A bookstore F IRST LOOK SUNDAY February 07 - 13 2010

with a difference
There is a place where you will
find books and toys that you will Comet Media
not find anywhere else. It’s called Foundation
the Comet Media Foundation. Beautiful Bookstore
Foundation
books with great stories and fabulous il- Comet Media School
lustrations published by India’s best Topiwala LaneRoad
Lamington
publishing houses. Check out The Slant ashtra
M bai, Mahar
um
Book, a unique and charming picture 400007
book on a slant (complete with tilted text Call 2386 9052
and images) which tells the delightful
tale of a stroller gone amok or ABC3D, a
spectacular pop-up alphabet book; or
Excuse me, is this India? by Anushka
Ravishankar. All of these are published
by an excellent Indian publisher called
Tara Books.
Also look a range of books by another Photos by Salman Ansari.DNA
great publisher called Tulika. Their
books, for kids from 0-16 are many.
Check our My Mother’s Sari or Home,
beautiful fold-out book. There are books
by a publisher called Pratham including
City of Stories (we have reviewed this in
an earlier issue of ya!). Pratham’s books
are priced as low as Rs 20. Over the years
many wonderful authors from India have
been writing books for children of all they met artisans whose art was dying for children. They also have a great range
ages. But you seldom find these books at out because not many of low-cost science toys that are great for
any of the major bookstores. people were buying their hands on science experiments and proj-
You will however, products anymore. So ects.
find most of them they trained these peo- This is also a great place for picking up
at Comet. ple to make products unusual gifts for back presents and party
At Comet you that people would like favours.
also find a selection and started to sell them The store itself has a lovely feel to it
of very different in their store. So with its white walls, charming murals
toys. Comet’s work Comet’s range of toys and clearly organised bookshelves. The
as an NGO (Non range from colourful store may be a bit hard to find but when
Governmental (non-toxic) wooden toys from you do, you’ll be glad you took the trou-
Organisation) took Andhra Pradesh, to toys that help devel- ble to look for it.
them to the villages, and in the villages op motor skills, and other thinking skills Lubaina Bandukwala

Measure your own planet Robot talks Flower Comic relief

What: You do not need a ruler to measure the
Earth, at the National Council of Science
What: Here’s a chance
to meet the Lego
power What: Artists from Amar Chitra Katha show
children how to make their own comic books
Museum’s travelling exhibition you can learn MindStorm’s hu- What: You can visit Where: David Sassoon Library Garden, 152
about the planets measurable features. There are manoid robot. parks with The Little Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kala Ghoda, Fort
the findings of the Greek mathematician Where: 41, Gardener and learn all When: February 13, 2-4pm
Eratothenes, who tried to calculate the planet’s Dhariyaveer, 8th Road, about making flower
this week

diameter long long time ago. The exhibition fea- North-South, JVPD, jewellery and also
tures how the weight, speed, rotation, etc are Juhu about recycling.
measured. When: February 12 Where: Amarson’s Where’s your lab coat?
Where: Nehru Science Centre, Dr E Moses Road, Call: 99675 83355, 5 to Garden, Bhulabhai What: Here are science modules for even the
Worli 7pm Desai Road, Breach pre-schoolers. You can get a bit of the ocean in
When: It will be on till February 20 Candy bottles or explore the dinosaur homes and also
Call: 2492 0482 When: 5 to 6.15pm create new colours by mixing the basic ones.
Call: 98925 82794 Where: Indigo Kids, 6/18 Grants Building,
Second Floor, Arthur Bunder Road, Colaba
When: Ongoing
Art watch
What: Exquisite Indian craftsmanship can be
seen in the displayed ganjifa cards, lacquer ware,
bidri work, paper mache and enamelware — all What’s that tree?
contributing to a fascinating glimpse of the city What: Join the nature walk with the BNHS to
from the bygone era. Salim Ali Point inside Sanjay Gandhi National
Where: Kamalnayan Bajaj Mumbai gallery, Bhau Park You can also spend the morning at Ilthan
Daji Lad Museum, Veermata Jijabai Bhonsle in Rabale in Navi Mumbai
Udyan, Dr Ambedkar Road, Byculla (E) When: February 14
Call: 6556 0394 Call: 22821811