By Rhythm Gupta
Have you ever wondered what a hiccup can do to a hippopotamus? Well, if you have not, you must read “Hic!copotamus”. The story unfolds much more than an answer to this question. “Hic!copotamus”, written by Geeta Dharmarajan and illustrated by Atanu Roy, is an amusing tale that transports young readers into the fun world of animals.
With the rise of technology in modern-day, reading seems to be taking a backseat, and in some cases, the children aren’t even aware of the joy of reading a book.
However, when I was informed about Katha, an organization focused on spreading the joy of reading the most beautiful books, I was relieved and hopeful for the budding geniuses of our country. It’s a sheer delight to see children being captivated by a thrilling story, or fascinated by the details of a well-illustrated book, or amused by the out-of-the-world scenarios, characters, and plot twists of a fable that Katha has to offer.
After all, a child’s brain is delicate and full of potential, and storybooks expand a child’s horizon of thought, positively mould them into a sensitive and creative being, and provide them food for thought more than any other source. Stories help a child flourish not just mentally, but also emotionally.
A few weeks later, my belief in Katha’s mission was strengthened when I read one of their books. I remember when I read “Hic!copotamus”, I was taken back to my childhood days.
My father used to read my sister and me a book every day. And in every story, I would get lost in my father’s fluent recital and the book’s expressive illustrations, and imagine the lives of each character—once it was an alligator with a toothache; another time, it was a blue elephant; and another time, a dragon who could not breathe fire! I resonated with the characters in all moments of happiness and sorrow throughout the course of the story.
Now, when I read “Hic!copotamus”, a book surpassing the joy of my childhood reads, I realized that it is a very intelligently-crafted book. The book is the perfect amalgamation of text and illustrations. Even in the narrative, various facts are very brilliantly weaved in the context of the story. Facts that even an adult would not know!
As a matter of fact, by the end of the book, I felt like I was magically aware of an animal I had never seen. In addition to this, the illustrations are also emotive, colourful, and in sync with the narrative, adding on to the vividness of the fable.
A famous quote by Albert Einstein, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough” when understood in reference to children’s books like “Hic!copotamus”, makes one realize that these simple stories actually treasure many life lessons. That makes them such stellar pieces of literature.
In this book, the primary underlying message is that one must always have the intention of helping and welcoming any newcomer, no matter how different they seem. Another learning is that any obstacle in life, however difficult it may seem, can be dealt with in multiple ways, and that too with fun and creativity. Lastly, a team driven towards the same goal, like all the animals of Gulmohar Jungle, united irrespective of differences in their appearances and origin, can be successful no matter what, because undoubtedly “all of us can push each other to come up with a good idea”.
About the author: Rhythm Gupta is a volunteer at Katha. A B.Sc. Economics student at Ashoka University, she is fond of all forms of art and literature. She also likes travelling and understanding different cultures.
This article is a part of Katha’s segment titled ‘Conversations On Books’, a space for the Katha family, and friends of Katha, to talk about Katha books.