Title: Carri-on Ruddy: The Continued Adventures of the Naturalist, Sleuth, Mongoose
Author and Illustrator: Rohan Chakravarty
Publisher: Puffin India
Type: Paperback
Length: 112 pages
Age group: 13 years+
Genre: Fiction
This book has been reviewed by my 12 year old daughter who enjoys Rohan Chakravarty’s books:
Carri-On, Ruddy!: The Continued Adventures of the Naturalist-Sleuth Mongoose written and illustrated by Rohan Chakravarty, follows Ruddy, Kanha Tiger Reserve’s resident nature detective, as he solves weird wildlife “crime scenes” across India. It’s a mystery-comedy graphic novel that sneaks in loads of cool nature facts without ever feeling like it was teaching.
I really enjoyed Carri-On Ruddy and all the awesome sauce mysteries. Ruddy is super expressive, and you can really feel how absolutely flabbergasted he is throughout the book. The shading in the panels with more interesting lighting is also done really well.
The jokes are funny too, although a few landed better than others. The “Team-Up with Ruddy” segments are basically like exams with MCQs and match-the-following questions. I DON’T WANT MORE EXAMS (they were fun, trust). Still, this book would genuinely make a fire textbook. I might actually study.
There are also cool chapter-name puns, PEAK posters in between (yes, I’m including the postcards at the back), and even a rejection letter for an internship that’s written like an “About the Author” page. It’s way better than the usual “the author lives somewhere with people and has won awards” though.
I have to say it again: the illustrations are PEAK, and the quality of the book itself is amazing too. Some of Ruddy’s expressions are quite like my mother’s when she chances upon a carri-on of what used to be a cockroach.
There are also loads of movie and book references. See how many you can spot. Also, there’s lore. He might gain a rival or something. I’m not spoiling anything because you should BUY IT.
If you don’t, I’ll send an army of raccoons on steroids after you/j
Added by Asha: If you haven’t read Naturalist Ruddy or explored other books by the author, here you go!
If you enjoyed this review, and want to avoid being attacked by raccoons, you might want to order the book from Amazon (kbc affiliate link),
CLICK & BUY NOW!Disclaimer: Mandira and her daughter are part of the #kbcReviewerSquad and received this book as a review copy from the publisher via kbc. Mandira is the author of the award winning book Children of the Hidden Land. Her second book Muniya’s Quest for middle graders has been reviewed here with high praise and lots of love! Her latest release Off With Their Heads is a Dystopian Novel Set in an AI-driven World.
