Book Review : Free Mountain

Title : Free Mountain
Author : Kaveri Chatterji
Illustrator : Shweta Mohapatra
Publisher : Katha
ISBN : 978-81-89934-43-9

Simplicity has the ability to make a lasting impression with candor! One such example is "Free Mountain". I was awed by the sincerity of the words and illustrations which are very simple yet convey alot.

A simple tale of a mountain rhythmically told in a lucid manner - a mountain, who like her peers had relished the pleasure of flying high up in the skies eons back but cannot do so now. All but this mountain have learnt to remain still. This particular one does not just want to let go off her freedom, she yearns to be free and live her dream again. How can she achieve this freedom?
Standing still month after month she witnesses different life forms emerging in front of her eyes and lending a part of their own free spirit to her. She takes pleasure in their liberation and experiences her own spirits getting a new flight.

A very small book of just 32 pages mainly filled with attractive illustrations and very concise text achieves much more by working on two levels. One - educating 3-5years age group readers about months, various animals and introducing mathematical concepts like numbers, counting and simple addition. Two - a subtle message for readers falling in a little bigger age group - rejoice in the happiness of others. We may not possess everything, nonetheless we can celebrate the diversity and uniqueness in the world, instead of sulking of what could have been but never happened.

Illustrations by Shweta are simple and bright and have an ability to motivate the readers to pick a pencil and plain sheet and draw some easy landscapes themselves.

{Image courtesy : Katha}