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The Essential Collection for Young Readers
Ruskin Bond has been writing stories for children for over six decadesnow, delighting and enchanting each new generation of readers with hisheart-warming tales of friendship, love and coming-of-age. Curated inthis essential collection are some of his best-loved stories, designed tointroduce the young reader to Ruskin’s cast of beloved characters—from theirrepressible Rusty, with his constant thirst for adventure, to his Grandfather,with his overflowing kindness towards all creatures great and small; from theresolute Bina, who braves a leopard to walk to school, to Suraj and SunderSingh, who become unlikely friends.Including classic tales such as ‘The Girl on the Train’, ‘Coming Home toDehra’, ‘The Room of Many Colours’ and ‘The Blue Umbrella’; in turns funny,touching, whimsical and nostalgic, this collection is a must-read for childrenand adults alike.
218 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2015
409 people are currently reading
362 people want to read
About the author
Ruskin Bond
683 books3,569 followersRuskin Bond is an Indian author of British descent. He is considered to be an icon among Indian writers and children's authors and a top novelist. He wrote his first novel, The Room on the Roof, when he was seventeen which won John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize in 1957. Since then he has written several novellas, over 500 short stories, as well as various essays and poems, all of which have established him as one of the best-loved and most admired chroniclers of contemporary India. In 1992 he received the Sahitya Akademi award for English writing, for his short stories collection, "Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra", by the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters in India. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1999 for contributions to children's literature. He now lives with his adopted family in Landour near Mussoorie.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
December 18, 2022
✴️Genre: Short Story/Fiction
📜Contents :
1. The Room of Many Colours👍👍👍👍
2. All Creatures Great and Small👍👍👍
3. The Four Features👍👍
4. Growing Up With Trees 👍
5. The Funeral 👍👍👍👍👍
6. Coming Home to Dehra 👍👍👍
7. Our Great Escape👍👍
8. The Last Tonga Ride 👍👍👍
9. The Night Train at Deoli 👍👍👍
10. The Coral Tree👍
11. Love and Cricket👍
12. The Night the Roof Blew Off👍👍
13. The Photograph👍👍
14. The Tunnel👍👍
15. The Overcoat👍👍👍👍
16. The Girl on the Train👍👍
17. The Woman on Platform No. 8👍👍👍👍
18. The Fight👍👍👍
19. A Long Walk for Bina 👍👍👍
20. A Case for Inspector Lal 👍
21. The Thief's Story (🎆My all time favourite🎆)👍👍👍👍👍
22. The Trouble with Jinns 👍👍👍
23. Adventures in Reading 👍
24. The Blue Umbrella 👍👍👍👍
This is the best short story collection I have ever read by Ruskin Bond.
From the many collections (of almost biographical narrations & other collections of Ruskin Bond books that I have been collecting over years), I have chosen this book so as to highlight it as the best I have ever read till date. 👌My favourites include :
✨ The Funeral & The Woman on Platform No.8 are real tear jerkers. ✨ The Night Train at Deoli & The Trouble with Jinns has paranormal features.
✨ The Overcoat gave me the goosebumps.
✨ A Long Walk for Bina & The Blue Umbrella can be considered as novellas. Perfect ones!
✨ The Thief's Story makes you feel so good.
✨ The Night The Roof Blew Off is both hilarious and poignant.
🌡️ Recommended!!!
📜Contents :
1. The Room of Many Colours👍👍👍👍
2. All Creatures Great and Small👍👍👍
3. The Four Features👍👍
4. Growing Up With Trees 👍
5. The Funeral 👍👍👍👍👍
6. Coming Home to Dehra 👍👍👍
7. Our Great Escape👍👍
8. The Last Tonga Ride 👍👍👍
9. The Night Train at Deoli 👍👍👍
10. The Coral Tree👍
11. Love and Cricket👍
12. The Night the Roof Blew Off👍👍
13. The Photograph👍👍
14. The Tunnel👍👍
15. The Overcoat👍👍👍👍
16. The Girl on the Train👍👍
17. The Woman on Platform No. 8👍👍👍👍
18. The Fight👍👍👍
19. A Long Walk for Bina 👍👍👍
20. A Case for Inspector Lal 👍
21. The Thief's Story (🎆My all time favourite🎆)👍👍👍👍👍
22. The Trouble with Jinns 👍👍👍
23. Adventures in Reading 👍
24. The Blue Umbrella 👍👍👍👍
This is the best short story collection I have ever read by Ruskin Bond.
