By Bonita Jewel Hele
Hartlyn Kids Media, $12.99, 32 pages
Packed with information, Adventures that Lead to Home provides a unique insight into the differences between country and city living in India. Rohit is a nine-year-old boy who lives with his family in a small village in northern India. When he travels to visit his cousin Prakash in the city of Nagpur, young Rohit discovers that cities are exciting places, crowded with people and filled with amazing technology. Rohit visits huge buildings and rides in a car instead of an ox cart, but despite the glamour of city life, he still prefers the beautiful trees, rivers and quiet forest noises of his own home.
By exploring the positive aspects of both rural and urban life, the story provides the reader with a balanced portrait of India and conveys a wealth of information about its culture. Readers learn the Hindi words for “I am here” and “I love you” as well as the population of Nagpur and how to avoid being attacked by a tiger. Although the amount of information may be a bit overwhelming for young readers, they will still enjoy the textural illustrations and adding a new collectible sticker to their Hartlyn Kids Passport.
Reviewed by Elizabeth Goss
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