Moodunnit by C.G. Salamander (Duckbill Books, Penguin India) is a simple story that tells us about Ammu, a little girl, whose parents are vegetable vendors. Every morning they wake up at 3 am, load their vegetables for sale, leave their tiny town to set up a stall in a larger one. Now this peaceful routine is completely disturbed one day as somebody steals their vegetables.
Ammu’s parents are convinced that the thief must have dropped down from a helicopter. However, wise as Ammu is, she knows better. Yes, even better than constable Aiya, who can’t solve the mystery. Ammu discovers some clues that lead her to the culprit.
Beginning readers will get a taste of a whodunnit in this simple tale laced with humour. The refreshingly different setting and the quirky illustrations by Aindri C just make the reading journey much more fun!
This is the perfect book to encourage beginning readers (aged 5 onwards) to develop confidence in their reading skills and start enjoying books by themselves. You may also want to explore other similar books. The Duckbill hOle books are a great start, as is The Grand Chapati Contest.