From the many collections (of almost biographical narrations & other collections of Ruskin Bond books that I have been collecting over years), I have chosen this book so as to highlight it as the best I have ever read till date. 👌My favourites include :
✨ The Funeral & The Woman on Platform No.8 are real tear jerkers. ✨ The Night Train at Deoli & The Trouble with Jinns has paranormal features.
✨ The Overcoat gave me the goosebumps.
✨ A Long Walk for Bina & The Blue Umbrella can be considered as novellas. Perfect ones!
✨ The Thief's Story makes you feel so good.
✨ The Night The Roof Blew Off is both hilarious and poignant.
🌡️ Recommended!!!
May 11, 2021
‘’Let no one take your dream away.’’
Yet again a compilation of 24 short stories by Ruskin bond, The essential collection for young Readers provides a delighting and heart warming read for all age groups. You can find all these stories in his various other books of short stories too but what else is better than reading his stories on a warm relaxing Sunday.
Through the stories included in this book, he showcases his writing style by beautifully describing moments of nostalgia and childhood. Our childhood is filled with adventurous stories and so was his. Themes of loneliness after his father’s death, not able to bond with his mother and stepfather, feeling of insecurities all are explored in this book. How he immersed himself in his books, turned to a premature adult, was broke during his teenage years and how he never left his passion for writing. How the partition changed the landscape of silent hills turning violent, riots breaking in Dehradun, condition of the schools have been reflected in one or other stories.
His separation from Dehra and from his grandfather’s house in his last Tonga ride, missing his small treasures in the Banyan trees of Orchard, his visits to and island he and his father discovered, teaming up with all his grandfathers’ animals in the backyard – all such remembrances have been made.
What I most like about all his stories and books that how the environment and journey is showcased. Vivid scenery of hills of 1940s is presented through words which is just so refreshing and heavenly. And it amazes how the hills were garlanded with almost every flora and fauna in the good old days.
Be it night or day, the fresh aura that he captured of the most romantic moments – bidding goodbye to a girl he just met under the shade of Coral Tree, or of the long-lost love of Sushila that he meets in Delhi are all lessons in love to the young readers.
The age of adolescence is a very sensitive age. We experience love, loss of relationships, dreams being built and broken, failure or success in examinations; yet the life moves on like a stream descending downwards from the glacier to the mountains and to the plains making its way across every stones, creaks and crevices, broken trees teaching us to never stop in our life and breeze past through all our challenges.
Make good friends with whom you can share your secrets. If your friends are not there to see your best moments, then that moment is not worth it. Always try to create best environment for yourself when doing something. An extract of how Ruskin Bond describes his surroundings -
At the height of the monsoon, the banyan tree was like an orchestra pit with the musicians constantly turning up. The papayas were ripening. The scent of sweet peas drifted across the garden. Birds, insects and squirrels expressed their joy at the end of the hot weather and the cool quenching relief of the rains. A flute in my hands, I would try adding my shrill piping to theirs. But they thought poorly of my musical ability, for whenever I played on the flute, the birds and insects would subside into a pained and puzzled silence.
Ending my review with the famous ending lines of his classic emotional story The Blue umbrella –
She walked home through the darkening glade, singing of the stars, and the trees stood still and listened to her, and the mountains were glad.
Yet again a compilation of 24 short stories by Ruskin bond, The essential collection for young Readers provides a delighting and heart warming read for all age groups. You can find all these stories in his various other books of short stories too but what else is better than reading his stories on a warm relaxing Sunday.
Through the stories included in this book, he showcases his writing style by beautifully describing moments of nostalgia and childhood. Our childhood is filled with adventurous stories and so was his. Themes of loneliness after his father’s death, not able to bond with his mother and stepfather, feeling of insecurities all are explored in this book. How he immersed himself in his books, turned to a premature adult, was broke during his teenage years and how he never left his passion for writing. How the partition changed the landscape of silent hills turning violent, riots breaking in Dehradun, condition of the schools have been reflected in one or other stories.
