Children’s books are perhaps the only ones of their kind which can excite children and grown-ups to an equal degree. The stories, characters, and subjects that find feature hold meaning for both elders and youngers alike. It is just a matter of experience and perspective that becomes the main factor in differentiating between the viewpoint of elders and children. Priyadarshini’s book, “The Postwoman and Other Stories,” is one work in children’s literary writing that focuses on both elder and younger readers simultaneously and caters to their understandings on an individual level simultaneously. While on a general level, the book may be categorized as a piece of children’s writing belonging to the children’s world, there is a lot more that the author has in store for the grown-up readers too.
As the author begins, she keeps the stories in “The Postwoman and Other Stories” short and concise, focusing on the cognitive abilities of children and their capabilities to retain things and information. In this sense, the work is written keeping in mind the psychological aspects that ensure that more than one child in a household can read the same book or, rather, read it together. Since everything in the world is new to children, Priyadarshini chooses subjects that would leave lasting impressions on young minds, and while they learn a bunch of things through one story, they also are able to retain the concepts and details about various aspects surrounding society they live in and would become citizens in the future. Overall, on reading the book, the children would no longer remain passive receptors of facts and information, rather decode them on their own and also see a development in their abilities to analyze and look at things from a broader perspective.
The author may have chosen to keep the stories only 8 in number in “The Postwoman and Other Stories,” yet every story introduces the readers to a universe that is different and distinct from the other. It not only provides an enriching experience but also helps “The Postwoman and Other Stories” stand apart from its counterparts in the realm of children’s literature. In a time when less is being written in the field of children’s writing, Priyadarshini’s work comes as a breath of fresh air with accurate usage of imagination, creativity, and content that caters to the sharpening of the senses at the same time. Therefore, the book becomes an enjoyable reading experience for children, and they may want to read the whole of it again or perhaps pick up particular stories that would become their favorites.
It is interesting to notice how the author opts to keep the characters unnamed and rather define them by their professions. On a subconscious level, “The Postwoman and Other Stories” would introduce sensitivity among children towards occupations that would otherwise not find mention in routine life and would more or less escape the observations of their family members. At the same time, this technique also helps lift the bar of gender grouping and defining of professions and makes children believe that no profession can be restricted to any particular gender or group. This helps in developing a foundation where a broad and accommodating mindset becomes a prerequisite ultimately, leading to the development of a healthy outlook.
Simultaneously, the author uses different techniques in “The Postwoman and Other Stories” to excite and ignite the imagination of children and push their limits in terms of both imaginations and making them think out of the box. Even when elders are involved in reading the stories, they may experience an involvement on a personal level and may develop an interest of their own in Priyadarshini’s book. To add, the author creates an accurate mix of illustrations and graphics with different colors to catch the attention of the readers and also give their reading a concrete kind of experience. Altogether, this makes sure that “The Postwoman and Other Stories” is placed among the firsts of children’s books due to not just the subjects and plots it explores, rather because of the sensitivity it invokes successfully in young readers, which would be constructive in developing their sensibilities. Alongside, the author creates a balance in the usage of words and illustrations. The book avoids being wordy and excessively pictorial. There is an accurate mixture of both elements resulting in a balanced whole.
Therefore, recommending “The Postwoman and Other Stories” by Priyadarshini not just to children but also grown-ups for reading would be fair to the content of the book. While it has something or the other for all age groups, it also ensures that the readers have a healthy learning process where they close the book with the development of a new and broad mindset that is accommodating and considerate towards all people.
