Looking for the Rainbow: My Years with Daddy

by Ruskin Bond, Mihir Joglekar (Illustrator)

At age eight, Ruskin escapes his jail-like boarding school in the hills and goes to live with his father in Delhi. His time in the capital is filled with books, visits to the cinema, music and walks and conversations with his father—a dream life for a curious and wildly imaginative boy, which turns tragic all too soon.

For years, Ruskin Bond has regaled and mesmerized readers with his tales. In Looking for the Rainbow, Bond travels to his own past, recalling his favourite adventures (and misadventures) with extraordinary charm, splotches of wit, a pinch of poignance and not a trace of bitterness.

What you’re holding, dear reader, is a classic in the making.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Childrens, India

110 pages, Library Binding

First published May 1, 2017

About the author

Ruskin 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.

Reviews

[Sandy ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written.. this made me cry so much!!
I was devastated in the end.. like why? why was a little boy of 9 being punished so severely??

The old memories of Ruskin and his dad going to bars for chocolate milkshakes, collecting stamps, going to movies and ancient sites showed just how much of a close bond they had.

Their conversations were also so wholesome!


I guess... fate had other plans for this duo.


One of the most beautiful book by Ruskin Bond.

Friendship, love, grief and lots of fun and nostalgia is more than enough to make you fall for this story!!

[Vikas Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice emotional book detailing the days Ruskin Bond spent with his father in Delhi. Richly illustrated there are some interesting anecdotes that will leave you smiling. Ruskin wrote this book in one sitting pouring out his emotions. Reader will feel the same while pursuing this book.

[Sakshi Kathuria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Ruskin Bond never gets old. You shall think it may tire you some day, but no. His writing perks up every inch of my skin and the joy is anew.

[Raksha Bhat · Rating 5 out of 5]

On most occasions reading a Ruskin Bond book is as good as being in the comfort of nature and enjoying our daily humdrum. What is special about him is that he never fails to surprise and please his readers. Looking for the Rainbow, published this year on his birthday is a memoir and tribute to his father recounting the two splendid years he spent with him in Delhi in the early 1940s. I have come to believe that no matter how many works of fiction and non -fiction I read written by this most adorable and amiable author of our country, there is always something new to experience in his writing. To recollect some profound personal experiences of his childhood so vividly, and have the heart to share it with the world now after decades is an earnest effort indeed. The ease with which he has taken us on a trip down the memory lane is commendable. The illustrations by Mihir Joglekar in black and white have added more colours to the rainbow of Bond’s words. According to Bond, loneliness is one of life’s circumstances but solitude is something a writer seeks. I as a reader seek it in his books. He never disappoints.

[Priya Arun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking for Rainbow : My Years with daddy by Ruskin Bond is a master piece.

His writings are waterfalls were we will be drenched with his honey coated words flowing through our ears.
This story is about Rusty and his father. Here we can feel more of Ruskin himself as a boy who had a pleasure time spent with his father and his new school.

Its a must read for those who love Rukin's writing!!!

[Murtaza Kuwarawala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost 5 years back, when I was in Delhi, I was finally able to visit the Delhi Book Fair and the trip just could not get any better. I finally had the privilege to meet Mr. Bond (Not James) who was signing books at that time. A lot of my friends tell me that it is not a big privilege to get a signed book of his as he is quite easily available in a cafe in Dehradun but coming from a small town where you hardly get to see any authors, this was quite special to me. Though I should inform that it was my very first Ruskin Bond book that I had ever purchased and I never looked back.

Coming back to the book, this will be quite a short review as the book is of hardly 105 pages along with illustrations. The book

was published on the occasion of Mr. Bond's 89th birthday and it talks about his relationship with his father 2 years before his death. The book takes the readers to Delhi in first half of the book where Ruskin starts developing a bond with his father when he takes a break from his education for a year. The later half of the book follows the events of his school at Shimla before his father's death.

The book is written quite beautifully with an equally complimenting illustrations. The story is quite simple but touches you in a lot of different ways. The book brings even those memories that I have with my father a
nd this makes me go and hug my dad. Quite a short book that can be finished in hardly half an hour, do add this to your collection as the book teaches you to appreciate the most important people in your life.

