Abol Tabol : The Nonsense World of Sukumar Ray/Translated from the Bengali by Sampurna Chattarji. New Delhi, Puffin Books, 2004, xii, 172 p., figs., (pbk). ISBN 0143 335 88X.

    Contents: Translator's note. I. From Abol Tabol: 1. Glibberish-Gibberish. 2. Mish-Mash. 3. Wise old woody. 4. Pumpkin-Grumpkin. 5. The Ol' crone's home. 6. Wonster. 7. Wordygurdyboom! 8. Where do they go on a wild goose chase? 9. Making it clear. 10. Dopey-Mopey Olli. 11. Blow hot blow cold. 12. The Billy hawk calf. 13. Limey cow. 14. Notebook. 15. One-off into two. 16. Fear not. 17. Tickling tom. 18. Uncle's contraption. 19. A one and a two. 20. Very strange. 21. Stand-alones together. II. From Khai-Khai: 1. Pre amble. 2. Ripe and ready. 3. Greedy guts. 4. The green-eyed monster's song. 5. Huffy-Puffy. 6. No wonder he's a donkey! 7. Why? III. Other poems: 1. Nonsense gone-sense. 2. Picture book. 3. Show-off. 4. For better or for verse. IV. Haw-jaw-baw-raw-law: 1. Hanky-Panky. V. From Pagla Dashu: 1. Dashu the dotty one. VI. From Bohurupee: 1. A story. 2. Gorgondola. VII. Other stories: 1. Really. 2. The Diary of cautious Chuckleonymous.

    "The Bengali language has never been quite so much a living, breathing creature of whimsy as in Sukumar Ray's hands, and his creations - wild and wicked, dreamy and delirious - have thrilled children and adults alike. This selection offers you the best of his world - pun-riddled, fun-fiddled poetry from Abol Tabol and Khai Khai, stories of schoolboy pranks (Pagla Dashu) and madcap explorers (Heshoram Hushiyarer Diary), and the unforgettable harum-scarum classis Haw-Jaw-Baw-Raw-Law, presented here for the first time in its entirety. All the stories and poems are accompanied by Sukumar Ray's inimitable illustrations.

    "Sampurna Chattarji's lively new translation captures the magical nonsense groove of the Bengali original through a freewheeling play of sound and sense. This book is sure to captivate Sukumar Ray fans and win him a whole new generation of admirers."

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