Zara and the Bumbling Genie by Padmini Sankar
My take on the book:
A year ago, eleven-year-old Zara suddenly had trouble with her eyes, resulting in her vision becoming hazy. She can either see when she squinted hard or when she wore thick glasses. During a recent visit to the doctor, her parents are informed that she will lose the remaining vision permanently if she does not undergo operation within the next three months.
The operation can be done in Los Angeles and would cost fifty lakh rupees; Zara’s parents worked as teachers at Summerdale High, where Zara also studied and though they were a well-to-do family, they did not have fifty lakhs readily available. Left with no other option, Zara’s father Dr Sameer was planning to sell the ancestral house in Chandni Chowk, which he inherited from his great-grandfather.
One night, while standing on the balcony of her room, Zara encountered a genie Joom who is two thousand years old, recently lost his magic and is on the run trying to escape from his evil master. Zara slowly became friends with Joom as she narrated about her losing vision while Joom recounted life with his earlier masters.
For Zara who is very sad due to her eye condition, Joom became best friend who would cheer her up with stories of his past life while reassuring her that she will be fine soon. But life takes an unpredictable turn when Zara’s father is fired from his job by the new Principal. Will Zara’s father be able to arrange for her operation despite losing his job, will Joom’s evil master track him down, how will Joom meeting Zara change both their lives forms the rest of the story.
This is a modern-day folk tale which imagines a genie befriending a young girl who is smart and bright but when a sudden illness turns her life upside down, how her friendship with a genie who lost all his powers helps her in unexpected way.
The author weaves the magical story of a genie in present day India while throwing in tragedy of a girl on the verge of losing her vision; Joom’s evil master and the nasty Principal of Zara’s school are similar characters though they are from different worlds. Both of them wrecked havoc in Joom and Zara’s lives.
The author slowly builds the relationship between Zara and Joom while introducing characters from both their worlds — Joom’s previous masters and Zara’s friends and school mates. While the narration is almost predictable till the science quiz competition, the author brings in unexpected and thrilling twists from then on. The beautiful illustrations add to the narration immersing the reader into the story. The characterizations are all well developed by the author.
Pick this one for your kid for this summer as it will engage, entertain and also leave a good message for them.
My rating:
4.5/5.