His separation from Dehra and from his grandfather’s house in his last Tonga ride, missing his small treasures in the Banyan trees of Orchard, his visits to and island he and his father discovered, teaming up with all his grandfathers’ animals in the backyard – all such remembrances have been made.
What I most like about all his stories and books that how the environment and journey is showcased. Vivid scenery of hills of 1940s is presented through words which is just so refreshing and heavenly. And it amazes how the hills were garlanded with almost every flora and fauna in the good old days.
Be it night or day, the fresh aura that he captured of the most romantic moments – bidding goodbye to a girl he just met under the shade of Coral Tree, or of the long-lost love of Sushila that he meets in Delhi are all lessons in love to the young readers.
The age of adolescence is a very sensitive age. We experience love, loss of relationships, dreams being built and broken, failure or success in examinations; yet the life moves on like a stream descending downwards from the glacier to the mountains and to the plains making its way across every stones, creaks and crevices, broken trees teaching us to never stop in our life and breeze past through all our challenges.
Make good friends with whom you can share your secrets. If your friends are not there to see your best moments, then that moment is not worth it. Always try to create best environment for yourself when doing something. An extract of how Ruskin Bond describes his surroundings -
At the height of the monsoon, the banyan tree was like an orchestra pit with the musicians constantly turning up. The papayas were ripening. The scent of sweet peas drifted across the garden. Birds, insects and squirrels expressed their joy at the end of the hot weather and the cool quenching relief of the rains. A flute in my hands, I would try adding my shrill piping to theirs. But they thought poorly of my musical ability, for whenever I played on the flute, the birds and insects would subside into a pained and puzzled silence.
Ending my review with the famous ending lines of his classic emotional story The Blue umbrella –
She walked home through the darkening glade, singing of the stars, and the trees stood still and listened to her, and the mountains were glad.
November 25, 2021
Nothing is better than reading stories of your favourite author under the blanket, shielded from the cold and cruel world. As usual, I was mesmerised by the cute sentences. Sometimes I took very long to read a sentence; apparently, words become hard to read when you have water in your eyes. If one story made me cry, then the next story made me laugh. It was an outpour of almost all emotions. Even though he repeated a few stories, I enjoyed them equally. Maybe it was the mock drill to test the readers of Oscar Wilde quote-- "If one can not enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use reading it at all".
August 11, 2020
Ruskin Bond never ceases to captivate me with his stories. Why I enjoy more the stories more is it has a tinge of love and kindness in the way he had spun all his stories. Love all his stories for life.
November 6, 2021
It's a series of more the 20 classic stories, which are so good, if you have choice of classic stories go get it!!.
June 25, 2020
A story collection just like its author. Humane, simple and warm stories from the foothills of Himalayas.
July 29, 2019
The Essential Collection for Young Readers is not only for young readers but for everyone. This book contains beautiful stories.. some fictions and some true encounters from Mr. Bond's life. A must read for everyone. Some stories in this book will take your imagination to places, you may never be able to visit in your life. Loved it!
March 29, 2020
Delightful & uplifting
What a lovely collection of stories! A great read for readers of all ages: the young and young at heart.
What a lovely collection of stories! A great read for readers of all ages: the young and young at heart.
December 17, 2023
good collection of short stories. perfect for gifting to young ones.
December 11, 2025
With Ruskin Bond. The Man who gave me so much,,,,
Ruskin Bond’s The Essential Collection for Young Readers is a warm, expansive doorway into one of India’s most beloved literary worlds.
Designed as a curated introduction for children—but equally delightful for adults—the collection captures the full spectrum of Bond’s storytelling strengths: charm, simplicity, humour, nostalgia, adventure, and the gentle moral compass that quietly shapes his narratives.
What makes this anthology “essential” is not merely the selection of popular stories but the way it synthesises Bond’s lifelong dedication to portraying childhood as a place of innocence, curiosity, and discovery.
At the heart of the book lie Bond’s most iconic themes: the beauty of the mountains, the companionship between humans and nature, the wonder of small-town life, and the friendships formed in improbable circumstances.
