Moin and the Monster

via Google

One night, Moin hears a sound under his bed and discovers a monster.  Most boys would long for a pet or a toy but Moin got a monster.  As per the monster's request, Moin draws the monster as the monster sings about itself in a song.  Moin does not understand the lines and literally draws according to the description.  So in the end, the Monster looks rather comical and funny rather than being fearsome.  He keeps the monster a secret from his parents and teachers.

His troubles has just started because the monster likes to sing and eat a lot.  Thus Moin ends up visiting the doctor and taking up singing lessons.  More trouble follows when it follows him to the school and birthday parties.  One day the monster wishes to grow its hair like a diva.  When Moin helps it to grow its hair it becomes a problem and he calls his friend for assistance.  And they decide to cut the monster's hair.  But strangely, the hair cannot be cut and they end up typing it into a bun on either side of its head.  After all these drama, the kids decide that its an alien and try to figure out a way to send it back.  Is the monster really an alien? Did Moin get rid of it? Read the novel to find out.

This is the first of Anushka Ravichandran's novel that I had read.  No wonder people call her the Dr Suess of India.  She has a knack for nonsense poetry that is simple for the children and apt for the situation.  Every situation and every plot is so funny that my kid had a good time reading it.  As for me, I enjoyed the scenes of Mr Kooki and his ramblings at the psychiatrist.  Anitha Balachandran's illustrations of the monster are funny and supports the imagination of the author.