Title- Kids and Cubs
Author- Olga Perovskaya
Publisher- Niyogi Books
Genre- Juvenile Literature
Format- Hardcover
Length- 262 pages
Rating-5/5 stars
Olga Vasilievna Perovskaya's Kids and Cubs (From Russian Rebyata i zveryata) holds an important place in the galaxy of Juvenile World Literature. It is a collection of delightful memories of the happy childhood the author spent with her sisters Sonya, Yulia and Natasha in the rural Kazakhstan which was then the part of the USSR. In the year 1943 during the Great Purge she was arrested and sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment in the labor camps and later sent to exile. But even the Great Purge didn't have the power to wipe her name from history of World Literature. Her work becomes a classic in the genre of children's literature and so far it has been translated into all the major languages and dialects of the world.
The first thing that I loved the most in this work is the writing style. The choice of words, narrative technique and structure is absolutely fantastic. Often times it becomes very hard to express something in simple language because we have preoccupied our minds with complex ideas. The author has presented each and every story with utmost care and attention, keeping in mind the little readers. The work makes us happy, fills our heart with grief, inspire us and motivate us to fight with the challenges in life.
Olga is a master storyteller and it is quite evident from the way she has introduced the story with a tinge of suspense and excitement at the arrival of the new pet, the discovery of their habits and the strong bonding with the author( as well as with the reader) followed by their final departure from the author's life, leaving behind a life lesson for all of us to learn. The reason why this work is so popular among readers of all ages and especially among the children is the simple fact that it fulfills our hidden desire for a friend who is completely different from us (it can be a ghost, an alien or an animal), this need for a non-human friend is often at the subconscious level and most of the time we are unaware of it. While going through the book the little child reader finds four little girls of his/her age with so many baby animals, which instantly makes them feel connected with the story because somewhere deep inside their heart they also possess the hidden desire to have a baby animal friend of their own.
Overall, it was a truly amazing read. I am a huge animal lover and the story reminded me of my own childhood memories with my pet birds and dogs.
I give this work 5 stars for the writing style, narration and overall presentation.
Happy Reading
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