The Tigers of Taboo Valley

by Ranjit Lal

Rana Shaan-Bahadur, alpha-male tiger of Sher-Kila National Park feted around the world after being filmed by a wildlife photographer is also father to four cubs, Hasti, Masti, Phasti and Zafraan. When their mother, the beauteous Raat-ki-Rani falls to a poacher's bullets, Shaan-Bahadur suddenly finds himself a single parent, a matter of great shame for a male tiger. To escape the taunts of the other tigers, he moves to the dreaded Taboo Valley, an abandoned area with a dark history inside the national park. But Khoon-Pyaasa, the poacher, is on the prowl, determined to kill the magnificent Shaan-Bahadur, as are Shaan's rivals for the position of alpha-male. And deadliest of them all, ASKAA Al-Seekh Kabab Atankvad Andolan an underground group of porcupine terrorists, have sworn to exterminate all tigers and will stop at nothing till they get their quills into Shaan-Bahadur and his cubs.

A hilarious and touching story of wildlife politics, fearsome terrorist tactics, dysfunctional tiger families and more, The Tigers of Taboo Valley is Ranjit Lal at his very best.

176 pages, Paperback

First published February 2, 2014

Reviews

[Era · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was first published on The Era I Lived In 

The promises made by the book's colorful cover that it shall be loaded with the fun in the jungle, are delivered with a pinch of humor, a dash of pragmatism and above all it helps children learn how futile some of the societal stereotypes are. I picked the book because the blurb promised to touch upon and defy the belief that a single parent (a male in this case) can’t rear his children alone.

I wish to congratulate the author on the beautiful portrayal of all the animals part of the book who not only stand tall to their animal instincts but also reflect shades of human tendencies in their behavior very cleverly.

The effort invested in naming these animals shines brightly because children not only love memorizing them but also remember the stories behind their names long after. For example, the vulture couple has been named Diclo-Fenac (after the harmful effects of vultures scavenging on cattle fed diclofenac sodium medicines and ending up on the verge of extinction). The troupe of porcupines has been named, ASKAA- Al-Seekh-Kebab Atankvad Aandolan.

The book is written for ages 12 years and above and touches upon the fascination for social media, love for youth, fashion and being famous (on Facebook included) and above all on presenting various important life-lessons in an easy-to-understand by children format.

The book is a thorough entertainer for children and adults alike. Though the start comes across as an overdo of humor but as the plot thickens, you’ll find yourself glued to this page-turner, a touching story of wildlife politics, scary terrorist tactics, dysfunctional families and the adventurous journey of a single parent realizing his capabilities when life pushes him to the edge.

[Varsha Seshan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed most of this book, particularly because of the way it plays with oral storytelling tropes. Full of irreverent humour, it was quirky and entertaining. The lighthearted tone of the book made it a quick read.

[Ed Goodbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane De Suza reviews the book on Goodbooks: "If your kids love animals, they’ll like this book. If your kids don’t love animals, they’ll like this book. Now that that’s done and dusted, what’s the raving and roaring all about?

Ranjit Lal sets his tale in the Sher-Kila wildlife park and plunges head-over-paw into the lives of tigers. No surprises there, it’s a topic the naturalist-cum-author manages eyes closed. However, these tigers are a bunch of smart-talking characters – the entitled, lolling son and heir Zafraan, the feisty runt Phasti who does her dad proud, the loving Lolita and, of course, the star Rana Shaan-Bahadur. The alpha male and ruling tiger Rana Shaan-Bahadur is a social-media, fame-feeding celebrity who struts his stuff on the ramparts of the fort, so that the likes of Ayesha of the stunning tresses can photograph him and send his Facebook ratings rocketing." Click here to read the full review: http://goodbooks.in/node/7265

[Amulya Arasinamakki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as a gift on my birthday. A very light read, but surely entertaining. I was reminded of the days when I used to read similar stories of anthromorphised animals in Champaka, Balamangala, Tunturu or even Tinkle.

If given a choice, I wouldn't have picked it for myself; may be that's why this was a special read.

[Nikita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witty and enjoyable read!