The Road to Mumbai
PreSchool-Grade 3–This lively romp across India introduces children to aspects of the country's culture and geography. A little girl named Shoba and Fuzzy Patel (her stuffed monkey) fly on their bed to India in the middle of the night to attend Fuzzy's cousin's wedding. They land in the desert and meet a camel, a coconut juice seller, a line of elephants, a group of monks, and a snake charmer, all of whom guide them to Mumbai (Bombay). Fuzzy, described as "a bit of a snob," does not want to invite any of their new friends to the wedding. When Shoba and Fuzzy arrive at the celebration, however, they discover that all of the invitees are unable to attend, but readers can see that the people and animals have followed the pair all along, and soon they're welcomed as guests. Colorful gouache illustrations with folk-art details lend an authentic feel to the story, and their slightly stylized appearance highlights the imaginary aspects of the tale. Younger listeners will enjoy the story and older children can use the map, the note about the name Mumbai, and the illustrated glossary as a springboard to learning more about India. This colorful book is a welcome addition to most collections.–Tana Elias, Meadowridge Branch Library, Madison, WICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.