Word Travelers and the Taj Mahal Mystery

September 15, 2021
Two best friends have an etymological adventure. Normally, Eddie, a White boy, and MJ, an Indian American girl, spend their sleepover Saturdays playing and watching movies. One special Saturday, however, they uncover Eddie's grandfather's tome on word origins. When they open what they call the Awesome Enchanted Book, it magically whisks them away to the Indian city of Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. There, they meet a young Rajasthani prince named Dev who needs to find his family's ancestral treasure to rebuild a village school destroyed in a typhoon. But Dev isn't the only one after the treasure: A mustache-twirling White man named Mr. Raffles wants that money too. Together, the three kids race to solve the word-related clues in order to find the treasure first. While this etymologically themed series opener's premise is promising, its execution oversimplifies India's complexity. Dev, for example, comes from a Hindu dynasty even though the book takes place largely in and around a city and monument constructed by ancient Muslim rulers, who are never mentioned as such. Additionally, the words tufan (source of typhoon) and pajama are identified only as Hindi in the glossary despite their journeys through Arabic and/or Persian; the phrase Holy Cow is introduced with no explanation of its colonialist origins. These choices shortchange both readers and premise. (This book was reviewed digitally.) This word-based adventure falters in its oversimplification of a complicated place. (Fantasy. 8-10)

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Starred review from October 1, 2021

Gr 1-4-When Eddie and Molly-Jean discover an old book of etymology, they embark on a magical and educational adventure. After looking up the word "pajamas," the Awesome Enchanted Book (AEB) whisks the children away to India, the country of the word's origins. There they meet a boy searching for a lost family treasure to rebuild his school. What follows is a fast-paced mystery complete with a series of hidden clues, secret passageways, and even a dastardly moustache-twirling villain. Haldar, coauthor of P is for Pterodactyl and No Reading Allowed, brings his humor and love of wordplay to this first entry of a new early chapter book series. The premise is reminiscent of Mary Pope Osborne's "Magic Tree House" series and will likely appeal to its fans, as it contains the same mix of fantasy, adventure, and cultural discovery. Etymology is the distinctive feature here, and its importance is reflected in every part of the text. Bold words throughout the book can be found in the glossary, with entries containing pronunciation, definition, and origin. The main characters must learn about words to find the treasure, and in doing so they discover facts about Indian culture and its influence on the English language. The cultural awareness implicit in the book's themes is reflected in the diversity of its characters as portrayed in both text and illustrations. Rawat's rounded comic artwork enhances both the humorous tone of the writing and its accessibility for young readers. The work as a whole feels very child centered, and is likely to appeal to a broad range of readers. Eddie is white with red hair, and Molly-Jean has light brown skin and curly brown hair. VERDICT This winning series opener is full of fun and facts, and is recommended for first purchase.-Elizabeth Lovsin, Deerfield Public Library, IL

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