‘Burp’ turns author again!

‘Burp’ turns author again!

Book review: My Brother Jack
Author: Biswadeep Ghosh
Publisher: Times Group Books
Pages: 126

Burp the author is back! This time with a brother 'Jack' who comes to live with his 'mum' and 'papa' in their new flat. In Burp's debut novel Woof! Woof!, we are introduced to a baby Cocker Spaniel who has owners (read parents) who dote on him and feed him with their hands and let him sleep with them, on the same bed. But My Brother Jack brings forth a more mature, mellow and accommodating Burp who shares his space, toys with the new member in the family, including his parents' love, which of course is not the smoothest part.

Burp's papa Biswadeep Ghosh once again checks the spellings for Burp, and goes about being the kind, oblivious father to the growing up Cocker Spaniel who finds life's little lessons in his father's offhanded musings. His mum, however, is the more affectionate one, pampering him even when she is knackered after a hard day's work. Burp is the apple of her eye, and she is the first one to notice when he is depressed or not eating regularly. Cheeky is the housekeeper who cooks for Burp and looks after him when his parents are away. She in the dog's eye has a pleasant disposition, is capable of staring at the television inordinately, and rustling delicious meals for him.

Things in Burp's happy household are set for a change after his father receives an anonymous call about rescuing a stray. Jack was the scared little dog turned out of many places before he found shelter in a kind lady's home, but she too had other obligations and thought it best to bring him to Burp's papa. And being the kind man he was he took Jack in without a moment's hesitation. And that was the beginning of little Burp's quandary in a household that hitherto revolved with him in its center. The author's presentation of Burp's side of the story now, his reservations about sharing his space and even his parents with this new member in the family, his moments of acute jealousy against the warmth of his parents' love for both him and his kid brother, is synonymous with a little child's dilemma when he is introduced to his new sibling who goes on to become the parents' immediate object of affection. Like a human child Burp, the Cocker Spaniel, too perceives the world from his parents' point of view, and like with a human baby is biased to everything concerning his mom, but is just as quick in judging his dad.

Burp is discomfited when his papa returns home from work to play with Jack while he sits in a distance and mournfully watches them enjoy each other's company. He begins to resent Jack, like the way a kid would his younger sibling, and feels his father doesn't love him anymore. It takes a certain event for Burp to come closer to the new member in the family and accept him as his own just like his mama and papa. The book is made up of several events from Burp's everyday life like visiting the doctor, arrival of his mum's brother and his girlfriend, to how Jack slowly becomes his follower. 'My Brother Jack' is not essentially a kiddie read, in fact if you are reading it out to your kid, you too will be able to extract a lesson or two out of it. Many complex thoughts are expressed with such clinical simplicity that you don't feel the weight of them anymore after reading it, and this quality about the book is heart warming.

Perhaps you would also begin to appreciate your child better after this, and the simple but dense web of thoughts that dominate his young mind, and how even the slightest change in his environment is enough to unsettle him. Also, to not make light of a child's untainted perception of the world, which most elders unconsciously do, for that's what makes childhood days most special. The author clearly intends for us to try and discern the obvious - the things that catch our eye, but never our attention
.