These stories have an intimate, lived-in quality because Bond isn’t manufacturing adventures—he is recollecting experiences and emotions, transforming real places and people into narratives with universal appeal.
A simple walk through the bazaar can turn into a moment of insight. A chance meeting with a stranger becomes an adventure. Everyday incidents grow into formative memories.
For young readers, this is profoundly anchoring; for adults, it is a return to lost simplicity.
Bond’s language remains one of his greatest gifts. Clear, calm, and unpretentious, it never underestimates young readers. Instead, it trusts them to feel deeply and understand the unspoken.
His humour is gentle, his conflicts mild, yet his emotional undercurrent—loneliness, longing, affection, resilience—is strong enough to stay with readers long after the stories end.
Many contemporary children’s books chase excitement through plot twists, but Bond creates excitement through atmosphere: the smell of pine needles after rain, the call of a whistling thrush at dawn, the crunch of gravel beneath one’s feet, or the thrill of exploring an old, ruined house.
A notable strength of this collection is the quiet moral grounding woven into each story. Unlike didactic children’s literature, Bond never preaches. His lessons—kindness, honesty, courage, generosity, and empathy—emerge organically through characters’ choices and consequences.
Children see goodness as a part of life, not a burden imposed upon them. Whether it is befriending a lonely older woman, rescuing a frightened animal, or standing up for a friend, the protagonists embody everyday heroism.
This subtlety is part of Bond’s enduring appeal and a reason why generations revisit his work.
Nature appears not just as background but as a living, breathing character. Bond’s mountains offer comfort, companionship, and wisdom. Young readers today—surrounded by screens and structured schedules—find rare solace in such writing. The book becomes a sanctuary, reminding them that the world is still vast, gentle, and full of quiet wonders if one knows how to look.
Bond’s sensitivity to the natural world also plants ecological consciousness in children effortlessly, long before the term “environmentalism” occurs to them.
The collection also includes tales of mischief and humour, featuring quirky neighbours, eccentric relatives, and memorable young protagonists who stumble into amusing situations.
Bond’s humour isn’t slapstick; it’s affectionate. He laughs with his characters, never at them, creating an inclusive emotional universe where even mistakes become opportunities to grow and smile.
Importantly, The Essential Collection for Young Readers also introduces children to loneliness, grief, and separation—but in a gentle, hopeful way. Bond’s young characters often feel the ache of absent parents, boarding school solitude, or shifting friendships, yet the tone remains reassuring.
These emotional explorations teach resilience and emotional intelligence, making the collection as psychologically enriching as it is entertaining.
As a whole, the book works beautifully for schools, libraries, and homes. For first-time readers, it serves as a perfect primer to Bond’s world.
For longtime admirers, it is a nostalgic compilation that captures the quintessence of his writing: warmth, humanity, and unhurried storytelling.
It invites readers to slow down, breathe deeply, and rediscover the joy of simple living—values central to Bond’s life and literature.
In its pages, readers find not just stories but a worldview—one that cherishes love, humility, friendship, nature, and the poetry of everyday life.
This makes The Essential Collection for Young Readers a timeless companion, not just an anthology.
It is essential not only for young readers but also for anyone who wishes to remain young at heart.
Most recommended.
Ruskin Bond’s The Essential Collection for Young Readers is a warm, expansive doorway into one of India’s most beloved literary worlds.
Designed as a curated introduction for children—but equally delightful for adults—the collection captures the full spectrum of Bond’s storytelling strengths: charm, simplicity, humour, nostalgia, adventure, and the gentle moral compass that quietly shapes his narratives.
What makes this anthology “essential” is not merely the selection of popular stories but the way it synthesises Bond’s lifelong dedication to portraying childhood as a place of innocence, curiosity, and discovery.
At the heart of the book lie Bond’s most iconic themes: the beauty of the mountains, the companionship between humans and nature, the wonder of small-town life, and the friendships formed in improbable circumstances.
These stories have an intimate, lived-in quality because Bond isn’t manufacturing adventures—he is recollecting experiences and emotions, transforming real places and people into narratives with universal appeal.
A simple walk through the bazaar can turn into a moment of insight. A chance meeting with a stranger becomes an adventure. Everyday incidents grow into formative memories.