My Rating - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5 (A perfect 5 star after quite a long time)

[Urvi (thekitaabkhaana) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating : 4/5
Reading Difficulty : Easy

The book speaks of Delhi in the 1940s, giving us a peek into the times when Delhi had been newly claimed as the capital of India. He narrates fond memories of him and his father during his childhood days. It involves love, care, respect, fondness, admiration and most importantly, little funny bits - humour. Humour has been used in apt places. The author also talks about the lessons he learnt from his father in an interesting way. This particular book takes you back into time to live in an era when you weren't born. It also has bits and pieces of the second world setting. It surely makes me imagine what Delhi felt like or looked like in 1942. It takes you to the hills, to Simla. Bond speaks of his memories from school life in Simla, of teachers, friends and alike. These incidents take you on a short ride of emotions like sadness, worry, happiness, etc. The author also writes about losing his father and how he coped with his loss. Looking for the rainbow falls under the genre of Children's fiction. However , we as grown-ups, should definitely read this one. It isn't just fond memories of him and his father. Trust me, it's a lot more than that.

[Amit d · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the paper, the sketches and the memories

[MG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it. Such lovely descriptions. And moving.

[Pragati · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Review Copy received in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts are my own and in no way biased.*

Okay, let me just get this out of the way. This is my first Ruskin Bond novel. Yes, me, a self respecting Indian who is 22 years of age have never ever read a Bond book yet. Thankfully, that has been remedied with me reading this amazing insight into Bond’s childhood. And let me tell you, it is an amazing book to read.

Looking For Rainbows, a memoir, details one year of Bond’s life when he lived with his father in the 1940s. Bond’s father isn’t like the usual fathers, which is kind of a surprise. I like it. Then, there’s Bond’s days spent going to the cinema, reading books and arranging his father’s beloved stamp collection. Of course, all the time spent outside, playing with the local boys is an added bonus. The story gives off so many good vibes. Yet, they’re marred by the worry of what is to come in a pre – Independence India. Bond, of course, exactly like I expected, captures all the emotions beautifully. Reading this book made me nostalgic about my own summers away from school when I would just frolic around without a care in the world and have the time of my life.

The end though, was particularly wrecking. Bond’s emotions in those last few pages were enough for me to finally give in and tear up. I was not anticipating that end and it just came as such a huge surprise, I couldn’t really help it.

All in all, this is such a beautifully written story that you just can’t help but love it. All the amazing illustrations, which capture the story so beautifully, are such an added bonus to the story. I loved them. The pictures, the moments captured in those illustrations, enhancing the reading experience so beautifully. It was exactly what the book needed to make it so gorgeous.

So, please just go read this amazing piece of literature as soon as you can, will you! Gah!

[Namratha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a quiet, simple, sensory delight. The pages have an old world charm with their rustling texture, the artwork has clean, clear lines and is reminiscent of the books we read as children and the words.....the words, need no review. They are written by the master storyteller himself and are all the more personal as he takes us back to the short but memorable years that he spent with his dad during his childhood and the halcyon days at his boarding school in Shimla.

[Milan Vohra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up, imagining it would do for me what 'Boy' by Roald Dahl did. That is to give fans of the writer, a deeper insight into the writer's formative years.
'Looking for the rainbow' is much more. It is storytelling, rich in flavour and detail and pared of any superfluous sentiment. It is as if you were sat at the knee of a grandparent (an experience I never had) and travelled back into a different era, the descriptions vivid and yet concise, deviating with colourful segues but never so much that you lost the thread of the story. It is a poignant master class in how stories for children ought to be written. And how you don't need to be a child to feel like one again..when a masterful storyteller is in control.
The narrative is naughty, moving and pithy. It felt effortless to be drawn into a world where a little boy of eight battles the loss of his own world while the world was busy dropping bombs and waging a world war. Ironic too that a boy's tiny world came apart while a Nero-esque boarding school principal fiddled with a violin and callously destroyed the boy's few precious belongings - the letters from his father.
When the book ended, it took me a long while to put the book away. I sat, holding it in my hands, hugging that child with all my heart.

[A Thousand Mornings · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s always about the simpler things in life with the boy from the hills. Of brushing off one’s shoes, encounters with snakes and centipedes, and jam, loads of it! Only this time not as Rusty, but as Ruskin himself as he recounts the years spent with his father in Delhi.

https://thewandererstrail.com/2017/08...

[Deepak Rao · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a deeply moving book of Ruskin’s childhood and his loss of father at a very young age. It left me teary-eyed.

[Vinay Keerthi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely story about Mr Bond's memories of his father. A lot of my own memories of childhood came flooding into my mind as I read it on a warm monsoon night.

[Aruna Kumar Gadepalli · Rating 5 out of 5]

The narration of Ruskin Bond time spent with his father and school days in Simla with illustrations.

[Ashutosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking for the Rainbow – My years with Daddy – by Ruskin Bond. A delightful read, especially because of the excellent illustrations by Mihir Joglekar. A thin book – barely 103 pages, including the illustrations which appear on almost all the pages – I could finish it in a single sitting of about 20 minutes. This was published to celebrate Mr Bond’s 83rd birthday by the Puffin team. When it arrived, I thought I had received a children’s book by mistake, and it definitely reads like a children’s book. The prose is simple, flowing, and no ‘hard’ words are evident.
Though the subtitle says My years with Daddy, a simple calculation shows that it was more like a year and half – the first year was spent with Mr Bond’s father in Delhi, when young Ruskin was afforded a year’s furlough away from school. Ruskin’s parents had separated, and he was sent to live with his father as per his wish, to be admitted to a new school. Ruskin’s father was an avid and accomplished stamp collector – selling stamps too to other collectors like the American, whom the author calls as Captain America, and remembers him well because he turned out to be a teetotaller and Ruskin could have a taste of the wine that his father had brought for the guest.
We do meet other characters like Raju the neighbourhood boy who was sent to ‘guard‘ the author when the elder Mr Bond was admitted to an hospital due to malaria, their landlord couple, and a couple of school mates in the new school in Shimla, apart from the school teachers, school head master (who did not teach, but played violin at odd hours) and his wife (who did not teach, but played an out of tune piano). We are treated to a few school anecdotes about the school choir and a hockey match.
Ruskin’s father passed away shortly, when they were making plans to go to England, since the War had ended. It is not clear how he dies, and the head master takes away the letters that Ruskin’s father had sent, to help Ruskin recover faster from the shock of his father’s death. The letters are lost (or kept by the head master), the stamp collection is possessed and sold off by a relative, who pockets the proceeds, and Ruskin is sent to live with his mother and his stepdad. And that’s where the book ends – he is put on a train to Kalka, on his way to his mother, singing ‘Bye-bye rainy day, bye-bye snow / We are on our way – here we go! / Rolling round the world, looking for the rainbow / We know we’re going to find some day!
As I said, this is a slim, delightful book. Easy to read, and quick to finish. Do not dwell on it, but enjoy the moment, though I could not see where the rainbow was, really.

The book was sent free by flipkart for review.

[Devika Rajeev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Ruskin Bond for the first time as an adult turned out to be all about nostalgia. The book reminded me of all those Bond stories in English textbooks back in school (was there at least one every year, or does it just feel like that?)

In "Looking for the Rainbow", Bond indulges in an exercise in nostalgia himself, revisiting a golden year he spent with his father. The year was 1942, and the young Ruskin's parents had just split up. His mother takes him out of the "fun-less convent" where he had been "serving a two-year sentence" and sends him to Delhi to spend some time with his father.

His father, it turns out, isn't like normal fathers at all. He has a stamp collection, for one. And he is perfectly okay to let Ruskin spend time on his own at home.

Ruskin Bond brings to life a simpler time, pre-Independence India, a time when it was okay for a young boy to take a year off from school and stay at home with his father, playing with the local boys and watching movies and reading books and arranging the stamp collection.

But a year later, it's time for Bond to go back to school; his father is getting transferred and can't take him with him. Thankfully, the new school turns out to be much more fun than the old one, with eccentric teachers and nice kids he soon makes friends with.

More than the text, the illustrations are what make this book such a collectible. I don't know who Mihir Joglekar is, but I love what he has done for this book.

Bond lets the readers know at the beginning that he lost his father when he was a child. This knowledge makes "Looking for the Rainbow" a bittersweet book, the usual childhood carefreeness shadowed as it is by the thought of what is to come.

Overall, a short beautifully packaged book that would make a perfect gift for a young kid.

[Dhwani · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a light but emotional read for me.

Looking For The Rainbow by Ruskin Bond is the first book in his illustrated series of books which collectively make a memoir.

Bond’s childhood journey has been broken down into parts and this title talks about the his times with his father. The book is divided into to parts mainly, Ruskin and his father’s time in New Delhi and Ruskin’s time in Shimla at his boarding school.

In the foreword Mr. Bond writes,

“What is it that we want from those we love? Tenderness, mainly.”

And this hits home.

Mr. Bond tends to write about the most complex things in the simplest of ways.

