CBR15Passport country (India)
With a title like Jhupli’s Honey Bee Box I assumed there would be bees and a honey box. I did not expect tigers. And no, it is not a story where the tigers like honey, but one where they like the people who go into the jungle to harvest the honey. In fact, they like them so much the people never return to the village. Well, there is a twist for ya! Bet you didn’t see that coming either!
Joking aside, this is a strong story. We start with the narrator, Jhupli and her thoughts of where her father might be. He, and others, go into the jungle to harvest the honey to sell and some of it is used for the families to eat. But the tigers and other dangers lurk in the jungle, and sometimes the people do not come back. Through her worry for her father, we see a young girl and the courage and cleverness she has to try and help her family. The solution is simple, honey boxes.
In a bigger picture, there is a lot going on. There are subtleties in the artwork of Shivam Choudhary and the text of Achintyarup Ray. The story of Jhupli is sweet, but you feel her worry about her beloved father’s safety. After all, she had an uncle who did not come back, and she lives with that fear daily. The land and the people come to life in dreamy imagery. The translation was a little less that perfectly smooth (for me), but it helped give it the tone of a young child. The combined talents of the text and art the culture of the Sundarbans region is opened to the reader.
This is not for the sensitive or young reader, but most people will enjoy. The afterwards with a glossary and information ties it all together.
