Monsters’ Mash

Like the first book in the series, Venkatesh’s rib-tickling sequel celebrates reading and its power to elevate our imagination.

arundhati venkatesh, Koobandhee, koobandhee book review, author arundhati venkatesh, children's books

Koobandhee, the feisty female monster, is the best thing in the second book in Arundhati Venkatesh’s Bookasuras series.

Book: Koobandhee: The Adventures of Bala & The Book-Barfing Monster
Author: Arundhati Venkatesh
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 90
Price: 150
Appropriate for: 6+

Even though she proves to be a worthy adversary to the bookworm Bala on his summer sojourn to his Thaatha and Paati’s house, Koobandhee, the feisty female monster (and no relation to Kabandha, the original headless rakshasa), is the best thing in the second book in Arundhati Venkatesh’s Bookasuras series.

Bala hasn’t been having the easiest of times, thanks to Meera, his toddler sister with a penchant for biting. The summer break would have been perfect to catch up on some reading and cossetting from his grandparents, but Meera is to accompany him to Melagam. The only thing that keeps Bala’s moods from plummeting is the thought of meeting Bookasura, the book-eating monster he had befriended the previous year in Navaneeth uncle’s garden after TV (and Chhota Bheem) had turned the many-headed monster’s imagination into mush. But, Bookasura’s cave is now the haunt of Koobandhee who blames Bala for her faulty digestive system and is bent on revenge. Can Bala thwart Koobandhee’s evil plans?

Like the first book in the series, Venkatesh’s rib-tickling sequel celebrates reading and its power to elevate our imagination. A headless, one-eyed female monster in blue, with a malfunctioning digestive system and a disdain for shaved legs is indeed a delightful creation. As always, Priya Kuriyan does a fine job of bringing the characters to life with her simple, but enormously engaging, pencil sketches. Just the book you would want to thrust into your child’s hand when he reaches out for the TV remote the next time!

Paromita Chakrabarti

Paromita Chakrabarti is Senior Associate Editor at the The Indian Express. She is a key member of the National Editorial and Opinion desk and writes on books and literature, gender discourse, workplace policies and contemporary socio-cultural trends. Professional Profile With a career spanning over 20 years, her work is characterized by a "deep culture" approach—examining how literature, gender, and social policy intersect with contemporary life. Specialization: Books and publishing, gender discourse (specifically workplace dynamics), and modern socio-cultural trends. Editorial Role: She curates the literary coverage for the paper, overseeing reviews, author profiles, and long-form features on global literary awards. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent writing highlights a blend of literary expertise and sharp social commentary: 1. Literary Coverage & Nobel/Booker Awards "2025 Nobel Prize in Literature | Hungarian master of apocalypse" (Oct 10, 2025): An in-depth analysis of László Krasznahorkai’s win, exploring his themes of despair and grace. "Everything you need to know about the Booker Prize 2025" (Nov 10, 2025): A comprehensive guide to the history and top contenders of the year. "Katie Kitamura's Audition turns life into a stage" (Nov 8, 2025): A review of the novel’s exploration of self-recognition and performance. 2. Gender & Workplace Policy "Karnataka’s menstrual leave policy: The problem isn’t periods. It’s that workplaces are built for men" (Oct 13, 2025): A viral opinion piece arguing that modern workplace patterns are calibrated to male biology, making women's rights feel like "concessions." "Best of Both Sides: For women’s cricket, it’s 1978, not 1983" (Nov 7, 2025): A piece on how the yardstick of men's cricket cannot accurately measure the revolution in the women's game. 3. Social Trends & Childhood Crisis "The kids are not alright: An unprecedented crisis is brewing in schools and homes" (Nov 23, 2025): Writing as the Opinions Editor, she analyzed how rising competition and digital overload are overwhelming children. 4. Author Interviews & Profiles "Fame is another kind of loneliness: Kiran Desai on her Booker-shortlisted novel" (Sept 23, 2025): An interview regarding The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny. "Once you’ve had a rocky and unsafe childhood, you can’t trust safety: Arundhati Roy" (Aug 30, 2025): A profile on Roy’s recent reflections on personal and political violence. Signature Beats Gender Lens: She frequently critiques the "borrowed terms" on which women navigate pregnancy, menstruation, and caregiving in the corporate world. Book Reviews: Her reviews often draw parallels between literature and other media, such as comparing Richard Osman’s The Impossible Fortune to the series Only Murders in the Building (Oct 25, 2025). ... Read More

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