| Author: Ruskin Bond Book Review By: Bihan Majumdar Class: 5 |
Grandfather’s Private Zoo
Books are a part of our daily lives. Some books cheer us up in our sad times, teach us to find joy
in little things, while other books make us understand that animals also deserve a better life. If
you want these in a combination, you must read ‘Grandfather’s Private Zoo’ written by Ruskin
Bond.
The story is very humorous and heart-touching at the same time. The narrator in Grandfather’s Private Zoo is a young boy. He tells us how an ordinary house can become a whole different world just with full of animals! His grandfather loved animals as his own children but his grandmother just got irritated
by their clumsy behaviour. But the funny thing is that none of the animals felt that they were
clumsy!
Each animal has different thoughts, acts and characteristics. The uncountable mischief of Toto
the monkey, the act of the stylish python and the unforgettable melodies of Harold, the hornbill
would mesmerize you! I felt sad to think of grandmother who got irritated of the notorious acts of
Toto. If anybody takes a full bowl of pulao rice and climbs to a tree with it, even I would have
been angry. But what happened to Toto at the end, I felt bad for him as well. One day I saw a
monkey and I felt that he exactly looked like Toto! Well, no one believed me. Did I simply imagine
or was he a distant relative of Toto? You could not stop laughing to read the act of the python. He
was proud of his look so much that he checked the mirror at various times of the day! The
friendship, bonding and love between the young boy and Harold touched my heart. If you do not
read the story, you would miss the incredible descriptions of the young boy, the spectator of the
fight between a snake and a mongoose in the garden. This part really fascinated me as we cannot
experience such fights in our busy cities! I felt amazed to know that even animals organise their
lives in a beautiful manner just like humans.
I would highly recommend ‘Grandfather’s Private Zoo’. If you would like to meet the naughty
monkey, moody python, chuckling hornbill and snobbish crow, this book is a must read for you. I
enjoyed reading this book very much and it was a real page turner.
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