The hOle Book series is magical in itself, and a new addition A Pinch of Magic by Asha Nehemiah, adds a special flavour. A chapter book that delights young beginning readers as they independently navigate books, this one mixes humour and storytelling, weaving a heart-warming tale.
Veena is a young fun-loving girl and she wants to help her aunt Malu, who runs a herbal medicine business. The problem is that Malu’s pinching spoon is broken. She must get a new one else her business will close. But, the only person who makes the spoons has disappeared!
There begins a search that is exciting and heart-warming. Veena and her aunt set out to look for the teacher who has disappeared. At one level it is a simple story with a problem that gets resolved in the end. But within the tale are many elements of modern life woven deftly. The themes of deforestation, gender bias and preserving traditional healing practices also come forth subtly but beautifully.
Priyankar Gupta’s illustrations add to the vibrancy of the tale. Humour is also a big part of the narrative and this adds to the fun element. A Pinch of Magic by Asha Nehemiah is a wonderful book for beginning readers who are getting a hang of chapter books. Veena also appears in another book, Trouble with Magic, along with her aunt Malu. Hence, the familiarity of the characters for the children who read both the books is also a great way to introduce them to the concept of book series.
