Unlocked by Balaji Venkataramanan (author) and Tanvi Bhat (Illustrator)
My take on the book:
Ravi doesn’t quite want to visit his grandfather. The smell of medicines and the quietness of an ailing home are things that Ravi does not like. But still, he goes as his love for his mother and his grandfather pull him. What also attracts him is a treasure chest that is locked, mysterious and full of a well-lived life. Grandpa says his life is safe and sound inside it. However, Ravi is curious to open and see it.
What will Ravi find inside the mystery box and when does he get that chance forms the rest of the story.
The story uses the game of snakes and ladders as a metaphor for life with the climbs, the slides and the unpredictability. It is through this game that Grandpa quietly prepares Ravi for the inevitable. Some days you go up, other days you come down. For a children’s book, this is a quietly profound thing to say. The moment the chest is opened becomes that of hope, memory, and an inheritance of love that no one can take away.
The author Balaji Venkataramanan explores themes of love, loss, ageing, and geriatric care while being careful not to make it overwhelming for the young kids reading it. The simple affirmation that stays through the story is that Grandpa wants Ravi to be a good person. The illustrations by Tanvi Bhat are a delight, bright hues for moments of faith and joy and darker shades for the emotionally heavier moments.
I did not expect a children’s book to make me pause and introspect. It is the kind of book that will resonate differently depending on where you are in life. A picture book that carries layered emotional resonance, Unlocked is a worthy and lasting read.
My rating:
4.5/5.