For young readers, this is profoundly anchoring; for adults, it is a return to lost simplicity.
Bond’s language remains one of his greatest gifts. Clear, calm, and unpretentious, it never underestimates young readers. Instead, it trusts them to feel deeply and understand the unspoken.
His humour is gentle, his conflicts mild, yet his emotional undercurrent—loneliness, longing, affection, resilience—is strong enough to stay with readers long after the stories end.
Many contemporary children’s books chase excitement through plot twists, but Bond creates excitement through atmosphere: the smell of pine needles after rain, the call of a whistling thrush at dawn, the crunch of gravel beneath one’s feet, or the thrill of exploring an old, ruined house.
A notable strength of this collection is the quiet moral grounding woven into each story. Unlike didactic children’s literature, Bond never preaches. His lessons—kindness, honesty, courage, generosity, and empathy—emerge organically through characters’ choices and consequences.
Children see goodness as a part of life, not a burden imposed upon them. Whether it is befriending a lonely older woman, rescuing a frightened animal, or standing up for a friend, the protagonists embody everyday heroism.
This subtlety is part of Bond’s enduring appeal and a reason why generations revisit his work.
Nature appears not just as background but as a living, breathing character. Bond’s mountains offer comfort, companionship, and wisdom. Young readers today—surrounded by screens and structured schedules—find rare solace in such writing. The book becomes a sanctuary, reminding them that the world is still vast, gentle, and full of quiet wonders if one knows how to look.
Bond’s sensitivity to the natural world also plants ecological consciousness in children effortlessly, long before the term “environmentalism” occurs to them.
The collection also includes tales of mischief and humour, featuring quirky neighbours, eccentric relatives, and memorable young protagonists who stumble into amusing situations.
Bond’s humour isn’t slapstick; it’s affectionate. He laughs with his characters, never at them, creating an inclusive emotional universe where even mistakes become opportunities to grow and smile.
Importantly, The Essential Collection for Young Readers also introduces children to loneliness, grief, and separation—but in a gentle, hopeful way. Bond’s young characters often feel the ache of absent parents, boarding school solitude, or shifting friendships, yet the tone remains reassuring.
These emotional explorations teach resilience and emotional intelligence, making the collection as psychologically enriching as it is entertaining.
As a whole, the book works beautifully for schools, libraries, and homes. For first-time readers, it serves as a perfect primer to Bond’s world.
For longtime admirers, it is a nostalgic compilation that captures the quintessence of his writing: warmth, humanity, and unhurried storytelling.
It invites readers to slow down, breathe deeply, and rediscover the joy of simple living—values central to Bond’s life and literature.
In its pages, readers find not just stories but a worldview—one that cherishes love, humility, friendship, nature, and the poetry of everyday life.
This makes The Essential Collection for Young Readers a timeless companion, not just an anthology.
It is essential not only for young readers but also for anyone who wishes to remain young at heart.
Most recommended.
April 20, 2021
This book is a collection of short stories both based on the author's life and on his imagination. If I had to describe this book as a feeling I would say that it gives you the pleasure of trekking on lonely mountains and floods you with the detached feeling of watching mountain tops being swallowed by mist.
The book also reminded me of the trips I've had to mountains. I've never seen the ocean but I think I can say that I love mountains more than beaches.
Several stories in this collection are set in hills and mountains and most of the stories take place in India. The writing style is perfect (and casual?) for when you just want to relax and is quite comforting. I don't think comforting is a word you use to describe writing style but you'll know what I mean if you have read any of Ruskin Bond's stories.
I loved reading about the author's relationship with his father in "The Room of Many Colors" and the account of various animals the author's Grandfather kept in "All Creatures Great and Small ".
"The Funeral" was a very poignant story too, especially how the author discovers the theme of grief and death from a child's viewpoint.
I loved the story "The Night Train at Deoli" and it was so mysterious and romantic in a strange way. "Our Great Escape" was another great story which takes places against the backdrop of the partition of 1947.
"A Long Walk For Bina" and "The Blue Umbrella" are also among the stories I enjoyed a lot in this book especially the way the author makes the atmosphere come alive. I loved reading both of these stories and the latter was quite heart-warming too.
