Granny & Pouchu — Book Conversation
It is another bright day in Granny’s Pouch land. Pouchu is rummaging through Granny’s Pouch when—
Thakitta! Tharikitta!
Something bumps against his hand.
Pouchu: Granny!
Pouchu hops behind Granny.
Pouchu: The Pouch is bouncing!
Granny: Is it?
Thakitta! Tharikitta!
The Pouch bounces again. Pouchu hops after it.
Pouchu: Come back, Pouch!
The Pouch rolls away.
Granny: Pouchu!
Pouchu hops one way. The Pouch goes the other.
Pouchu: Got you!
He misses.
Pouchu: Oops!
The Pouch bumps against Granny’s chair.
Granny: Oh, dear!
Pouchu hops after it again. Granny catches Pouchu by the hand and the Pouch by its handle.
Granny: Enough! Both of you!
Pouchu giggles. The Pouch swings gently from Granny’s other hand.
Granny: You are making my head spin.
Pouchu: But Granny—
Granny: No “but Granny.” We are going to stand still for one moment.
They pause.
Granny looks at Pouchu. Then at the Pouch.
Granny: Now. What exactly is going on in there?
The Pouch gives a little wobble.
Pouchu: See? It knows something!
Granny opens the Pouch.
The Pouch coughs up a book.
Pouchu: A book!
He catches it.
Pouchu: Granny, look!
He turns the book over.
Pouchu: A big red ball!
Granny looks at the cover and smiles.
Granny: വലിയ ചുവന്ന പന്ത്!
Pouchu: What did you say?
Granny: Valiya chuvanna panth. Big red ball. This story was first written in Malayalam.
Pouchu: You know Malayalam?
Granny: Of course I do. I had friends from Kerala when I was in primary school.
Pouchu looks at the book again.
Pouchu: Then let’s see what this big red ball can do.
They open the book.
Pouchu’s eyes follow the big red ball across the page.
Pouchu: There it is!
Granny: I see it.
Pouchu: It’s bouncing!
Pouchu turns the page.
Pouchu: There!
He turns another page.
Pouchu: Gone!
Granny: Keep up, Pouchu.
Pouchu quickly turns the page.
Pouchu: There it is again!
Granny: And Abu is keeping up with it.
Pouchu: He has to!
They read on.
Pouchu: Look! The ball is in the fields.
Granny: Hmm.
Pouchu: And now there are goats!
Pouchu leans closer.
Pouchu: And shepherds!
Page turn.
Pouchu: Now the pond!
Granny: The boys have found it.
Pouchu: They are swimming—and playing with the ball!
Pouchu laughs.
Pouchu: Granny, this ball doesn’t stop.
Granny: No. It doesn’t seem to.
Pouchu: It just keeps bouncing.
Granny: That’s what a ball does.
They turn the page.
Pouchu: Oh!
The ball has landed in the fruit seller’s basket.
Pouchu: It knocked some fruit down!
Pouchu looks at the fruit seller.
Pouchu: Is she angry?
He studies the page.
Pouchu: No.
Granny: No.
Pouchu: The ball just went on bouncing.
Granny: It did.
Pouchu: It doesn’t know where it is going.
Granny: Perhaps it doesn’t need to.
Pouchu smiles and turns the page.
Pouchu: Look! Abu’s father is coming home.
Granny: With a very full bag.
Pouchu: Abu is emptying it.
Pouchu leans forward.
Pouchu: What’s that?
They turn the page.
Pouchu: THE BALL!
The big red ball bounces out of the bag.
Granny: There it goes again.
Pouchu: His father didn’t get angry!
Granny: No, he didn’t.
Pouchu watches Abu run after the ball.
Pouchu: Granny, I think grown-ups can’t always keep up with young ones.
Granny smiles.
Granny: That’s true.
Pouchu: They want to see everything.
Granny: And try everything.
Pouchu: Even things they don’t know are dangerous.
Granny: That’s why grown-ups have to keep an eye on them.
Pouchu nods.
Pouchu: But they still have to let them run sometimes.
Granny looks at him and smiles.
Granny: Yes, Pouchu. Sometimes they do.
Pouchu turns the page.
Pouchu: Granny!
Granny: Hmm?
Pouchu: Where’s the ball now?
Granny laughs.
Granny: I suppose we’d better find out.
Peek into the Book
Abu is having fun with a big red ball.
It bounces from one place to another—through fields, past goats and shepherds, into the pond, and wherever else its bouncing takes it.
Abu keeps up as best he can.
But this is no ordinary game of catch.
Where will the big red ball bounce next?
You’ll have to read Thakitta Tharikitta Bouncing Ball to find out.
Library Calling Card
Title: Thakitta Tharikitta Bouncing Ball
Written by: Jacob Samson Muttada
Illustrated by: Ashok Rajagopalan
Original Language: Malayalam
Language of this edition: English
Type: Picture Book
Reading Level: Beginner
First Published: —
Edition: —
ISBN: —
Granny’s Note
A lively book about play, movement and the unstoppable energy of a child—and a ball—that simply keeps going.
Illustrations: To be explored
Technique / Medium: To be explored
