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Biji's in the Kitchen

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Slimy bhindi curry, anyone? Biji is freestyle and fun. But when she is in the kitchen, everyone, beware!

Kindle Edition

Published September 25, 2023

1 person is currently reading
3 people want to read

About the author

Natasha Sharma

103 books23 followers
An award-winning children’s books author, Natasha has published eighteen books for children till date. Beginning with her ever-popular book ‘Icky, Yucky, Mucky’, Natasha has written across age groups and formats from picture books, early chapter books, historical fiction to her new book in a graphic novel format, ‘The Good Indian Child’s Guide to Eating Mangoes’.

Often wielding humour on the page, her stories are known to lead to many giggles.

Her poems have featured in anthologies, course-books for schools and on the CBSE recommended reading list.
‘Shah Jahan and the Ruby Robber’ won the Best Illustrated Children’s Book in Comic Con India 2018 while ‘Razia and the Pesky Presents’ won the South Asia Book Award in 2015.
Another book ‘Bonkers’ received the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for Asia and Middle East in 2014.
Her highly acclaimed History Mystery series has received numerous recognitions including the Rivo Kids Parent and Kids Choice Award. ‘Squiggle Takes a Walk’ and ‘Rooster Raga’ have featured on Flipkart’s Best Children’s Books in 2013 and 2014.

Natasha is an MBA with a graduate degree in Math and lives in Mumbai.

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5 stars
10 (76%)
4 stars
2 (15%)
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1 (7%)
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Profile Image for Deotima Sarkar.
964 reviews31 followers
October 13, 2023
@penguinsters brings us another fun hook book again!
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In this one we have the experimental 'freestyle' cook Biji cooking up God knows what! Everything she has cooked has been terrible but she wont follow any cookbook recipe too!
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Biji however rides a motorcycle like e pro and takes you on gobi, paneer pakoda treat and also into these hidden gali s for the best malai lassi s.
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Biji is also learning to speak english, translates it literally, has a lot of fun cosmetics and also hides and gorges on candies ( Doctor rules overlooked!)
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Biji was also part of India s freedom struggle, she participated in hunger strikes and thats where she thought of mish mash recipes!
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So, will Biji finally make something good?
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Fun and engaging, this book by Natasha Sharma is the right kind of cute story you need to read even as an adult and definitely with/to any kid!
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Special mention to illustrator Sonal Gupta, whose beautiful and detailed pictures actually made me do a reel of this book!
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Profile Image for Dhwani.
687 reviews25 followers
November 14, 2023
Biji’s in the Kitchen by Natasha Sharma is a fun children’s book published by Duckbill and illustrated by Sonal Gupta.

Most of our Bijis cook us delicious finger-licking meals, right? But this Biji is a little different. She doesn’t believe in doing the same old recipes the same old way. She loves to have a fun and freestyle approach to cooking. The kids are scared to eat what Biji ends up cooking but Biji is not just limited to her challenging cooking skills. She’s much more than that. Devour this book to know more about Biji and her skills.

This book was such a different read than the ones we have for children. I love reading about the slightly eccentric characters; it makes children’s fiction more believable and fun. The illustrations and the cover too depict what the book is holding. Sonal Gupta’s illustrations add the cherry to the cake of already fun book.

Will I be on the lookout for more books written by Natasha Sharma? Duh, yes!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ekta M.
545 reviews3 followers
September 30, 2023
Lauki halwa. Bhindi Curry.
Anyone ??



Biji cooks the food but her food tastes awful. But Biji also doesn't want to give up. Her cooking funda is "cooking should be freestyle and fun". When Biji cooks everyone in the house becomes alert. Biji cant cook but she can do many other things.
Read the book to know what other things can Biji do.

When i read this book i could relate. I dont know to cook much...Infact i hate cooking but i do experiment just like Biji. This is such a sweet story of Biji always failing in her cooking but never giving up. I also like where the book mentions that "Biji cant cook but she can do many things"... this shows that its okay if women dont know cooking... they can do many other things. With this, the book breaks the stereotype.

This story teaches that one should keep trying till they succeed. Also when trying one should try with fun and free mind.

The book has thick glossy pages with colourful illustrations that are engaging and attractive. The illustrations are such that it brings alive the scenes. Wordings are big. There is also an exercise at the end of the book.

At one point there is this scene in the book of chocolates...which bring back memories of childhood when mango bite, parle, poppins and swad choclates were famous.

Altogether a great read. Children are surely going to enjoy it
Profile Image for Saumya.
262 reviews65 followers
September 26, 2023
Biji is so many things, taking kids vrooming on a motorcycle to a pakora shop, to finding her way on a narrow street in an old part of town, taking part in the freedom moment to free the country from Britishers but Biji's freestyle and fun cooking is hard to devour.

Biji unlike another grandma, who cooks wonderful and delicious food like sooji ka halwa, fluffy pooris, and parathas Biji is exceptional. She knows how to ride a motorcycle, find her way into the narrow streets in the old part of the town, makes the best food combination, and takes part in the national moment to free the country. But her freestyle and creativity do not go well in the kitchen, slimy bhindi curry, Lauki ka Halwa, etc. were terrible cooking experiments in spite of that, Biji's not willing to give up.

This was a fun and comfy read, if your kid is 5 or above I highly recommend this book. Reading this book makes you laugh out loud and happy, Highly recommended for your kid.
Profile Image for Mahi Aggarwal.
1,084 reviews27 followers
October 14, 2023
Biji, the main character, is a lovable and relatable figure. Her determination to keep experimenting in the kitchen despite her constant mishaps is endearing. The author's writing style effortlessly weaves together humor and heartwarming moments.

The illustrations throughout the book not only complement the story but also add a visual dimension that enhances the reading experience. They capture the essence of the characters and the culinary chaos in a way that's truly captivating.

This book evokes a sense of nostalgia that transports you to a simpler time, and the descriptions of Biji's culinary escapades make your taste buds tingle. It's a perfect blend of laughter, warmth, and mouthwatering dishes.

Overall , it's not just a delightful and fun read,it's a book that leaves you with a craving for both good food and good company, a truly memorable combination.
113 reviews4 followers
October 4, 2023
This is a very short book for kids that beautifully narrates the story that revolves around a grandmother who sucks in cooking normal dishes but is a badass when it comes to everything else.
This is a good book to introduce your children to reading. I think parents can rely on the ‘Hook Book’ collection to get suitable reading materials for your young ones. The font is sophisticated. The colours are popping and the storylines are relatable.
I liked how the Grandma aced the game of cooking by mishmashing dishes at the end. I have to admit that the illustrations in this book were pretty captivating. It did justice by giving life to that ‘Cool Grandmother’ character. On the whole this was a worthy book with colourful illustrations.
Profile Image for Enakshi J..
Author 8 books55 followers
October 23, 2023

This Hook Book is super fun because Biji can make your taste buds bruised by her freestyle cooking. Whether it is Lauki Halwa or Slimy Bhindi, she has it her way or the highway. While the others in the house often look for excuses not to have her food, Biji, an artist of the sorts, finds ways to convince them to taste her food. So many lessons in such a short narrative! Impressive.

Acknowledging the efforts of everyone who tries to cheer you up, trying till you succeed and being polite even when you dislike something are some great takeaways for young children in this book. An absolutely delicious story, laced with colourful pictures and attention-grabbing font, Biji’s in the Kitchen is a quick read. Go for it.
Profile Image for Sunita.
170 reviews4 followers
November 2, 2023
A five star for me because it reminded me of my sweet sweet grandmother.
Profile Image for Yesha- Books Teacup and Reviews.
920 reviews159 followers
November 3, 2023
review - https://booksteacupreviews.com/2023/1...

The story is told from a girl’s perspective (we don’t know the name of the girl). She tells how she dreads testing her grandmother (called Biji in Punjabi) as whatever she cooks is awful and hard to swallow. She wants to have an excuse not to eat and wonders does she has to eat Biji’s food till it tastes good (and no one has any idea when it will be good enough to eat! 😂)

I love how the girl still tastes Biji’s food and tries not to make a face. It was amazing how this little girl could see past her grandmother’s horrible food and notice how amazing she was in other things in life.

Biji is carefree, lively, and fun. I loved she how her awful cooking never discouraged her in life, she kept trying to cook and never gave up which is amazing message in the book.

Let me tell you one thing, being an Indian woman and not being able to cook palatable food is so very frowned upon by most of society. People judge you and literally! Some even think you’re not marriageable if you can’t cook. So it was really inspiring to see Biji not fitting into that society and yet wasn’t affected by it. In fact, I love how supportive her family was even though they all dreaded what they would eat whenever Biji entered the Kitchen.

Many can relate to Biji’s freestyle and fun cooking. I’m a bit of both and I enjoy it when I don’t have to look at the recipe. We also get a glimpse of her past why she loves to create food mishmashes. Her dreams of mishmash food didn’t sound that good but it added fun to the story.

I loved the end. It made me smile to read that Biji finally could make something delectable. It also gives the message– everyone can cook delicious food all the time and everyone has a specialty, everyone is the best at one thing in life, you just have to find it and for that you have to keep trying.

Overall, Biji’s in the Kitchen is entertaining, super fun, and delightful children’s fiction with amazing message for not just kids but all readers.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews