The Blue Umbrella is a simple, pleasing children's story that conveys the beauty and innocence of childhood in a charming and compelling way.
The Blue Umbrella
Ruskin Bond's novel The Blue Umbrella is a fictional short story. This is the second book in a row that I have read by Ruskin. Why did I read it? After all, it is a children's book. Well, there are occasions when reading stories is as beneficial as meditating. I wish I could have read the book to my little Aaruni, but life is rough.
Anyway, let's get back to the book review.
Story - The Blue Umbrella
The plot revolves around Biniya, who lives in a tiny village in the Himalayan foothills with her brother Vijay and mother. Despite their financial constraints, Biniya's family had enough land to grow the food they needed to go through the year.
In addition to attending school, Biniya is also responsible for grazing cows in the local woodlands in the hills. On one such day, she stumbled across a bunch of visitors vacationing in the hills. Biniya, wearing her lucky charm (Leopard nail pendant), watched well-off visitors sing and have a good time from a distance.
But why did Biniya get stuck there? A beautiful blue silk umbrella of a tourist charmed Biniya. Fascinated, Biniya soon traded her lucky charm for the umbrella.
The most valued item of Biniya became a source of desire and jealousy for the whole town. Ram Bharosa, the owner of the local tea shop where Biniya and Vijay go for toffees or sweets when they have extra cash, is so fascinated by her valued gift that he will go to any length to obtain it.
The tale soon turned ugly when Ram Bharosa devised a wicked plan to get the umbrella. I wish to tell more but then you may lose interest in reading so leaving it here )).
The characters were simple, and the story was perfectly created, displaying an excellent level of wordsmithing skill. The story was crafted meticulously, speaking highly of Ruskin Bond's ability to charm us.
Verdict
What and how the tale unfolds makes it a must-read for your kids. The storyline is easy, and the characters are innocent. Ruskin does his best to play with the characters and describe the beauty of Dehra. Moreover, the book subtly teaches children about the consequences of jealousy and the value of simplicity. So, what's holding you back?
