BOOK : Kanmani & Co.

AUTHOR : Lalitha Ramanathan 

GENRE : Children’s Fiction

PUBLISHER : Scholastic 

 

Kanmani & Co. by Lalitha Ramanathan is an absolutely delightful read that is suitable for both children and adults. 

Set in a fictional village named Maaripuram, the story revolves around the adventures of a young girl named Kanmani and her gang of friends Seeta, Subru, Sreejith, Palani and an absolutely adorable cat Varam. The vernacular words added in the narration ensured so much of authenticity to the characters and the rustic setting. Every chapter though connected by a common thread ,is a short story by itself and unfolds a new adventure/ plot and culminates beautifully to render life lessons like importance of literacy, inclusivity, breaking gender stereotypes, friendships, body positivity and so many pertinent messages without sounding preachy. 

Another important feature of the book is that the children of Maaripuram are in an era uninvaded by the digital era. So they find  creative ways of engaging themselves. This can be an eye opener for children of the current generation. 

The language is simple with apt vocabulary , narration is smooth and imbibed with a lot of humour and puns making it a thoroughly enjoyable read. Halfway into the book, I found myself to be a part of Kanmani’s gang. I also loved the funny instances and the thoughtful details that have been added in every chapter like Palani’s frogs named after football players, laddu eating competition and many more…

The illustrations are vivid and make the characters distinctly stand out in the readers’ minds. I definitely recommend Kanmani & co to everyone. It is available for purchase on Amazon.Here is the link for purchase.