Many children’s books talk about the relationship between children and their pets. Often, they offer valuable life lessons about friendship, loyalty and being responsible. But what happens if the pet in question is livestock being raised for food, and to complicate matters further, it belongs to a neighbour? 

These are some tough questions that Thatha has to grapple with when his granddaughter Muthu becomes inseparable from their neighbour’s rooster Goondi in Adithi Rao and Fida Hamid​’s picture book Will Goondi Come Home? Things take a turn for the worse when the village headman plans a feast and there’s a price on Goondi. Can Muthu​’s steadfast friendship save Goondi?

The author’s portrayal of Thatha​’s love for Muthu and his response to the turn of events is deeply moving. Along the way, Adithi Rao seamlessly weaves in titbits of their lives as Irular fisherfolk: how they fish, their traditional baskets and the design of their nets and catamarans. 

I am fida (‘smitten’, in Urdu) over Fida Hamid​’s illustrations that capture Thatha and Muthu’s story in striking detail. The colour palette contrasts Goondi​’s proud plumage with the stark realities of Thatha’s and Muthu’s lives. I was also floored by the book cover. Laid open, the front and back form a dreamy spread of a girl and her pet rooster perched on a boat’s edge, staring into the horizon – totally worthy of a frame!

While the book captivates with its charm, an unresolved subplot introduces a dissonance that feels out of place in this heartfelt narrative. Muthu hates school and for good reason. Her teacher Anjana Miss waves Muthu away whenever she approaches with a doubt. Why? Because Muthu smells bad. Why does Muthu smell bad? Because Muthu doesn’t bathe regularly. Why doesn’t Muthu bathe regularly? Because she does not have access to a bathroom. In fact, there are no bathrooms in her entire village. The teacher snaps at her, asking Muthu to tell her Amma to find one. But Muthu doesn’t have a mother and she goes quiet.

If an entire village has no bathrooms, wouldn’t strong body odour be quite the norm? In singling out Muthu, the teacher appears to display a surprising and inexplicable ignorance of Muthu’s circumstances as well as the local context. While such discrimination is not unheard of, in this instance it is introduced without making any attempt to tie it meaningfully to the story’s main arc, painting rural teachers in a rather poor light. While such plot twists undoubtedly spark deeper conversations, the absence of a connected story arc leaves a gaping plot hole that readers would have to fill themselves.

Tackling issues of discrimination is much-needed in children’s literature. But here it raises a larger question: does a short illustrated picture book ​‘need’ to tackle a social issue if the story can do perfectly without it? 

While the book misses the opportunity to address the issue of discrimination with the care it deserves, Will Goondi Come Home? is a heart-warming story with moments of tenderness and the magic of love. It beautifully depicts the bond between Thatha, Muthu and Goondi, and lingers long after the last page is turned. 

About the reviewer:

Vivek BG works in the areas of children’s literature, publishing and education, and considers himself lucky to live a life surrounded by books. He is also the founder and creative director of Kshetra Design Studio, Bengaluru, where he undertakes mural art and installations.