Duckbill’s hOle Books are meant for younger readers. But, that did not deter my tween from swinging the book round his little finger and dipping into a story he could very much identify with- Peanut vs the Piano. The scenario in the book is familiar. Peanut used to love the piano when they bought it. She was eager to learn. But old familiarity sets in and her enthusiasm wavers and declines. Sounds like your story? It very well could be!
Shreya Sen’s illustrations add to the humorous text penned by Yashodhara Lal. The book is funny and hilarious with a host of lovable characters- the twins, Papad and Pickle, who are the most delightful set of siblings, Moonish Sir, the Piano teacher who insists on playing with ‘feeling’, the grumpy neighbour Mrs. Jain, Peanut’s mother- the modern working mum who juggles the different aspects of her life and has her head firmly on her shoulders, and many more interesting characters.
Through the entire adventure, does Peanut experience a new feeling towards the black and white monster? It’s for the reader to find out!
The ‘hOle books’by Duckbill experiment slightly with the book form. As the name suggests, these books with a ‘hOle’, add a fun element to the book. There is a hole at the top right end of each book, which somehow younger children find very fascinating! As is typical of hOle books, the very construction of the book with a hole, is an added attraction! Peanut vs the Piano by Yashodhara Lal is a worthy addition to this beautiful repertoire.
A WHOLE LOT OF hOle BOOKS!
Title: Peanut vs the Piano
Author: Yashodhara Lal
Illustrator: Shreya Sen
Publisher: Duckbill
Genre: Fiction
Age group: Younger readers
