Tag: Children’s

The Incredible Adventures of Mr. Cheeks by Tazmeen Amna, is an exciting journey of three friends seeking to break away from the set roles enforced by the village of Hastings on each of its residents. Mr. Cheeks, a fabulous tap-dancing Chihuahua; Mr. Grey, a tabby cat who loves painting; and Hopper, a rabbit who sings the most melodious songs; wish to portray their talents at the Annual Carnival of Hastings. However, the roles of each animal at the carnival is rigidly divided which poses a problem for the three friends.

The book maps the struggles which they face together highlighting their cherished friendship. Here we give you a few instances of friendship and courage shared by them:

1. Despite their different appearances, Mr. Cheeks, a Chihuahua “dogue” and Mr. Grey, a big tabby cat; were great friends. Although they were dubbed as an unusual pair of friends, their friendship grew beyond their physical differences and they set an example for others.

“And this was unheard of! Even in Hastings! But the two made it work like a charm.”

2. Since Hopper, the rabbit was anxious about not being able to fit into the new community of Hastings and about the skills that he possessed which were thought to be a little odd for a rabbit; Mr. Cheeks and Mr. Grey helped him get comfortable and welcomed him into their circle. They also encouraged him to be confident about his unique talent.

“Hopper smiled. Maybe there was room for a different rabbit in Hastings after all!”

3. When Mr. Grey decided to put up and exhibition of his paintings, his comrades, Mr. Cheeks and Hopper volunteered to help and support him in this endeavour. The trio worked together to make the exhibition a success.

“The trio took a moment to admire their work. The sun shone bright upon them, as though expressing joy, making the colours of the garden seem more vibrant and the pictures more lifelike.”

4. After coming back defeated from the Carnival Management Bureau of Hastings, Mr. Cheeks had lost all hopes of tap-dancing and his friend Hopper singing at the carnival. But Mr. Grey, seeing how sad his friend was, came up with a bright plan to help his friends showcase their talents!

“It is now my life’s mission to make sure you both get the opportunity you deserve”

5. By going beyond their stereotypical roles of what a dog, cat and a rabbit ought to do; Mr. Grey, Mr. Cheeks and Hopper also inspired other animals of Hastings to follow their hearts and not be tied down by those constructs.

“Finally, change had arrived in Hastings.”

Follow this exciting journey in The Incredible Adventures of Mr Cheeks, where three friends face the challenge of following their heart -even when it isn’t the easiest thing to do.

In N for Nourish, celebrity nutritionist Pooja Makhija demystifies the misleading theories about food that float around in a market driven by commercial interests of corporate giants. Her book draws attention to the inherent relationship our bodies have with food so that what we eat determines the quality of life we enjoy.

‘You will never not need food. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks—these will be part of your life for the rest of your life. When you’re feeling sick, food can heal you. When you’re feeling tired, food can pick you right back up. By eating right and eating well, food will always be your BFF.’ writes Pooja.

Here are 6 food myths from her new nutrition book for children above the age of 10, N for Nourish, that are finally being busted-

Myth 1: Dieting and fasting help you lose weight

Skipping meals counters your weight-loss plans as it puts your body in a state of panic and consequently, change gears to crisis management mode. Expecting lack of nourishment in the future, the body begins to store fat to supply energy over a longer period.

‘[Pooja Makhija] finds that a lot of older children skip breakfast or have just a small meal because they think that it will make them lose weight. In fact, skipping breakfast or any meal increases fat storage and decreases fat burning. And leads to weight gain. In other words, the more you starve, the more weight you gain.’

 Myth 2: If you feel hungry, you are hungry

Hunger and thirst trigger off similar signals in the brain and this can make us feel hungry when, actually, the body needs water to rehydrate.

‘There is a special centre in your brain that tells you how hungry you are. Similarly, there’s another part of your brain that tells you how thirsty you are. But, here’s the catch: both the thirst and hunger centres are located very close to each other. In fact, they are so close to each other that they are almost like neighbours. This becomes a problem when you are dehydrated as your confused brain cannot make up its mind about whether you are hungry or thirsty. And in this chaos, it makes you feel like eating when you should be drinking.’

Myth 3: All carbs are made equal

Complex carbs are better for your health than simple carbs.

‘When you eat simple, sugary carbs, your body does not have to do much to     convert the sugar in the food into blood sugar. Your sugar levels shoot up, which is why you suddenly feel energized. But it is also why you feel tired later—because your levels crash as quickly as they rise. But complex carbs, with all their fibre and starch, take more time to be converted into energy. And even though it takes longer, the glucose also stays in your body longer, to give you just the right amount of energy you need with none of the side effects.’

Myth 4: Fats make you fat    

An age-old vendetta against Fats is laid to rest here as Pooja Makhija clarifies    how Fats, in the right proportion, form an essential component of a balanced diet.

‘Your body needs fat. Fat is what protects your organs, including your brain. About 60–70 per cent of your brain is made up of fat. In other words, if your brain cells don’t have enough fat, they will not be able to do their job.’

