In the Himalayas
NIMI KURIAN
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Younguncle returns promising readers a rip-roaring time in the hills.
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Environmental degradation in the Himalayas is a serious subject and the destruction is reaching epic proportions. Taking on the formidable task of telling children the importance of conservation, Vandana Singh has roped in Younguncle. In her latest offering Younguncle in the Himalayas, Singh takes the readers through the life and times of simple people who live off the soil.
Hilariously told, the adventures of Younguncle and his two nieces and nephew have your rapt attention till the very end. Innovative use of names like Pradeep Daalmakhni's company Grabbitt and Runn International Realty and the registration numbers of the lorries used to ferry illegally cut trees - DDP 92 CHOR, DAK U45 and of course the spiritualists — Quantum Banana spiritualists and their leader Keladas, are intersting.
It is a very hot October, and so Younguncle, Sarita, Ravi and Baby convince Elder brother and sister-in-law that they need to go to the Himalayas for a holiday. Stuck in a remote hotel, they meet with ghosts, a rat girl, crooked businessmen, intelligent langurs, a 200-year-old postman and many more unforgettable characters. With skill Singh brings them all together and conveys the message that our forests are crying out for protection.
The first of Younguncle's adventures are recorded in Younguncle Comes to Town.
Younguncle in the Himalayas by Vandana Singh, A Young Zubaan/Puffin Original, Rs. 175
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