The teetering pile in the Sunday MiD DAY books bay recently received two additions -- one with a tagline 'I Sit, I Write, I Flush' (The Diary of Amos Lee) and the other with 'Living in harmony with animals' (Monkeys in My Backyard). Why, we wondered, were eight year-olds writing in the loo, and just what is it about simians that bouncing kids can't seem to have enough of?
The teetering pile in the Sunday MiD DAY books bay recently received two additionsu00a0-- one with a tagline 'I Sit, I Write, I Flush' (The Diary of Amos Lee) and the other withu00a0 'Living in harmony with animals' (Monkeys in my Backyard). Why, we wondered, were eight year-olds writing in the loo, and just what is it about simians that bouncing kids can't seem to have enough of?
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Tightly wrapped in brown paper, straight from the publisher, there was no need to shake this package to know it held a crisp new book. It's always a happy day when new releases arrive at our office.
Curious about its contents and eager for that aroma that emanates from new books, the the packet was torn open with haste to find an eight year-old sitting on the pot, staring at me from the cover. He sat surrounded by racecars, sharks and a piggy bank bursting with moolah. That certainly beats our bathroom setup that simpy reminds us to flush. 
Another new book had a wide-eyed monkey hanging from a clothesline and peeking at us. But for now the monkey must wait.
The Diary of Amos Lee, read the title of the first book, by Singaporean author Adeline Foo.
'The diary began as Mum's resolution to get me to write,' says the spunky looking illustration of a kid with a kiss curl hairstyle. 'I write when doing my big business,' explains Amos, and we believe him, thanks to the poo illustration next to his declaration, complete with squiggly stink lines. 
Amos is a lovable character, who asks a lot of questions, and as I remember teachers in school telling me, that means this kid must be smart. We follow Amos as he deals with the class bully, completes his science project and eats local delicacies. We even follow him when he throws up, wets his pants and is unable to locate the toilet paper. Don't dare turn up your nose ufffd you knew what you were getting into when you took one look at the cover.
Like most little boys, Amos is an imaginative, well-meaning kid with bruised knees and mud beneath his nails. He hates his sister because she is cute (her name in his diary is WPI ("Whiny. Pesky. Irritating"). He wants to own a Game Boy simply because others have it, and he likes dinosaurs because they are big and scary.
Wait for it and around page 30 you will want to ruffle his hair, as Amos narrates his plan to raise money for a classmate in need of surgery. Moral of the story -- sometimes you need to do the right thing even if it means swallowing your pride and dressing up in an embarrassing bee costume.
The book will also teach you a thing or two about Singaporean culture, along with a child's view of economic depression. The light 118-page book is terribly enjoyable.
Monkey business
Now, back to the monkey, who finally has our full attention -- Monkeys in My Backyard is an assortment of short stories about living in harmony with animals, by Chennai-based author Scharada Dubey. Dubey describes herself as a writer, mother and tarot practitioner. She tells us tales of human-animal interactions that entertain and educate simultaneously.u00a0
Why does the pachyderm feel threatened? Why do dogs bite? What are the problems that pigs face? Dubey answers all our questions with fiction and non-fiction stories from rural India.
The monkey who took on the money-sniffing shopkeeper and the piglets who kept Akshay from studying for his exams are just a few stories that give us a glimpse of how we share our earth with animals.
While the author amuses us with chronicles of hyperactive puppies, she also educates usu00a0 about the threat to our best friends (and no, we're not just talking about dogs).
With heavy school bags, matching socks and prim pigtails, being a kid doesn't feel like it's bad business, with books like these. One more reason to avoid textbooks.
The Diary of Amos Lee by Adeline Foo. Published Hachette India. Rs 195
Monkeys in My Backyard by Scharada Dubey. Published by Scholastic. Rs 150
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