In 1819, the whaleship Essex was launched from Nantucket, Massachusetts. Late in November 1820, it was struck by a whale and sank whilst in the depths of the Pacific Ocean. Thousands of miles from the nearest coastline, the 20-odd survivors had very little food and water. They spent months on the ship’s remaining whaleboats suffering dehydration, starvation, and exposure to the open ocean. The last surviving eight crew members were rescued more than three months after the ordeal.
In 1820, Herman Melville was just a year old. The to-be American novelist would grow up to be captivated by the story of the Essex. It was the beginning of a lifetime obsession for Melville who spent years at sea himself. He worked on multiple whaling ships, was captured by cannibals, jailed (escaped both times), and tended to a potato farm. He also enlisted in the US Navy working as a seaman through the Pacific.
The relationship between larger-than-life whales and whalers who defied the seas drove him to write Moby Dick. The rich and vivid detail such as that of the terror of a whale hunt was not welcomed with favorable reviews at the time. It can be safely said, however, that Melville’s tribute to the whaling industry has stood the test of time.
Over the summer vacation at the bookshop, we choose some titles that pay tribute to Herman Melville’s spirit of adventure. Read them with a sense of freedom that comes with the journey undertaken. Maybe they’ll inspire us to go on our own adventures one day, far from home.
One never forgets their first visit to Mumbai. As cliched as that sounds, it certainly raises eyeballs when one comes across the book Leopard in Mumbai. When a leopard gives everyone the slip at Sanjay Gandhi National Park, all he wants to do is visit the iconic places that make Mumbai what it is, but wherever he goes it causes chaos in the densely populated metropolis that never sleeps.
‘I caught a fast train from Borivali to Bandra. Everyone in my compartment quickly cleared out. How bizarre! I slipped into a taxi that flew over the grand Bandra-Worli sea Link. But the driver took one good look at me and fled! How Funny!’
It finally ends with our spotted friends’ arrival at the Gateway of India where he thinks to himself — ‘Mumbai, I have arrived’ before he blacks out. Where does he find himself? Was it a dream, or was it all real? Read on to find out more in this beautifully illustrated book that is nothing short of a riot.
Further north in Punjab, we are introduced to the wrestlers Tarlochan and Paramjit in Wrestle Mania. They live on either side of the Sutlej River. Both have never met but wish to wrestle with each other.
Tarlochan slings a thousand kilos of flour over his shoulder and crosses the river. When the two meet, they begin fighting — however, have no spectators. An old lady passing by offers to watch and the fight then gets ‘carried away’ when Jassu runs off with her camels, 150 in number.
Travel with this folk tale from under the Banyan tree where weary travellers would sit and listen to stories like the ones in this book written by Sandhya Rao and illustrated by Srividya Natarajan.
JUMBO The Most Famous Elephant Who Ever Lived, is the journey of one elephant from his home in the borderlands of modern-day Sudan and Eritrea to Paris and later London before setting sail for Madison Square Gardens in New York. Jumbo is one of the first world-famous elephant superstars.
This book is a perfect vacation read and sparks the conversation around animal welfare. It is because of Jumbo that we now know that elephants need to roam in the open, and the right kind of food and companionship to be healthy and content. It is a heady journey for anyone who decides to read it.
Tiger-Skin Rug is another delightful picture book which is about a tiger who is getting old and is miserable in the jungle. Monkeys throw nuts at him and call him names. One day when no one is looking, he decides to replace the Rajah’s Tiger-Skin rug with himself. He did this when the rugs had been hung out to be cleaned on the Palace grounds not far from the jungle.
It begins an alternative life for our tiger protagonist who enjoys the spoils of living in an urban setting albeit incognito. The Rajah and his family though are a bit suspicious. The ‘rug’ seems to have improved with age and had begun to smell. How long can the tiger go in the palace without getting caught on ‘holiday’?
No summer vacation in Calcutta is complete without a ride at the local amusement park roller coaster in Salt Lake. It was a staple then, now, and forever.
I was reminded of childhood rides when I read Roller Coaster, a book that takes you through the highs and lows of a carnival roller-coaster ride. So read it for the amusing speed of reaction and don’t forget to visit the amusement park before the holidays end.
Speaking of dizzying rides, Ian Flemings’ classic tale for children has been adapted into a fabulously coloured picture book for a new generation of readers.
‘The car looked amazing. Its paint shone. Its headlights glistened and glinted. Dad started the engine. It made two loud sneezes — CHITTY CHITTY! — and two small explosions — BANG! BANG! — and thundered into life.’
Join the Pott Family as they fly, swim, and save the day from a group of bumbling thieves on a madcap adventure that takes them to France in the world’s most famous flying car.
In the compendium section, we found Grand Canyon, a visual treat that takes us to the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, in the US. Through the eyes of an inquisitive daughter-father pair, learn about the diverse range of ecosystems that makes up this natural spectacle.
Author Jason Chin writes that clues such as ripple marks which are preserved on stone are windows into the past. They give us clues about what the earth may have been like 1.2 billion years ago when the only organisms were microbes. Another part talks about the Kaibab Formation and about the marine ecosystem that existed in the area 270 million years ago.
Learn about geologist John Wesley Powell who led an expedition down the Colorado River and through the Grand Canyon by boat. The diverse climate and habits will keep you pouring over this book for hours. Includes foldouts and richly illustrated examples.
One of the ways of exploring visual spectacles is by hot-air balloon. Join The Cloudspotter aka Franklin. He didn’t have many friends, preferring instead to spend time spotting not just clouds but also adventures in the sky. One fine day, he has an unexpected visitor — the scruffy dog who joins him on his adventure. Franklin isn’t too happy with this and puts a plan in motion so he can continue by himself. There is a change of heart that convinces him that two cloud spotters are better than one, especially when you are best friends.
This holiday season, let that thought guide your reading recommendations.
The author is a Ph.D. candidate in journalism and electronic media at the University of Tennessee Knoxville and runs the independently owned Storyteller Bookstore in Calcutta. Get your book recommendations @storytellerkol on Twitter and Instagram