Myth 5: Choose Sugar-free foods for weight loss

Artificial sweeteners imitate the taste of sugar and play on the fragile sensibilities of weight watchers. They dupe consumers into thinking that sugar-free means less calories, which tends to increase consumption and eventually lead to weight gain. This, in addition to the various side effects, makes these a bad gimmick to fall prey to.

‘One of the worst offenders is HFCS or High Fructose Corn Syrup. HFCS has many horrible side effects including the possible development of heart disease, cancer, cholesterol and diabetes, as you may get older. And, to top it all, it leads to quick weight gain.’

Myth 6: Only exercise can burn calories

Eating at regular intervals offers fuel to the body in the form of calories which it burns to aid digestion. The external exercise we do is additional to this ongoing process.

‘Digestion, like eating, breathing or even sleeping, burns calories. So, if you eat every two hours, you can burn calories even without running, jumping, playing or exercising. It’s almost like going to the gym!

Keeping the fun in food alive, N for Nourish shines a light on the hidden devils of the food world. Perfect for kids ages 10+ .Get your child a copy today!

‘You are more than you think you are.
More than a girl or a boy. More than your name.
More than the number of years you have lived.’

Author Trishla Jain writes books for children that bring families together to explore spirituality in a light, magical way. Here’s why you should read her book Listen to the Whispers to your little one to enlighten them with a deep mindful living.

This book allows you to have a beautiful conversation about their individuality and their full potential through simple words.

This beautifully realized picture book offers answers to questions such as ‘Who am I?’ and ‘Why am I here?’

With easy-to-follow prose, teach your young ones to never stop reaching for the stars

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As the kids run with the tigers and dance with the wolves in Listen to the Whispers, let them explore the majesty of the earth and recognize how magnificent they are!

Teaches them to always listen to the whispers within, their consciousness, and let love light the way.

Grab your copy of Listen to The Whispers today!

“A long, long time ago, seawater was sweet and drinkable. How it became salty is a remarkable story.”

India’s favourite storyteller brings alive this timeless tale with her inimitable wit and simplicity. Dotted with charming illustrations, this gorgeous chapter book is the ideal introduction to the world of Sudha Murty.

Here are some quotes from the book:

‘But by then the sea was full of salt, which had all dissolved into water. And the sea remained salty for ever after that.’

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‘The night passed – with the dwarves dancing and Sridhar feeding the fire with fresh wood when it looked like it was dying.‘

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‘He decided not to go to his brother’s house. Instead, he went to the beautiful town near the sea, and there, he built a house made money and never wanted for anything, thanks to the magic fan.‘

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‘Suddenly, storm clouds gathered and rain started pouring down. Sridhar spotted a flicker light in the distance and ran towards it.’

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‘The salt spilled into the sea. It rained salt sacks for many, many days, till the dwarves heard about it and used their magic to make the fan stop.’

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‘That night, when everyone was asleep, she made Keshav creep into the room where the fan was kept and steal it.’

How the Sea Became Salty  is the ideal introduction for beginners to the world of Sudha Murty.

Here’s introducing the newest Wimpy Kid author – Rowley Jefferson! Rowley’s best friend Greg Heffley has been chronicling his middle-school years in thirteen diary of a Wimpy Kid journals… and counting. But it’s finally time for readers to hear directly from Rowley in a journal of his own.

In Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid, Rowley writes about his experiences and agrees to play the role of biographer for Greg along the way. (After all, one day Greg will be rich and famous and everyone will want to know his life’s story.)

Let’s meet the author, Rowley Jefferson!

Rowley doesn’t like horror stories as we can tell from this incident.

“I’ve gotta tell the whole truth. I wet my pants when I was in the basement and heard those noises outside.”

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Rowley has observed odd things about Greg’s stories.

“We’ve been friends for a long time and he’s told me a BUNCH of things that seemed a little shaky so now I’m kind of thinking not everything he’s told me is a hundred percent accurate.”

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Rowley is composed.

“I knew that Greg was trying to make me mad but for some reason that song didn’t really bother me that much.”

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Rowley might be a little naïve and gullible.

“Well I knew Greg was just trying to get out of giving me the candy he owed me so I tried to act like I thought this Good Boy award thing was dumb. But somehow Greg could tell I thought it was kind of COOL.”

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Rowley is honest and doesn’t encourage cheating on tests.

“I whispered to Greg to go away because he was trying to CHEAT. But Greg said it’s not cheating since we were study partners and we both had the exact same information in our brains.”

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Rowley is hardworking.

“I had to stay up for two more hours uncrinkling my notes and taping them into my notebook and was up ANOTHER half hour researching stuff on my dad’s computer.”

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Rowley is a true friend to Greg.

“I know me and Greg don’t always get along but like Mrs Heffley said, sometimes friends get on each other’s nerves.”

Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson’s Journal offers readers a new way to look at the Wimpy world—one fans won’t want to miss!