A Jar of Pickles and a Pinch of Justice

The sequel to the wonderful 'A Dollop of Ghee and a Pot of Wisdom' where we again join Prince Veera and his best friend, Suku, as they work together to solve the problems of their small kingdom in India exerting both fairness and justice. This fabulous book, based on traditional Indian folk tales, is full of wit and wisdom mixed together with the best Indian spice. Veera and Suku's tales are told in eight short stories, where they listen to the problems of the people and work out the riddles of their petty disagreements. In 'All's Well' the boys must deal with the unique problem of the sale of a well between neighbours. The well has been purchased but the contract does not include the water in the well! In the story of the 'Mango Pickles' it appears that a serious crime has taken place and Veera and Suku attempt to settle the mystery of how jewels have turned into pickled mangoes. In each tale the boys draw upon their knowledge, experience and differing backgrounds to help them come to an amicable and fair resolution. Prince Veera and Suku are enjoying their summer holding court for the people of the kingdom until King Bheema returns home with a rather unwelcome guest, Veer's uncle Raja Apoorva, infamous for handing out harsh punishments. The boys now have a new challenge to face, that of diplomacy. The Raja disapproves of the boys' friendship and their court, and tries his best both to outwit and humiliate them. Undeterred, Veera and Suku help solve the problem of the number of crows in the capital and come to the aid of poor man seeking employment in the royal palace, all under the judgemental eyes of Raja Apoorva. As the summer court continues, Veera and Suku find justice for the palace guard who demands a bribe for letting people into the court and help a man whose bout of sneezing could bring about war! Suku' Aunt Chandra is the next worthy recipient of the court's justice when her braying donkey lands her in trouble with her neighbour. The final tale in this collection involves washing elephants to save the reputation of King Bheema. and Veera and Suku again prove that an ounce of 'Soloman's Wisdom' will help them in any situation. This is a wonderful book of very clever problem solving stories, perfect for newly confident independent readers. It would be a valuable addition to any library but in particular this book would be useful to primary schools wishing to add to their collection of books that foster philosophy and thinking skills. 96 pags / Ages 7+ / Reviewed by Emily Beale, school librarian.

Suggested Reading Age 7+