The Why-Why Girl - Passionately Curious

Name of the Book - The Why-Why Girl

Author - Mahasweta Devi

Illustrator - Kanyika Kini

Publisher: Tulika Publishers

Recommended Age of Reading: 6 plus

Living in hilly areas, without having access to basic needs and walking through low hills and uneven roads, for more kilometres to reach the school.

This is the basic lifestyle of Shabar tribes who live mainly in Odisha and West Bengal. When there is so much difficulty in access to school, little did they try to attend schools, and survive without an idea about the Power of Reading and learning. Subsequently,they had more questions ( Why’s) to be answered.

This story by Mahasweta Devi is about Moyna a ten-year-old girl from the Shabar tribe and her never-ending Why’s!

Synopsis

Ten-year-old Moyna lives with her mother and two siblings. While her father was away in another city in search of a job, Moyna had to tend the goats, collect the firewood, fetch the water etc., since her mother had a bad leg and wasn’t able to walk properly. The Shabars were very poor and had to work hard and run errands for the landlords to make ends meet. She did the work, but her questioning never ended. She wanted to know Why she had to fetch the water from the river and graze the goats for the landlord. Why can’t the landlord's son do the same? From wanting to know why the stars shine and why can’t the fish speak her list of whys never ended. And so the postmaster Khiri called her the Why-Why Girl.

The author, Mahasweta Devi worked with the Shabar Samiti, a society formed to uplift the lives of those tribes. Moyna and her mother came there regularly, it’s a place where they learn to read and write or sing and dance. Moyna moves in with the author to her hut, during a short stay of her in the village declaring that the hut is too big for an old woman. Out of all her whys, one thing that changed her life was her question to the author, as to why you ( the author ) read books before you go to sleep. How that question changed her life and brought a positive impact on the Future generation of Shabar tribes is the rest of the story.

My thoughts

It’s a perfect blend of a story and illustration. Brilliant illustrations from Kanyika Kini the illustrator, we can see how perfectly she has depicted the life of tribes in the eyes of Moyna. A story to learn about the importance of education and why is it important to ask questions. Moyna's curiosity and stubbornness help her to demand the education she wants. Great exposure for kids as well as adults to know and learn about the lifestyle of the tribes, and the struggles they face. Having a tiny area in the name of a school and a teacher in it is considered the greatest luxury by the people who live in those rural areas. It teaches us how grateful we should be for everything that we have.

What if Moyna happens to read this review of mine? She will question me “Why there is no mention of my baby mongoose in this write-up”?