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The Day It Rained Letters
In a world where there is no written language, a little girl encounters some letters of the alphabet. The discovery leads Minky Binka and her best friend on an adventure. They eventually discover books - mental meals which you "eat with your eyes". And storytelling - food for thought which you "eat with your ears". Best of all, Minky Binka discovers that reading unlocks a wonderful dream-machine hidden in everyone's head called the Imagination. With a story by top Asian author Nury Vittachi and gorgeous illustrations by artist Eamonn O'Boyle, The Day It Rained Letters is set to become a modern classic
- GenresChildrens
44 pages, Hardcover
First published December 23, 2004
About the author
Nury Vittachi
93 books68 followersNury Vittachi is a journalist and author based in Hong Kong. His columns are published daily, weekly in a variety of newspapers in Asia as well as on his website. He is best known for the comedy-crime novel series The Feng Shui Detective, published in many languages around the world, but he has also written non-fiction works and novels for children. He is also noted for his role in founding the Asia Literary Review, the Hong Kong International Literary Festival, the Man Asian Literary Prize, and was the chairman of the judges of the inaugural Australia-Asia Literary Award in 2008. Vittachi currently lives in Hong Kong with his English wife Mary-Lacey Vittachi and their three adopted Chinese children. Also writes under the name Sam Jam.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 21, 2024
you ate them with your eyes...
Imagine a land where there are no storybooks. Hard to digest for my audience, but stay with me. A land where there are no storybooks on the shelves, no bedtime stories, no playtime in schools but lessons, no curiosity, no dreams, no imagination, no nothing at all. Appalling, isn't it? This is where our little girl, Minky Binka, lives with her parents.
So it happens that one fine day, as she is walking through a park, something falls on her head. Uncertain of what it is, she and her mom pay a visit to old Mr. Reed, the town's encyclopedia. He tells them surprisingly that what fell from the sky was a 'letter' from the alphabet, many of which were very rare and were used to make up 'stories'. Now again, unsure of what 'stories' were, Minky inquires further. Mr. Reed explains to her that 'stories' were wonderful, enjoyable, scrumptious things that were served on thin plates called pages and were supposed to be eaten by eyes, which eventually turned on the dream machine inside their heads and gave rise to 'imagination'. 'Imagination', as he describes it, is the ability to dream dreams with open eyes, embark on adventures without any danger, become whatever and go wherever they want without moving so much as an inch from their chairs. Minky is amazed by hearing all these and is determined to find more such 'letters' with her friend Rama.
Will the duo be able to find as many as ten thousand letters as told by Mr. Reed? Will the flurry of letters be able to make their way into the old printing house on the edge of the town, which hasn't made more than empty cardboard boxes in the last many years? What are you waiting for? Grab a copy ASAP and help Minky and Rama find more letters so that they can also cherish what we have always taken for granted - the 'stories'!
The Day It Rained Letters is a beautifully written and vibrantly illustrated tale of how stories came into existence, more so like an attempt to address the dying culture of reading books in the modern world with the advent of newer technology like films. A must-read for all modern-day parents and children alike.
Imagine a land where there are no storybooks. Hard to digest for my audience, but stay with me. A land where there are no storybooks on the shelves, no bedtime stories, no playtime in schools but lessons, no curiosity, no dreams, no imagination, no nothing at all. Appalling, isn't it? This is where our little girl, Minky Binka, lives with her parents.
So it happens that one fine day, as she is walking through a park, something falls on her head. Uncertain of what it is, she and her mom pay a visit to old Mr. Reed, the town's encyclopedia. He tells them surprisingly that what fell from the sky was a 'letter' from the alphabet, many of which were very rare and were used to make up 'stories'. Now again, unsure of what 'stories' were, Minky inquires further. Mr. Reed explains to her that 'stories' were wonderful, enjoyable, scrumptious things that were served on thin plates called pages and were supposed to be eaten by eyes, which eventually turned on the dream machine inside their heads and gave rise to 'imagination'. 'Imagination', as he describes it, is the ability to dream dreams with open eyes, embark on adventures without any danger, become whatever and go wherever they want without moving so much as an inch from their chairs. Minky is amazed by hearing all these and is determined to find more such 'letters' with her friend Rama.
Will the duo be able to find as many as ten thousand letters as told by Mr. Reed? Will the flurry of letters be able to make their way into the old printing house on the edge of the town, which hasn't made more than empty cardboard boxes in the last many years? What are you waiting for? Grab a copy ASAP and help Minky and Rama find more letters so that they can also cherish what we have always taken for granted - the 'stories'!
The Day It Rained Letters is a beautifully written and vibrantly illustrated tale of how stories came into existence, more so like an attempt to address the dying culture of reading books in the modern world with the advent of newer technology like films. A must-read for all modern-day parents and children alike.
October 17, 2012
Good to read a book about how letters fall from sky. In a place where there were no books, once letters start falling from sky. People collect the letters and thus, they bring treasury of books. Wonderful book for the kids.
January 29, 2014
A very nice concept... What happens when we lose all the letters of the alphabet? Here is the story that takes you on a journey of life without letters and what happens when it starts raining letters...
Very enjoyable
Very enjoyable
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews