Book Review

Fun with Reading

Elita Karim

In this day and age where children have already come under the influence of the tech-savvy era -- making friends and meeting them online, reading e-books and even winning the Fifa championships with only their joysticks and a massive flat screen, Nazi Jabeen's 'Cchobi cchora golpo pora' comes a fresh breath of air. An exclusive children's book of poems and also a workbook, the book is a Shahittyo Prokash publication.

The book has a set of 8 poems which define elements in Bangladesh. For instance, the poem 'Banglar Ritu' is about the six seasons that cycle around Bangladesh. 'Horek Rokom' is a deliciously vibrant poem about the many vegetables that are grown in our fields. 'Rongdhonu' is probably a favourite amongst many children. One of the smallest set of lines in the book is about the rainbow that shines through the sky after it rains. Yet another poem that attracts a lot of attention especially of the adults is 'Apochoy bhalo noy.' It talks about how we should conserve the resources in our country and how we must utilise is them in a proper way. The poem stresses on especially conserving water and energy in a way that children reading it would be able to relate to it.

'Cchobi cchora golpo pora' was written to deliver certain messages to both children and adults. However, the messages comprise of a certain poetic rhythm that children find easy to remember. While one poem talks about double checking the water taps in the kitchens and bathrooms and hoses in the gardens for leaking water, another poem talks about the beauty of a Boishakh morning.

Each poem is accompanied by lively paintings and graphics done by Syed Anayet Hossain, including the cover art of the book. After every poem, there is a page filled with points for discussion. This would also encourage the child to express him or herself. For instance, after reading the poem 'Banglar Ritu,' a child along with a parent can talk about the child's favourite season, why it is his or her favourite and will also be able to help the child recognise the key elements of every season in Bangladesh. As a treat, children will also be able to colour pages filled with traditional village scenes, little boys and girls dancing and playing the Bangla dhol.

The book has also made a good impression on schools and educators. Schools such as Udayan, Sunnydale, Hurdco and many more have already made this book a part of the junior curriculum. Nazia Jabeen, who has also written Braille books of stories and poems for the visually impaired children, through this book educates young children and lets them have fun as well. Reading this book and working on the workbook section will also give parents the chance to spend some extra time with their children. 'Cchobi cchora golpo pora' can be found at Shagor Publisgers, Jatra, Words n' Pages, Aziz Super Market and other bookstores in the country.

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