Balu Saves the Day

Title: Balu Saves the Day

Author: Pria Dee

Illustrator: YoungJu Kim

Publisher: Self-Published

Genre: Children's Fiction, India and Culture

Source: Reedsy Discovery

My Review:

 Pria Dee's book Balu Saves the Day is the first book that she has written about her experiences and culture. She has written several other books featuring dogs.

Balu Saves the Day gives the reader a glimpse into a working mother's life in India. Amma starts her day out by visiting her garden and picking the vegetables. Once that chore is finished she takes Balu to market with her to sell the vegetables. At the end of the day, she would buy their groceries for dinner. However, one day Amma got sick and was not able to go to the marker. Balu has several adventures as he unintentionally sets out to save the day.

This is a cute story giving a small glimpse into Indian culture. Having lived overseas I appreciate the work the author has done to add authenticity to her story by sharing her personal experiences. The illustrations are spot on and engaging. 

I have two minor problems with the story. First, Balu is too young (5) to go to school, but when his mom gets sick he runs and gets the doctor by himself, and a bit later runs to the pharmacy, again by himself. If he is too young to be in school it seems contradictory that he can go to these places by himself. However, not having lived in India, this could be completely normal for their culture, and the area they live could be small and safe. I do know other cultures don't necessarily helicopter parent as much as we do in the US. The second thing is that I would rather the author describe the smells that Balu encounters, instead of saying "the smells were rich" add more by explaining the smells so we can experience them as well. 

Overall, the story is enjoyable and children will delight in learning about a new culture and seeing the differences between their culture and the Indian culture. The illustrations and storyline are sure to keep children engaged from beginning to end. I would recommend this story for children ages 4-7 and it would be a great addition to school and public libraries. 

Thank you to the author and Reedsy Discover for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to provide a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

★★★/5

Synopsis (from Amazon):

Little Balu is very worried when his mother falls ill unexpectedly. He finds that for once, he needs to take care of his mom. He uses the ingenuity of a five-year-old to do his best and take care of her. Little Balu is an endearing and energetic child, who will delight young readers.