The book also reminded me of the trips I've had to mountains. I've never seen the ocean but I think I can say that I love mountains more than beaches.
Several stories in this collection are set in hills and mountains and most of the stories take place in India. The writing style is perfect (and casual?) for when you just want to relax and is quite comforting. I don't think comforting is a word you use to describe writing style but you'll know what I mean if you have read any of Ruskin Bond's stories.
I loved reading about the author's relationship with his father in "The Room of Many Colors" and the account of various animals the author's Grandfather kept in "All Creatures Great and Small ".
"The Funeral" was a very poignant story too, especially how the author discovers the theme of grief and death from a child's viewpoint.
I loved the story "The Night Train at Deoli" and it was so mysterious and romantic in a strange way. "Our Great Escape" was another great story which takes places against the backdrop of the partition of 1947.
"A Long Walk For Bina" and "The Blue Umbrella" are also among the stories I enjoyed a lot in this book especially the way the author makes the atmosphere come alive. I loved reading both of these stories and the latter was quite heart-warming too.
October 15, 2020
About the Book : It took me some time to realize those butterflies are books flying. Loved the cover, very apt for such a book. The quality of the paper is good, overall the book feels good in hand. At 202 pages length the book comes with great collection of stories, few are Ruskin Bond's real life experience and few fiction. This would be a perfect book to gift for kids.
My Thoughts : For a first time reader of Ruskin Bond surely made me love his writing style. The author succeeds in attracting the reader and keeping him/her glued to the book. Short story collection which has nature in every tale, the life style of people, animals, trees, places and so on. The narration is so good and takes you back in time for few stories.
Here are my favorite stories from the collection:
All creatures great and small
The night train at Deoli
The tunnel
The overcoat
The girl on the train
The fight
A case for inspector Lal
The blue umbrella
Whether you are a young reader or not this book will capture you without doubt. It is a great book for kids to make them understand the value of friendship and relationships. Get immersed in this story collection which I equally recommend for all the readers without any age difference.
My Thoughts : For a first time reader of Ruskin Bond surely made me love his writing style. The author succeeds in attracting the reader and keeping him/her glued to the book. Short story collection which has nature in every tale, the life style of people, animals, trees, places and so on. The narration is so good and takes you back in time for few stories.
Here are my favorite stories from the collection:
All creatures great and small
The night train at Deoli
The tunnel
The overcoat
The girl on the train
The fight
A case for inspector Lal
The blue umbrella
Whether you are a young reader or not this book will capture you without doubt. It is a great book for kids to make them understand the value of friendship and relationships. Get immersed in this story collection which I equally recommend for all the readers without any age difference.
December 27, 2019
a collection of short stories - it’s an odd mixture that has a few anecdotes that sound like reminiscing, a few old stories that brings some of the popular characters back into memory, and a few new (at least for me) stories... I had read a few of the stories earlier like ‘The Blue Umbrella’ (one of my favourites) and ‘The Room of Many Colours’... and I enjoyed a couple of the new ones that I read for the first time - ‘The Thief’s Story’ and ‘A Case for Inspector Lal’ - especially as each of these show a side of human nature that is getting lost - of simply being good to others, of being kind and caring, of responding to ill deeds not with hatred but love...
a simple way to spend a few hours in the holiday season... read the stories in any order as each stands on its own... while most of the stories paint a picture of the hills, and bring out the diversity and the beauty of the plants, animals, insects, it is interesting to see the train and the platform figuring in so many of them...
a simple way to spend a few hours in the holiday season... read the stories in any order as each stands on its own... while most of the stories paint a picture of the hills, and bring out the diversity and the beauty of the plants, animals, insects, it is interesting to see the train and the platform figuring in so many of them...
November 9, 2025
Reading Ruskin Bond’s writing was a truly peaceful experience. His words made me feel close to nature and opened my eyes to the quiet beauty of the world around us. As I read, I felt as though I was walking through the mountains and valleys of Shimla, breathing in fresh air and listening to the soft rustle of trees.
His simple yet beautiful descriptions showed me how calm and joyful life can be when we live close to nature. Every page reminded me of how happiness doesn’t come from busy city life, but from the quiet moments with nature.