Hopping back to the book, he very candidly writes about his times with his father which is so endearing and heartwarming to read. He had held in his memories with his father for 70 years. He chose to put those out with the world in this book. His and his father’s love for collecting stamps, their love for food and breakfast, breakfast at Barog, Ruskin’s life without his father when he was ill or at his work is what the first section of the book is about. A tinge of humour accompanies his writing.

The second section of the book is about Ruskin’s adventures and misadventures in his boarding school in Shimla and how the times of war surrounded them. Their adventures are surely funny and his description of those times is very entertaining. A tragedy befalls Ruskin and the worst comes to worst. He is sent to live with his mother and stepfather.

Till The Clouds Roll By is the sequel to this title. I’m glad @penguinsters organised this readathon for it gave me a chance to read these books again. Also, @artofmihir has done such a wonderful job illustrating these books!

[| Shakshi | · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: If you haven't read Lone Fox Dancing before reading this.... then It is going to be a very emotional ride for you. Thank you.

Yes, there are some parts of the book present in Lone Fox Dancing, as it is Official Autobiography of author and this series is also a memoir of their childhood and early adulthood.

Talking about the book... it talks about author's childhood days Firstly with his father in Delhi.. enjoying a long vacation in the city and then in a hostel(prep school) in Shimla..

It is such a short and beautiful read.. that you will be able to finish this book in one sitting.

There's a twist in the almost ending and that's devastating... which is also described in the Autobiography so I recommend you read Lone Fox Dancing first and then read this...

I have completed this whole series thanks to Christmas Holidays.

Happy Reading 📖 📚

[Anuradha Sridharan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I really loved about this book was the interesting narration about life during pre-independence era, the vivid description of the streets of Delhi and activities that a 8-year old used to engage in - playing with street kids, learning to fix his own breakfast, long walks to bookstores and movies, reading books from his father's library and helping him with his stamp collection. A heart-warming story in typical Ruskin Bond style of narration, "Looking for the rainbow" is a short, interesting time-travel on a Saturday afternoon.

[Tasnim Taj Abontee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bond got to spend a very little time with his father in his life time. This book is exactly on that period of his life. While the timespan is hardly two years,the happenings seem movie alike.

This could easily be a 5 star read for me only if Bond had gone a little deeper in the subjects.
The topics,incidents,places- everything was so amazing and had a lot of potential.I think Bond has kept it way too simple and somewhat lacked insightfulness. But then again, many people will prefer it this way. Enjoyed it though!

[Falguni Jain · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the first book “Looking for the Rainbow: My Years With Daddy” the reader gets introduced to Ruskin’s early life and family situation. His love for his father is visible and almost tangible. We are taken around Delhi. It is the place I have lived for 21 years. And it is the place he talks about with an experience from 70 years ago. And, it still feels the same. We get to know about Ruskin’s father’s death, which is emotional but not too dramatic. The writing style is comforting and the book ends with a hopeful note.

[Stuti Shrimali · Rating 5 out of 5]

On his 83rd birthday, its a memoir by Ruskin Bond of the two years he spent with his father and it is an emotional read. 
As he said in his book, When we are small we need someone to hold our hand in the dark.

So true. As kids we are so dependent & we do look upon our parents to hold us, to save us from dark.

I hated how the story turns out to be tragic and ends little abruptly. I just hope that some day he gets his Daddy's stamp collection and all those letters. Its Time!

[Aditya Sathe · Rating 5 out of 5]

it's always pleasure for a bibliophile to get a book as gift, and when publication house give you this amazing book as a part of your prize for competition, that's the happiest day for you.. this memoir of Ruskin Bond takes you back to old Delhi when it was still British India and capital​ was getting shifted from Culcutta to Delhi, and his time at his boarding school.... worth reading in one go....

[Tripti · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a fabulous novella!!!📚
It was a cute, lovely and of course at the end it was emotional .😌

