Böcker av Malvika Dekhane

A favorite pastime of grandparents is to narrate stories to their grandchildren. A group of tales is invariably about the antics of their own children as babies or kids. What seemed irksome thirty or forty years ago is now amusing and entertaining. My kids' grandmother (my mother) was no exception. Many a times she narrated tales of Mala to my kids Rasika aged 10 and Harshad aged 7. The children enjoyed the stories. Imagine their surprise when they found out that this Mala was no figment of imagination but a real kiddo and none other but their mother! This made the stories more exciting. And what are tales that don't come with a moral, especially when a part is for the elders? This makes them more endearing to the kids. These are some (printable) stories of Mala's antics, some done knowingly, some unknowingly but innocently. Today after hearing them Mala comments on the incidents with humour, wry humour, or sometimes matter-of-factly or even sheepishly. The stories are not only for kids, but also for their parents, grandparents & also parents-to-be. These stories are fun but not just fun

This is the story of a girl Isha aged eleven and the hedgerow-folk - the little free-beings like mongoose, rats, hedgehogs and little birds living in and around the hedgerows. The story revolves around their problems, how they face them and solve them together. It also stresses the importance of family, family-values and love for Nature. Isha's happy family comprises her parents Mihir and Rajeshwari, baby brother Neil and granny Indi. While returning from a vacation their car meets with an accident. Several mishaps follow. These include Rajeshwari going into coma; Indi suddenly slipping into deep sleep; an attempt on Isha's life; kidnapping of Neil, to mention a few. A foul play is suspected. Who is behind all this? A very disturbed Isha meets the hedgerow-folks and befriends them. They unite to investigate. The situation worsens when the villains want to oust the family from their house. The villains also want to remove the hedgerow and make the hedgerow-folk homeless. How do Isha & the hedgerow-folk deal with the grim situation?Hedgerows are part of Earth's lungs. They are an important habitat. They should be preserved.