Pops! By Balaji Venkataramanan

My name is V. Arun. I am seven years old.

My father’s name is Venkatesh. He is very good. He never gets mad at me. He buys me a lot of toys and chocolates... I love my father.

That's a big bluff. Arun has never met his dad. He has only seen his photograph in the wedding album. And he hates him.

Then one day, his father comes back. His mother has to take Arun to meet him once a month. It's a court order. His grandparents say that the man is very bad and might try to take him away from his mom.

Arun is scared and angry.

But why does the man keep bringing him gifts? Why does he play with dogs? Why does he climb like a monkey? Why does he keep saying 'Pop! Pop! Pop!'? As if Arun could ever start calling this strange man 'pops'!. Pops!

This is a delightful book. The writing is natural, there is humour, and there are those amazing observations and commentary on life--all through the eyes of a 7-year-old boy. Highly recommended. Here is my full review that came in National Herald: https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/r... Balaji Venkataramanan A delightful read

Another book I picked up based on the review in a group in Facebook. I loved the child perspective and it's nice. Though I wanted to know why Arun's parents were separated, I know it's not to be known. Some things are better unsaid. My 5 stars! ‘Pops!’ is the story of seven-year-old Arun, who is going to meet his father for the very first time due to a series of events which led to this unusual situation. We see the events unfolding through Arun’s eyes over a period of one year during which time he gets to know and appreciate his father in the visiting centre of a family court where parents separated from each other come to meet their children.

Arun is a recognizable, three-dimensional boy who comes from a broken yet happy family. He is precocious but likable. Very little of the actual reasons for Arun’s parents divorcing is revealed in the story. This doesn’t deter the flow of the story. If anything, this only strengthens the protagonist’s voice as children can hardly comprehend the complexities that adults around them seem to keep adding in their lives.

Venkataramanan’s writing is rich in observations. His use of language is absolutely straightforward and simple. His style is accommodating. The tiny illustrations at the bottom of every page, which give a quick glimpse into what’s going on the page in the story at the moment, are quite endearing.
9789387103146 A child needs both his parents during the formative years of his life. None of them is replaceable. Each would hold its own importance in shaping the thoughts of the young progeny. But Arun is a poor child who isn't entitled to the luxury of living his early childhood with both his mum and dad.

POPS! is a story told from the perspective of Arun. He is the one serving his life to the readers with its bittersweet taste. Arun is torn between two when his father who left him when he was born appears in his life from out of the blues. He is taught by his mom and her family to stay away from The Man. But the sequence of events draws him closer to the very man he despises. 

It is a short read which one could finish in a single sitting easily. Not just because of its length, but also due to its simple narration, the book turns out to be a breezy read. The story discusses the family where the husband leaves her wife just to return after many years. It deals with the psychology of the little child who doesn't know why his father left him but is brought to meet him every month. The book showcases the father and son bonding over the smart tricks and clak! clak!

The book has been written in a very easy language. In the smooth flow of the story and narration, the author has deftly dealt with a complex issue. The language is of moderate level which makes the book easier to be read and comprehend. All the characters are shaped and presented very well. The narrative makes you flip the pages to read beyond. Also, each page has a doodle in the corner of the bottom which might allure the young readers. Overall, the book is attractive in its presentation. 

What pestered me were a few questions. I found the book ending abruptly at a cliffhanger. The ending didn't convince me at all. The Man returned and tried his best to befriend Arun. But why did he leave? This hasn't been mentioned anywhere. Had the book been filled with more details, it would have provided a better reading experience. 

Overall, it is a nice one-time read for the people of all age groups alike. 

MY RATING: 3.5/ 5 Balaji Venkataramanan Balaji Venkataramanan’s Pops is told from the point of view of seven-year old Arun, who lives with his mother and grandparents: they are the ones who’ve brought him up, since Arun’s father left as soon as he was born. Now a court order arrives, and every month, on one Saturday, Arun and his mother are obliged to go to the visitor centre at the family courts, so that Arun can spend time with his father. The Man, as Arun labels him, is not a nice person: he acts funnily (like a monkey, as Arun mentally dubs it), he makes odd popping sounds, he calls Arun ‘fat little boy’… but slowly, as the months go by, the equation between father and son begins to change.

As an adult and a parent reading this (and simultaneously trying to evaluate it as possible reading material for my child), I found myself very torn about this book. Looking at it from the point of view of a child (and in this case, as an adult too, living in a world which is increasingly peopled by single parents), I appreciated Venkataramanan’s attempt to show a child whose world does not have that proverbial ‘good home’ of mother-father-sibling. He shows an alternative reality, and steers away from some clichéd themes (I won’t say which, because that would amount to spoilers).

The gradual development of the relationship between Arun and The Man was done well, and Arun’s sometimes conflicted attitude towards the father he’s never known except through wedding photos was realistic.