LOvEd iT📃

[Bipasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘When we are small we need someone to hold our hand in the dark’ – and years later, it is the memory of that touch of the hand that spells itself out wonderfully and tenderly in Ruskin Bond’s book ‘Looking for the Rainbow: My Years with Daddy’.
In vivid, lucid prose, Bond recounts a year spent exclusively in the company of his father, before his untimely death and his stay at the Simla hostel.
Beautiful black and white illustrations by Mihir Joglekar add to the feeling of leafing through an old photo album as the octogenarian writer brings back not only his own childhood, but also gives us glimpses of old-time Delhi ‘still new and quiet – nothing like its bustling modern day version’. We step into a world where bhistis are still relied on instead of air-conditioners and gramophone records ‘(belt) out the great arias from La Boheme or Madama Butterfly’.
With ‘Daddy’ the young Bond lives a year in paradise enlivened by frequent visits to the cinema, eating cakes at Wenger’s, sorting stamps and many other events and activities, all the time feeling secure and happy in his loving presence.
Although the writer’s primary focus is on the time spent with ‘Daddy’, there are significant moments when the young boy is alone. When his father falls ill, he learns to get on by himself with the life-skills learnt from him. After his death, it is his memory which sustains him in times of loneliness.
This book witnesses the growing up of a young child. Through experiences that often thrust him towards painful realities, he acquires the courage to be live alone, the wisdom to be open to all sorts of people and their natures, a capacity for humour and, above all, the ability to change and bear changes always ‘looking for the rainbow’ that may appear tomorrow.
Subtlety is the soul of Ruskin Bond’s works. With his characteristic eye for detail and humour, he shares with his readers a very precious time of his life, recounting it with the utmost gentleness and sensitivity.

[Pallavi Luthra]

Title: Looking For The Rainbow
Genre: Children’s Book
Author: Ruskin Bond
Publication: Penguin Random House India (Puffin Books)
My Rating: 4.5 stars

This is the first in the series of three books and was released on Ruskin Bond’s 83rd birthday. In this book, Bond goes down the memory lane describing his years with his daddy when he was 8 years old. He does so, so vividly that he is right in saying in the ‘Foreward’ of the book, that sometimes memory improves with age. While describing his years spent with his daddy, he also highlights that when we are small, all we need is someone to hold our hand in the dark. All we need is tenderness, love and care and he was lucky in getting those from his father unlike others.

An excited Bond meets his father in Delhi, off an agonizing school, something that an 8 years old boy can only dreams of. While he stays with his daddy, his experiences and knowledge grow deeply. From pictures to music, from walks to talks, from visits to monuments to stamp collection, Bond has a memory of all. The reader will be moved as they read each page of a dream life which Bond was living to a change in circumstances a tad too soon.

All of this is depicted through lucid language and illustrations which are a true delight. Bond connects with the reader with wonderful use of words and warmth that will leave the reader lingering for more. Highly recommended for children between 9 to 12 years old. You can grab a copy on https://www.amazon.in/Looking-Rainbow...

[Debashish Sarkar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a pleasure to read, it brings back those sweet childhood memories. The center plot of the book is the relationship between father (Mr. Bond) and son (Rusty), his love and admiration for his dear father who is his role model. His parents had separated and his mother isn't very close to him. Together, they enjoy all the little pleasures which life has to offer like going to movies together and visiting nearby local attractions. Rusty adores his father's hobby of stamp collection and joins him in his endeavor. His father is an officer in Royal Air Force and gets posted time to time in different parts of the country and beyond but makes sure to visit and write to Rusty at regular intervals. In the background, world war II is happening around them with countries fighting each other and deciding who will dominate the world order. One reason, the story is special, at least for me, is due to the events which happen in and around various places in Delhi. Wenger's and Milk Shake booth are still present, even after 70 years! Delhi at that time was more beautiful, calm and less populated and polluted than it is today. I would also like to appreciate the exceptional art work by Mihir Joglekar, his beautiful illustrations has done a wonderful job in bringing the story to life. Overall, a good read for everyone, especially your dear little ones.

Favorite Quote:

No one rules the world forever, the gods grow jealous. If someone is constantly successful or too powerful - be it Alexander or Napolean or Hitler - the gods will eventually destroy him

[Senthilkumar Rajappan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little did I know that the impact of the book will continue to linger forever,  I cannot express in words which  I am trying here, the sheer magic this book will weave on you. I am sure this is gonna be a classic that will be held for long even after we are all gone. Yes you must read this book to know how it feels and the experience will transform you for sure…

That the master story teller had such an emotion hidden so long is itself a mystery and the way it has been presented in such magnitude to us is sheer charm with a wonderful streak of innocence and boyhood that can only be the signature of Ruskin Bond.

The story of a boy who lost his only relationship worthy of emulation and the year that he got to be with him is beyond compare in the way the story is narrated.

The story telling gets you riveted till the last page and tears well up as you close the book, the God here has been so cruel in the way it made the decision to call his father back. The way he reacts and the story of the stamps and how it ends up will linger long.

After a long time, I just got immersed in this book, it was like living close to the author travelling with him, the innocent narration of his world outlook as he decides to mingle with his friends on the street or get better off with his friends at the boarding school.

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