After reading his work, I felt inspired to live a more natural and peaceful life in the future — one where I take time to enjoy the trees, the rain, and the silence of the hills
His simple yet beautiful descriptions showed me how calm and joyful life can be when we live close to nature. Every page reminded me of how happiness doesn’t come from busy city life, but from the quiet moments with nature.
After reading his work, I felt inspired to live a more natural and peaceful life in the future — one where I take time to enjoy the trees, the rain, and the silence of the hills
June 21, 2020
Amazing book!
The language is simple, with the average vocabulary I am having, I hardly looked in the dictionary. The book consists of short stories some describing the life of the author some describing villages in the vicinity of Mussoorie. What I like the most was the descriptions of scenes and events of a time when technology was not yet developed. While reading the book I felt like the events are happening inside my imagination. The book is quite engaging, and one can read it to get away from the hustle and bustle of the present life.
The language is simple, with the average vocabulary I am having, I hardly looked in the dictionary. The book consists of short stories some describing the life of the author some describing villages in the vicinity of Mussoorie. What I like the most was the descriptions of scenes and events of a time when technology was not yet developed. While reading the book I felt like the events are happening inside my imagination. The book is quite engaging, and one can read it to get away from the hustle and bustle of the present life.
October 13, 2020
Girl: What are you reading?
Boy: Bond....Ruskin Bond.
This book has little stories by Bond some of which are autobiographical, some are semi-autobiographical and others are purely fictional. And all of them are beautiful.
You can choose any of them when you have a few spare minutes and have a quick literary bite. The famous story 'The Blue Umbrella', on which Vishal Bharadwaj made a movie, is at the end of the book. I made the mistake of purchasing it separately. Will gift it to some young reader.
Boy: Bond....Ruskin Bond.
This book has little stories by Bond some of which are autobiographical, some are semi-autobiographical and others are purely fictional. And all of them are beautiful.
You can choose any of them when you have a few spare minutes and have a quick literary bite. The famous story 'The Blue Umbrella', on which Vishal Bharadwaj made a movie, is at the end of the book. I made the mistake of purchasing it separately. Will gift it to some young reader.
May 25, 2021
I love the way the author and the protagonist are often one, sometimes explicitly so, in so many of Ruskin Bond's short pieces. The contents and their sequence lends this particular book a proper beginning, middle and end, layering fiction and non-fiction at JUST the right places.
There are several books in which some of his more popular work keep reappearing, but I absolutely adore the sequence they appear in in this volume. It helped that the stories featured here were either completely new to me, or were ones I was returning to after almost two decades.
An absolute treat!
There are several books in which some of his more popular work keep reappearing, but I absolutely adore the sequence they appear in in this volume. It helped that the stories featured here were either completely new to me, or were ones I was returning to after almost two decades.
An absolute treat!
January 21, 2023
Loved this marvellous collection. Ruskin Bond is one of my favorite authors. I adore his simplicity and the appeal in a rustic life close to the nature. This collection is astutely curated. I especially loved the "Night Train to Deoli" and "The Blue Umbrella", the latter of which has been made into a wonderful film. The first few stories from the author's own life were imaginative too. "Rani" shall be close to my heart. Highly recommended.
Audiobook does justice to the book, however prompt with the chapter number when a particular chapter starts would be a great update.
Audiobook does justice to the book, however prompt with the chapter number when a particular chapter starts would be a great update.
July 22, 2023
A lovely collection of stories that range from Ruskin Bond's life, some on nature and other interesting tales on people and children. This book has most of Ruskin Bond's best short stories. My favourites are 'The Girl on the Train' and 'The Woman on Platform 8'. I would also like to quote a wonderful prose from one of the essays in the book-
"We don’t have to circle the world in order to find beauty and fulfilment. After all, most of living has to happen in the mind. And, to quote one anonymous sage from my trivet, ‘The world is only the size of each man’s head.’ "
Pure beauty isn't it?
"We don’t have to circle the world in order to find beauty and fulfilment. After all, most of living has to happen in the mind. And, to quote one anonymous sage from my trivet, ‘The world is only the size of each man’s head.’ "
Pure beauty isn't it?
