Title: Left-Out Paru
Author: Bijal Vaccharajani
Illustrator: Rajiv Eipe
Publisher: Duckbill Books (an imprint of Penguin Random House)
Type: Paperback
Pages: 72 pages
Recommended Age: 7 – 10 years
A simple story with a big lesson of kindness and acceptance
“Lefties don’t follow the crowd, they make their own path.”
hOle Books are quite interesting with their age-appropriate font size and engaging illustrations. We have read most of the hOle Books, so when Asha ji reached out to review this one, it was a no-brainer. The story and content felt very relatable to us, since Ananya’s close friend/desk buddy is left-handed—just like her grandfather. My best buddy back in school was also a leftie, so this book felt like a must read for me too!
Meet Paru—a smart, opinionated fifth grader who is left-handed. She has moved to a new division where she has no friends, while all her old friends are in another class. Her classmates, especially her desk mate Nina, bully her for being different. They complain about her, crack jokes, and call her names. Soon, confident Paru begins to doubt herself and her abilities. Will she find a way to set things right—or be left out?
Here is my 8 year old daughter, Ananya’s review:
Me: What did you like in this book?
Ananya: I liked this book because it reminded me of my own friends. I’m right-handed, but some of my friends—and even my grandfather—are left-handed. I’ve seen them struggle with desks or scissors, and I know how hard it can be. This book showed me that being different isn’t bad—it just makes you special.
Me: Any learnings?
Ananya: Paru was sad when others teased her, but in the end she learned to be proud of herself—and that made me happy. It also made me feel I should be more helpful to my left-handed friends, so they don’t feel alone like Paru.
The illustrations are super cool as always—Rajiv Eipe has been our favorite since the Nisha Small series. Paru’s character feels so real, and I love how she finds her strength at her weakest moment.
“Every child, lefty or righty, holds the power to change the world.”
The book teaches us to be kind, to include everyone, and to never laugh at someone for being different. After all, every hand different or not, has its own magic!
The bookset of 25 hOle books is also available and works out awesome for gifting throughout the year!
NEW! The Library of hOles Box Set Product Bundle – Import, 22 May 2023 – This box set has 33 hOle books – Buy 30, Get 3 free!!
If you found this review interesting and want to know what happens to Paru next, please order your own copy from Amazon (kbc affiliate link),
CLICK & BUY NOW!Disclaimer: Pooja and Ananya are a part of the #kbcReviewerSquad and received these books as review copies from the publisher via kbc.
