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Clock in the Jungle by Ketki Pandit

We city folks live by the clock. But how does time look like in the depths of the jungle? And more specifically, what rhythm does it take in the lush jungles of the Western Ghats? Clock in the Jungle by Ketki Pandit (Talking Cub) is a delightful picture book that merges rhyme and art as it takes us right into the heart of the mountain forests. 

The mountains in question here are the mighty Western Ghats which boast of a very rich and diverse flora and fauna. The creatures mentioned in the book belong here. The reader enters this bustling habitat. The reader witnesses varied activities here at different times in the day. 

The narration is in verse. This makes for interesting reading. Thanks to the detailed illustrations Sneha Uplekar the eyes rest on each page looking for nuances and little details. There is a lot to take in! 

Taking us from morning through the dead of the night the book spans twenty-four hours in the jungle. For that slight whimsical touch, a little clock keeps appearing on each page! 

Well, you’ll realize that the jungle never sleeps. Right from the time some of the creatures wake up amidst natural chatter, to the dead of the night when others are on prowl, there is rarely a moment where nothing is happening! 

This is a book that children will want to keep reading. It could be a quick read, where the child enjoys the verse and quickly reads it from page to page. It could be a slow pondering read, where each page offers not only words but also layers of images and many more points of discussion. The book is apt for the 3 to 6 age group. It makes for interesting for the content, for the knowledge about the varied creatures that inhabit the western ghats and also for the lovely illustrations which are a world on their own.  

Bookedforlife Checklist

Age: 3-6

In a line: A lovely picture book about how time flows in the jungle 

Gifting tip: Good for a nature lover (and which child isn’t that?). Pair it with a potted plant or any other nature-inspired gift! Or maybe, with another book that also evokes nature!

Dhanishta Shah

Dhanishta is a Counselling Psychologist and a freelance writer. She is the Founder of Bookedforlife.