writes books for children. She deals in tall tales, lively anecdotes and big pictures. She loves discovering new places and the stories behind them. She has written a couple of picture books and comics for Amar Chitra Katha. She also co-authored Ruckus on the Road, her first full-length novel.


Synopsis-

"Who Stole Bhaiya's Smile" by Sanjana Kapur is a children's book that is about two siblings, Chiru and her elder brother referred to as “bhaiya” in the story who has lost his smile. Bhaiya, who is usually full of joy and happiness, suddenly becomes sad and withdrawn, much to the concern of his family and friends.

The story follows efforts made by Chiru to bring his brother’s smile back. They used to play together and have fun but ever since Bhaiya’s smile is lost, Chiru feels alone. 

They discover a monster who has taken Bhaiya’s smile named Dukduk whom Chiru does not like at all. As we move through the story, we find that different family members have different opinions about Bhaiya and Dukduk. By the end of the story Bhaiya feels better and again starts playing with Chiru.


Reading Writing Strategies-


Pre-reading 

  1. the children if they have sibling/s, and how close they are to them.

  2. Ask the children to predict where could have Bhaiya’s smile gone. 


During reading 

  1. Ask the children what do they understand by “monster”?

  2. Discuss in class, what can be done in the same scenario if the children’s sibling or their friend was involved.


Post- reading

  1. Ask the children to write a letter to Bhaiya. 

  2. Discuss in class how everyone has different kind of monster and how they should fight them but not get scared. 


Reflection-

With vibrant illustrations and a heartwarming message, "Who Stole Bhaiya's Smile" is a touching and engaging story that familiarises children with “depression” and how they deal it and talk about it with their parents. The book is a good way to introduce children with such a sensitive topic and make sure to make a person feel better who is around them but is not happy. Depression is metaphorized here and is referred to as a monster. I also feel that the book could have mentioned about Bhaiya talking to his parents about it or vice versa, but the gap can be covered while discussing in the class. 


Source: 

https://storyweaver.org.in/users/44255-sanjana-kapur

https://storyweaver.org.in/stories/95649-who-stole-bhaiya-s-smile?mode=read 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chipko Takes Root

Image

Grade - 4th Genre - Realistic Fiction 
Theme - Saving Trees 
Author - Jeyanthi Manokaran Illustrator - Jeyanthi Manokaran Publisher - Pratham Books About the author Jeyanthi Manokaran, a Bengaluru-based author, enjoys telling children's stories from an original perspective. Her books often explore themes such as justice, equality, and understanding. She has written several books that have been praised by readers and critics alike. She hopes to continue to bring her unique perspective to stories for young readers. She has been published by Orient Longman, Scholastic, the National Book Trust, Highlights Magazine, and both fiction and nonfiction publishers. Jeyanthi is passionate about giving children the opportunity to explore their own imagination and creativity. She believes that stories can help children understand the world around them and develop a sense of empathy. She is committed to using her writing to encourage children to think critically and to make a positive difference...
Read more

Handmade in India

Image

 Grade - 4th  Genre - Folklore 
 Theme - Culture  
Author - Olivia Fraser 
 Illustrator - Olivia Fraser 
Publisher, Year: Pratham, 2006 
Biography of the author- Olivia Fraser was born in 1965 and after graduating with a MA in Modern Languages from Oxford, she spent a year at Wimbledon Art College before moving to India in 1989. Following in the footsteps of her relative, James Baillie Fraser, who painted the monuments and landscapes of India in the early 1800’s, Olivia set out to continue where he had left off, painting the architecture of Delhi and its people. Olivia Fraser has travelled around India painting for the last ten years. “Handmade in India” has arisen from her observations of the vast colourful array of people she has come across during her travels.  Synopsis The author shares her experience of travelling across the country. She makes the children visit states such as Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Goa, etc. Beautiful illustrations are used in t...
Read more