Where I did not like Pops! was in ‘Pops’ himself. I disliked this man, disliked him a lot. Given that the story is told from the point of view of a child, I didn’t expect an explanation for why Pops left as soon as Arun was born, but just the very fact that he did, made me not kindly disposed towards The Man. Then, his calling Arun ‘fat little boy’, even if teasingly and in an attempt to break the iceâ€"that put me off (I have always been overweight, even as a child, and it hurt terribly when my father once called me ‘matronly’â€"I have still not forgotten that, and it still hurts, 35 years later).

Lastly, the cavalier way in which The Man undermines his ex-wife’s authority, and uses expensive gifts to bribe Arun: oh, not done at all. You, as an adult, obviously know your former spouse’s financial situation, but you still shower the child with expensive gifts? (this equating of affection with material things is a theme which occurs in other places in the book too, coming from other people as well).

I’d have liked this book if Pops had been shown to be a nicer person. You can win over a child even without being a combination of clown and wealthy patron and instigator of indiscipline. Balaji Venkataramanan

This is a story about Arun, an eight-year old boy, whose parents have separated. He lives with his mother and maternal grandparents. He has never met his father until now.

He meets his father for the first time at a family court where he is supposed to meet him once a month. He takes an instant deslike towards him since he has never met him and he has been asked to keep distance from him.

The story proceeds showing his dilemma as a child who likes the person in front of him but is not able to like him as his father. Through a series of little incidents Arun's father carves a special place for himself in Arun's heart.

The author has taken up the very delicate issue of marriage separation from a child's viewpoint. A few things noteworthy are-

1. None of the characters in the story have been shown in a bad light. The story is purely about Arun and his various relationships specially the budding one with his POPS !!
2. The subtle humour keeps a little smile fixated on your face throughout the book.
3. Despite the theme (broken marriage), the book can definitely be read by 7-year olds and above.
4. Simple and crisp language makes it a quick and delightful read.
5. Has a great message for adults too. Whatever may happen, never try to mould a child's thought process. Through the entire story, Arun's mother never once demeans his father in front of him. She tactfully refrains from making any mean comment about him and lets Arun form his own opinion and relationship with him.

Definitely a must read for its simple humour, amazing handling of the subject and beautiful relationship between the father-son duo. Your heart will go Clak-Clak, with a smile on your face. Book Title: Pops
Author: Balaji Venkataraman
Format: Kindle

Book Title:
The title of the book ' Pops ' is very heartwarming and touchy.

Book Cover:
The cover image of the book is an attractive digitalized pencil drawing probably drawn by a child. The image is as alluring as the title.

Plot:
The story is about Arun, an eight-year-old boy, whose parents live no more together in the wedlock but are legally separated and hence fight the case of divorce. Arun lives with his mother and maternal grandparents and is a pampered child with every amenity given.  In the process of parent's separation, Arun has never met his father in this entire seven years and there comes a moment where he encounters his father, in a court.

For a tender mind, the influence of parents and family will have an impact on judging people around them. Such is the case with Arun towards his father where his grandparents, unlike his mother, always rant ill. During the first meeting, Arun shows reluctance in accepting his father. But as the story progresses, the distance starts becoming less due to regular court meeting.

 In this connection, the author has weaved a few incidents where one can understand how the absence of a father's support and inspiration towards a kid affects. This is a short story but very deep, dark and thinkable.

What I like:
1. The psychology of a young kid living with divorced parents is clearly explained
2. The longing emotional support that parents give the kids is well described
3. The unexplainable awkward situations a person's faces are very nicely narrated

What I didn't like:
No flaws in the story either in narration or editing are found. But the only concern was at some places imagining and visualizing the kid,  Arun's character wrenching.

Characters:
Every character in the story is very much relatable to real life. The portrayal of each character is very natural that though the mother and father characters of the protagonist share a strained relationship nowhere the author influences the reader with negative traits of the characters. In fact, a reader will develop a soft corner towards every character standing in their own spaces.s


Narration:
The narration is the heart of the story. The author has waved a magic wand on all his readers with simple, heartwarming, emotional and thought-provoking narration. The act of narration here is so fantastic that this story can be read by a reader of age starting from 10 years to 60-70 years.

Language & Grammar:
A very plain and crisp English language with colloquial grammar is found in the story which makes the reading an easy one.

My Final Verdict:
Fantastic storytelling

Book Title: 4/5
Book Cover: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Narration: 4/5
Language & Grammar: 4/5
Final Rating: 4/5 A great book for kids who have a father entering their life after a gap, it left some of the questions unanswered but that’s how life is. It is narrated in a 7 year old child’s voice and his thoughts and interpretation of things is quite funny. A breezy read. A book, a novella, that I finished in one sitting.
Protagonist is a seven year old. We see his estranged parents and other people and interpretation of their activities, from his viewpoint. It's only after he turns seven his father gets to spend a few hours with him every month. It's about the simple way of a child's way of understanding relationships and behavior but we get to know and understand much more beyond what is said in the book.
Very enjoyable read.