Farmer Falgu Goes on a Trip

September 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 1-Farmer Falgu is in search of some solitude. All he wants is to escape the noise of his farm and find some peace and quiet. Instead, as he journeys in his cart he comes across an old man, a snake charmer, and some dancers, none of whom are silent. In this simple, short, lively story, Soundar uses repetition and sounds to keep readers engaged. "Tap-tap-tap the dancers tapped their feet. Phee-phee played the snake charmer on his pungi. Dum-dum went the drums. Trot-trot went the bullocks." Nair illustrates this volume with bold lines and textured landscapes that encompass the vibrant colors of northern India. Expressive images of an eventful trek will leave readers smiling. VERDICT A good read-aloud to share with beginner readers to introduce vocabulary in a fun, interactive tale.-Megan Egbert, Meridian Library District, ID

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Falgu, an Indian farmer, is trying to escape his noisy farm.He hitches his oxen to his cart and starts off "to find silence" but soon picks up passengers who create different kinds of sounds. An old man gets on and plays his drum: "dum-dum." A snake charmer plays "phee-phee" on his pipe. A troupe of dancers tap their feet: "tap-tap-tap." When they all finally alight, Farmer Falgu "listened to the quiet night." He recognizes the small nocturnal sounds, "crickets chirping, frogs croaking, the wind whispering," and finally understands that his animals are noisy because they are happy. The terse onomatopoeic text with its sounds picked out in bold colors will keep young listeners engaged, and the pictures have a Rouault-like flavor with dark outlines and deep colors. Their focus is on Falgu and his experience, and readers hoping for a broader sense of India will not find it here; the snake charmer makes for a rather stereotypical element. This simple story of one man's dissatisfaction with his surroundings and his emotional change and acceptance of what was once an annoyance is a common theme in picture books, recalling such works as the Caldecott Honor book It Could Always Be Worse, by Margot Zemach (1977). A quiet discovery that home is best. (Picture book. 3-6) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2016
Falgu, an Indian farmer, is trying to escape his noisy farm.He hitches his oxen to his cart and starts off to find silence but soon picks up passengers who create different kinds of sounds. An old man gets on and plays his drum: dum-dum. A snake charmer plays phee-phee on his pipe. A troupe of dancers tap their feet: tap-tap-tap. When they all finally alight, Farmer Falgu listened to the quiet night. He recognizes the small nocturnal sounds, crickets chirping, frogs croaking, the wind whispering, and finally understands that his animals are noisy because they are happy. The terse onomatopoeic text with its sounds picked out in bold colors will keep young listeners engaged, and the pictures have a Rouault-like flavor with dark outlines and deep colors. Their focus is on Falgu and his experience, and readers hoping for a broader sense of India will not find it here; the snake charmer makes for a rather stereotypical element. This simple story of one mans dissatisfaction with his surroundings and his emotional change and acceptance of what was once an annoyance is a common theme in picture books, recalling such works as the Caldecott Honor book It Could Always Be Worse, by Margot Zemach (1977). A quiet discovery that home is best. (Picture book. 3-6)

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 13, 2016
An Indian man seeks respite from the noisiness of his farm in this series opener from newcomers Soundar and Nair. Fed up with the quacking, clucking, and mooing of his animals, Farmer Falgu hitches his bulls to a cart and “set off on a trip to find silence.” As he travels, he picks up various hitchhikers, including an old man with a drum and a dance troupe, who make for a crowded and not-exactly-quiet cart (“Tap-tap-tap the dancers tapped their feet. Phee-phee played the snake charmer on his pungi. Dum-dum went the drums”). Nair captures the growing cacophony in exuberant digital illustrations colored in bold jewel tones and outlined in rough strokes of brown. Farmer Falgu winds up singing along with his temporary guests, and after he finally gets the silence he’s after, he comes to a striking revelation: “My farm is not noisy. It is happy!” Enlarged, color-coded type helps emphasizes the onomatopoeia that fills a buoyant cumulative story that, in addition to being just plain fun, may leave readers curious to learn more about the rural Indian setting. Ages 3–8.