August 12, 2019
This collection of amazing stories are just right for the rainy season, when you are curled up on your bed. From the well known stories such as 'The night train at deoli', to The woman in the platform' and 'The blue umbrella', we get a glimpse of what it is like to live in the hills of Shimla, Missouri and Dehra, with different varieties of trees, animals and what not! It doesn't matter if you are a young reader or an adult, Ruskin bond's books never fail to capture your attention.
September 11, 2021
This is the best short story collection I have ever read by Ruskin Bond.
👌My favourites include :
✨ The Funeral & The Woman on Platform No.8 are real tear jerkers. ✨ The Night Train at Deoli & The Trouble with Jinns has paranormal features.
✨ The Overcoat gave me the goosebumps.
✨ A Long Walk for Bina & The Blue Umbrella can be considered as novellas. Perfect ones!
✨ The Thief's Story makes you feel so good.
✨ The Night The Roof Blew Off is both hilarious and poignant.
Highly Recommended!!!
👌My favourites include :
✨ The Funeral & The Woman on Platform No.8 are real tear jerkers. ✨ The Night Train at Deoli & The Trouble with Jinns has paranormal features.
✨ The Overcoat gave me the goosebumps.
✨ A Long Walk for Bina & The Blue Umbrella can be considered as novellas. Perfect ones!
✨ The Thief's Story makes you feel so good.
✨ The Night The Roof Blew Off is both hilarious and poignant.
Highly Recommended!!!
May 14, 2022
This book is a collection of short stories by Ruskin Bond, some fictional and some based on his life. Most of the stories in the first half of the book are real life based and we get to know Ruskin through them. The second half of the book is more interesting with wide variety of stories.
Stories that stood out for me: Blue umbrella, Thief's story, A case for inspector Lal, Time stops at Shamli.
Though the book's title suggest its for young readers, it can be enjoyed by adults too.
Stories that stood out for me: Blue umbrella, Thief's story, A case for inspector Lal, Time stops at Shamli.
Though the book's title suggest its for young readers, it can be enjoyed by adults too.
October 17, 2019
Heartwarming stories for all ages
For young readers is not quite accurate. I surely enjoyed it though not so young. Makes one want to believe in the goodness of humans. Ruskin Bond is an evergreen writer. His description of the hills is that of a lover describing his first and only love. Would recommend every parent to suggest it to their children
For young readers is not quite accurate. I surely enjoyed it though not so young. Makes one want to believe in the goodness of humans. Ruskin Bond is an evergreen writer. His description of the hills is that of a lover describing his first and only love. Would recommend every parent to suggest it to their children
November 21, 2023
A nice collection of stories for all readers though the title reads "Young Readers". One can imagine and be present in the ambience described in the stories. Some of the stories in the collection are found in other story collections by Ruskin Bond, but it was nice to read them again. A very good quick, light and an interesting read!
August 28, 2019
Cute and lovable
Such cute stories! Full of interesting visuals. A very good book to gift young readers if you are trying to instill in them an appreciation and tolerance towards nature and wildlife.
Such cute stories! Full of interesting visuals. A very good book to gift young readers if you are trying to instill in them an appreciation and tolerance towards nature and wildlife.
February 2, 2020
Bond with the best!
A great read not only for young readers but for people of all ages. Many of these stories are familiar, but there is a sprinkling of tales I haven't come across earlier!
A great read not only for young readers but for people of all ages. Many of these stories are familiar, but there is a sprinkling of tales I haven't come across earlier!
May 31, 2020
Reading this was really nostalgic.. having come across a couple of these short stories (The woman on platform no. 8 & The fight) it was like a trip down the memory lane..
Loved the variety of genres and themes in this collection keeping intact the typical Ruskin Bond style..
Loved the variety of genres and themes in this collection keeping intact the typical Ruskin Bond style..
December 13, 2021
Ruskin Bond is an amazing author but if you have read Great stories for children by Ruskin Bond then you don't need to read this book as lots of chapters are repeated. Great Stories was better than this .
August 20, 2023
I have read this book so slow and it has provided comfort n warmth in the most unexpected places and all stores are amazing. There are some stories which are repeated but , what I could read it was amzing … and I loved it to the bits🥰🥰
May 12, 2017
Repackaged Bond! Still interesting though!
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