A Delightful Journey into Values and Imagination: Haste haste Sikho by Tanuja Dasgupta
How often do we come across good books for our children that we can let them read without double checking the stories and the morals it carries?
Children are always the most innocent and inculcating good values should always begin at the earliest years which is where the book Haste Haste Shikho by Tanuja Dasgupta comes in. Through stories and illustrations, which engage readers with the themes of friendship, honesty and the importance of familial bonds. One more acute point on the book has to be it’s language, which plays a easy medium to inherit and flow of the stories. The stories are short, simple and each explores a theme. Each ends with a thought provoking moral understanding that children carry with them long after the whole story has been forgotten. The first story is about a chipmunk and a bear. “Gilheri aur bhaloo ki dosti” explores the themes of friendship and how important it is to keep a good relationship with them. The turning point of the story is when the two characters get into a fight but despite their disagreement the chipmunk still lends a helping hand to the bear when needed. Stories like this, if presented in an engaging manner, can do a wonderful job in teaching children about the importance of standing beside your friends especially when they are in need of help. The story ends with a quote to help them remember the lesson it taught them.
The second story is about the mistakes a pig makes. It is called “Suar ki galti” and it discusses the importance of owning up to one’s mistakes even when it is difficult. Only then would one learn and move forward. It also highlights the importance of having a family that has the child’s back through thick and thin and guides them to a better path. A child will only turn to their family for every lesson so it is important to be patient with them while also showing grace. The role that the primary caregivers play will always shape their lives. The story progresses gradually and portrays how mistakes don’t define children and how learning from them is the biggest lesson. This story as well ends with a moral understanding making it the perfect ending for children.
Miss Tanuja Dasgupta has done a brilliant job in writing such wonderful stories with lessons that shape children to learn and understand such complex themes in easier simpler ways. The book is captivating from the very first page and attracts children and adults both. Both these stories do their job of keeping the children engaged while educating them.
A good book is one which leaves behind its imprint even long after it has been read and this book perfectly does that. So if you are a parent looking for bed time stories, or looking for a meaningful book that will strengthen the relationship between a child and their love for reading, then look no further and give these chimpunks and bears and pigs a chance!