Kittu's Very Mad Day - Review

This book was the winner of the Children's first contest 2016.  A debut novel by Harshika Udasi focuses on empowering the children with disability.  This was the reason I bought this book.  Hats off to the effort.  This is a Duckbill book for the Young readers and my kid is 10 years old, so fits the bill.  Kittu, the boy with the crutches, is a member of the worlds most chaotic family.  They were on their way to the Ajantha and Ellora caves when the mishap occurs.  Kittu is lost and is rescued by an icecream wala named Madhav. 

Kittu is adventurous and will do anything to stay away from his family at least for a day.  He is happy to stay with Madhav and share his meal with Madhav's daughter Mad.  What first starts as a quarrel between Mad and Kittu turns into a beautiful friendship.  Things take a turn and Kittu does the most heroic stunt of his life.  It changes his life forever with his new found confidence and respect.

The story is a good read instilling courage for the differently abled children while others get a glimpse of how hard their lives can be.  I do understand that the story revolves around a North Indian family but some parts have literal translation from Hindi, which could have been avoided.  I mean a good grammar would help kids get their knowledge as well. 

At one point I thought the facts about the skate park was made up.  Because it was too good to be true, and that too in the middle of a very remote village.  But as if the author has read our minds, she gives facts about the park and the non profitable initiative taken up by a German lady Ulrike Reinhard.  The illustrations were good describing the situations where the words has limits.  A good read for young readers who can imagine this story from a kid's point of view.