Zai Whitaker, illustrated by Srividya Natarajan
Kali and The Rat Snake
Kane/Miller 2006 (first American edition)

This is a tale about learning to celebrate rather than denigrate differences: both in oneself and in others.  A young Indian boy, Kali, goes to school for the first time. Unlike the other children, he comes from the Irula Tribe and his father is the tribe's most famous snake-catcher. On his way to school in the second month of classes, the new student tells the bushes, 'school hates me': but he longs to fit in and make friends.

Kali becomes conscious of the differences that separate him from the other children on his first day, when they are all asked to name themselves, their village and what their father did for a living... the children laugh when Kali tells them about his father. Then, at lunchtime, he hides so that no one will see his lunch of fried termites. The other children eat idli, mixture, bread and biscuits instead (idli and mixture are described at the beginning of the book, in a 'Words to Discover'page).

The illustrations in 'Kali and the Rat Snake'are depicted in startlingly brilliant colors. The illustrator, Srividya Natarajan, is a bharatanatyam dancer and her pictures are, befittingly, full of movement.  In a panoramic view, we see a rat snake uncoiling above the class on a beam attached to the ceiling. We also see the teacher hiding underneath his desk, as the children fret and panic. Then, in a series of action sketches, we see Kali catching the snake. We learn that he has considerable insight into the snake's behavior: for example, he knows the snake is 'terrified'and that it has a keen sense of smell.

As Kali is thinking of the rewards of selling the snake, he looks around and realizes that children are celebrate his bravery: he has become the class hero, as opposed to its misfit. When he asks for a bag to put the snake in, 'ten children'run to find him one. The teacher plays down the incident by referring to the rat snake as 'non-poisonous', but Kali knows the truth: it has a painful bite. The children are not deceived either, and Kali feels welcome at last.

Anna Kelly
January 2007