Title: Doubles: Peace Pulao / The Forbidden Snacks Society (Flip book)
Authors: Vibha Batra / Menaka Raman
Publisher: Harper Children’s
Type: Paperback
Length: 276 pages
Recommended Age: 9-14 years
My 13 year old son, Divit, has reviewed this book:
My two favorite book genres are adventure and mystery. So, when it came to my notice that a flip book about mouth-watering food had been written on both these genres, I just knew I would love it!
This book contains two sides: The Adventure – The Forbidden Snacks Society; and The Mystery – Peace Pulao. These are written by the spectacular authors Menaka Raman and Vibha Batra respectively – both my very favourite authors.
First, let me tell you about the food mystery. It’s set in Pasinabad, a food haven (despite its ridiculous name). The most intense rivalry unfolds here—a battle between two legendary restaurants: Shaan-e-Dawat and Awadh Mahal. Meet Suraiya, the granddaughter of Shaan-e-Dawat’s owner. She’s determined to beat Awadh Mahal in every way. Then there’s Divumber, the grandson of Awadh Mahal’s owners, who shares the same goal and strongly dislikes Shaan-e-Dawat. Soon, things take an unexpected turn as items begin mysteriously disappearing from both the restaurants. Suraiya and Divumber are forced to team up to save their grandparents’ legacy. Will they be able to set aside their rivalry, piece together the clues and uncover the truth behind it all?
Now let me talk about the food adventure. Anika, Bubbles, Vasu and Navjyot are four children who need heavy correction in their behaviour (according to their parents). To sort the perceived behavioural issue, they were all admitted into a summer camp called ‘The Temple of Mind and Body excellence’ which was supposed to be a ‘wonderful learning experience’ for them. This camp was indeed a living hell! The staff was unhelpful and extremely irritable, the list of unfair rules was longer than the earth’s circumference and they were fed rat-sized portions of some extremely questionable green meals. Worst of all was Dr. Kiran. He was the headmaster, and emotionless like a robot. Along with the unkind Dr. Basith, they were the duo of terror and despair. Just when the kids can’t take it anymore, they uncover a dark, unsettling truth. Does this horrendous camp have another even more sinister layer beneath the ground? And most of all, will they go through the treacherous path required to discover Dr. Kiran’s evil secret?
This flip book is a must-read! It keeps you at the edge of your seat, and always keeps you hungry for more. The writing is simple and easy to connect with, and the characters feel real enough to care about. What makes the book stand out is this contrast—you get both mischief and meaning in one package. The flip format itself is interesting and makes the experience feel a bit more interactive.
If you are feeling hungry already and you’re game for some double trouble, you might want to buy the book from Amazon (kbc affiliate link),
CLICK & BUY NOW!Disclaimer: Achira and her sons are part of the #kbcReviewerSquad and received this book as a review copy from the publisher via kbc.
