This week’s feature book for our younger children is ‘Under the Great Plum Tree’ by Sufiya Ahmed. Please click here if you want to find out more or purchase it.
Book Trust Review
Set in the jungles of India, this is a marvellous retelling of a traditional tale from the Panchatantra, an ancient collection of Indian animal fables. Miss Bandari is a monkey who is known throughout the land for her heart of gold. When Mr Magarmach, an elderly crocodile, seeks shelter under her plum tree, Miss Bandari can see that he is hungry and generously shares her fruit with him.
He returns each day and a touching companionship develops between the two creatures. To repay her kindness, the crocodile tells her exciting stories of his younger days, when he battled with human hunters, pythons and lions. Their friendship is tested, however, when Mr Magarmach invites Miss Bandari to lunch and inadvertently puts her in grave danger.
