Cover Image Source & Credit: HerStory

Today, I was going through an interesting book by Sudha Murthy. The book’s name was ‘The Gopi Diaries’. It is actually a series that comes as a box set, and in all the books, Gopi the dog is the main protagonist. The story I read was about how a dog came into a stranger’s house and how they treated him.

The characters included a dog named Gopi, his mother, father, chachas, mamas, kakas, kakus, aunts, uncles and cousins. Gopi’s grandfather was his Ajja, who was very scared of dogs because he had been bitten once and had to take fourteen injections in his stomach. His grandmother, Ajji, was a plump lady, and her thin sister was Tachi Ajji.

My favourite character was, of course, Gopi, because he is the hero of the series. He was golden in colour, which is my favourite. He had a jet-black nose and eyes that looked like they were lined with kohl. He was a very bright and loyal dog. All the characters felt real to me except the toys. Some toys made funny sounds, and some looked like fake dogs and cats. Gopi’s Ajji and Tachi Ajji even welcomed him into their house with a special aarti.

The story kept me guessing what would happen next, and I kept turning the pages with curiosity. It also made me laugh aloud because there were many funny parts. One moment I enjoyed was when a man had to choose a pet dog from Moti, Duke, Gopi, Marsh and Tommy, and he finally chose Gopi.

There were also sad scenes. One was when Gopi and his cousins’ mother went for a walk and got trapped in a big room. Another moment that made me feel bad was when Gopi went out for breakfast with Ajji, Tachi Ajji and Appa. The aroma of oil, ghee and rice made him want to eat everything, but Ajji didn’t allow him because the doctor had to decide what Gopi should eat.

Another sad incident was when Gopi was taken forcefully to the veterinary hospital for an injection he had to get twice a year. It was very painful for him.

I will rate this book 4.5/5 and will definitely recommend children to read this series. It has mystery, colourful pictures, and it also improves your vocabulary.

Reviewed By: Keshav Lodha, 12 years old