Book Review: Knife & Fork by Gita V Reddy

 

Knife and Fork by Gita V. Reddy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Bholu, an inquisitive monkey, decides to leave the forest to seek adventure in the city. He sees many wondrous things and, after watching a little girl eating in her garden, he learns to eat with a knife and fork. He returns to the forest and brags about what he has seen and his new manners. He is now arrogant and thinks he is superior to the other monkeys. His friends soon tire of his bragging and he finds eating with a knife and fork in the forest very difficult. Bholu is now very lonely, sad and hungry. A wise old monkey tells him it is better to be as a monkey should be. Don’t try to be what you are not, just be yourself.

Reddy’s short simply written chapter books help encourage the transition from beginner readers to more advanced readers. For reluctant readers the length will make it easier for them to finish a book. Younger readers will also be encouraged to read a page or two with the rest read to them.
The full series has books in different genres to give children a wide taste of stories.

The story was fun and the imagery was vivid. The moral of not being arrogant and just being yourself was easy to understand for small children.

Recommended for: 3 years plus – read to me
5 years plus – read alone