Price: PKR 1000 + shipping
Published by Zuka Books
Recently published book Wolfie by Pakistani journalist Sonya Rehman is a much needed piece of work in the Children’s Literature genre. Delightfully funny, unpretentious and peppered with just the right amount of poignance reflecting on lessons about animal cruelty and mistreatment, this story is most certainly a must-read for children not just aged nine and above (as mentioned) but for all ages.
A book review for works like Wolfie would actually be incomplete if it lacked sentiments from its target audience – the readers: the children. Immediately drawn into Wolfie’s little world, the story enraptures and entrances its readers with its uncomplicated tonality, effortless imagery yet nimbly paced plot. Interspersed with witty dialogues by characters that children can truly identify with, Sonya intuitively creates a world… an environment, young – read astute – readers can instantly respond to and relate with. For example, when Wolfie timidly asks Sunny, the smarty-pants parrot who is helping him get through one phase of his big adventure, if he (Wolfie) should eat the bit of sandwich a boy had given him; Sunny squawks: “No, it’s for the ants, Of course we can! Dig in.” (page 19)
Stories about animals are always the best form of reading for children: wondrous and mighty yet unembellished with the ways of the world, it is their ingenuousness – if articulated thoughtfully – that renders capitulation of any reader.
Coming to the overall look and feel of the book, Wolfie is most definitely a job considerately done. The cover illustration, fantastically visualized by Maryam Akram, is eye-catching as it gloriously captures the essence of Wolfie’s world. While the size and dimensions of any book are usually a personal preference, Wolfie is printed on a glossy cover of a book perfectly sized for the young reader. Similar is the case when it comes to the paper quality, font style and size. A publishing decision by both the editor/publisher (Zuka Books) Mehr Husain and author Sonya Rehman, which makes sense as it offers easy reading for even the most judicious bookworm.
Sonya Rehman has created a fascinating plot and an appealing storyline keeping in mind her audience’s experience level. It is truly hoped that such piece of writing, which is creating beautiful memories for children and their parents alike, is continued and carried on with more adventures – serially perhaps by the other equally enchanting characters from this book.
