Dadaji's Paintbrush

LoveReading4Kids Says

July 2022 Book of the Month | Longlisted for the Jhalak Children’s & Young Adult Prize 2023

In a tiny village in India a little boy lives with his grandfather. They do everything together and they especially love to paint together, sometimes joined by the other children in the village. Their love for one another is evident and when Dadaji dies, leaving the boy his favourite paintbrush, it’s too painful for the boy to even look at.

But the children of the village comfort him and their joy in the paints and paintings brings the realisation that his grandfather will always be with him.

The story is told with immense tenderness, the illustration that shows us that Dadaji has gone is particularly sensitive, with a tremendous sense of warmth. This will be a very special book to share with young children with its reassurance that love lives for ever.

Reviewed by Andrea Reece
Andrea Reece has spent almost her entire working life in children’s books, first as publisher, latterly as consultant, project manager and critic.
More reviews by Andrea Reece

About Dadaji's Paintbrush

Once, in a tiny village in India, there was a young boy who loved to paint. He lived with his grandfather, who taught him to paint with his fingers, to make paints from marigolds and brushes made from jasmine flowers. Sometimes, the village children would watch them painting together, and the boy's grandfather would invite them to join in.They didn't have much, but they had each other.After his grandfather dies, the boy notices a little box wrapped in string with a note that read:

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