Road to Mumbai

Children's Literature

Young Shoba, resplendent in pink pajamas, is the star of this charming picture book. She's ably supported by her pet monkey that goes by the improbable name of "Fuzzy Patel." Intrepid travelers, they take the bed rather than an airplane. They're headed for Mumbai, where Fuzzy's cousin Poori is to be married shortly. Fuzzy's "a bit of a snob," though, and he's concerned that the "common riffraff" they meet along the way will gate-crash this "top-secret" wedding. The dialogue, replete with lovingly woven Indianisms, carries the story through the wedding to the feast we know the weary travelers deserve. Those who know India will recognize its overstuffed buses and the ubiquitous mixture of spiritual and temporal, old and new, that characterizes its street life. If the text seems a pinch overdone in places, the illustrations compensate for it. The elephants, camel, and snake charmer are of course completely stereotypical, yet they seem to fit here simply because they are rendered in a child-centered manner, and shown to be capturing the attention of the busy young protagonist. A map and a simple glossary target teachers and librarians while at the same time both are carefully crafted to be child-friendly. (e.g., the scale legend is labeled, "300 miles is this long.") The peppermint-bright gauche images and the fanciful, humorous text offer an unusual and lively introduction to India for the younger set. 2004, Houghton Mifflin, Ages 4 to 6.
—Uma Krishnaswami

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 3-This lively romp across India introduces children to aspects of the country's culture and geography. A little girl named Shoba and Fuzzy Patel (her stuffed monkey) fly on their bed to India in the middle of the night to attend Fuzzy's cousin's wedding. They land in the desert and meet a camel, a coconut juice seller, a line of elephants, a group of monks, and a snake charmer, all of whom guide them to Mumbai (Bombay). Fuzzy, described as "a bit of a snob," does not want to invite any of their new friends to the wedding. When Shoba and Fuzzy arrive at the celebration, however, they discover that all of the invitees are unable to attend, but readers can see that the people and animals have followed the pair all along, and soon they're welcomed as guests. Colorful gouache illustrations with folk-art details lend an authentic feel to the story, and their slightly stylized appearance highlights the imaginary aspects of the tale. Younger listeners will enjoy the story and older children can use the map, the note about the name Mumbai, and the illustrated glossary as a springboard to learning more about India. This colorful book is a welcome addition to most collections.-Tana Elias, Meadowridge Branch Library, Madison, WI Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Young Shoba and her long-tailed companion Fuzzy Patel are off to a monkey wedding in Mumbai (Bombay)-but the road turns out to be longer than expected, looping about much of India, as a closing map reveals. Along the way, the two travelers encounter camels, elephants, and shaven-headed monks, a young vendor of coconut juice, an old snake charmer, and women clad in beautifully patterned saris. All of them ignore Fuzzy Patel's efforts to discourage them from coming along, and all gather for a merry feast of "laddoos, jelabees, and gulab jamun," with dancing, singing, and "funky monkey music." Jeyaveeran depicts both journey and celebration in incandescent pinks and purples, casting stylized figures with a range of features and skin tones against broadly brushed Indian backgrounds. For a sweeping, evocative glimpse of India's spectacular diversity, young readers could do no better than this good-humored, vivacious debut. (glossary) (Picture book. 6-8)