Publication Date: 14th March 2024
Genre: Children’s Comic
4 Stars
One Liner: Lovely!
Thirteen-year-old Aru lives with his father, Jagdish, and aspires to become a great wrestler like Pandava Bhima from the Mahabharata. However, when his father is suddenly hospitalized and Aru needs to finish a food catering order, the boy is worried. Turns out, the mystic ladle he bought earlier that day could save him. Can Aru prove himself as a worthy chef like his idol?
My Thoughts:
Disclaimer: The author is a fellow writer and a friend.
This is a short book (34 pages) with full-length illustrations. I quite like the vibes of the cover design and the color composition inside. The white text on a black background for the voiceover aligns with the tone of the illustrations.
The story is quite straightforward and inspiring. Despite the length, it manages to blend themes like family, ambitions, confidence, ithihasas, and a bit of magic. The focus remains firmly on Aru and his life while the other elements like the archeological site, the catering service, wrestling competition, etc., play supportive roles.
The writing suits the age group (7+) and should keep them invested in the plot. The font size is decent and shouldn’t be hard to read.
Aru somehow ends up having a similar expression of ‘flustered exclamation’ in many scenes. However, these seem to suit his character arc. The expressions don’t always match the text for other characters, which can be a bit confusing.
The book has an interesting end. I like it, though I cannot say if all kids will have the same opinion as mine. Still, it should encourage them to discuss the elements and maybe even come up with their ideas.
To summarize, Bhima’s Ladle is a quick and easy comic for all age groups. It won’t take more than ten minutes to read the book. Carry it wherever you want!
Thank you, Penmancy and the author, for the book.
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