‘The Hunters' Trap’ and ‘The Circus Trap’ by Sindhu John are wonderful adventure stories for young children, and the latest from her ‘The Trap’series. Spinning stories for young children around the word adventure is Sindhu’s forte. In ‘The Hunters' Trap’ she gently introduces children to a world of poaching and hunters. “I've tried to draw their empathy and understanding to the fact that wild animals belong in their natural habitat” she explains. In ‘The Circus Trap’ she writes about a wild animal having to perform in a circus. Again, the idea was to draw the attention to children that wild animals do not belong in a circus, performing for our entertainment.
Synopsis of ‘The Hunters’ Trap’ by Sindhu John:
A deep, treacherous trap is set by three dangerous hunters in a thick forest. They give chase to two wild elephants and try their best to drive them into the pit. They succeed in trapping the mother elephant, but the baby gets away. They intend to trade the mother’s tusks and sell the baby elephant. This event sets the tone for the book.
The story then follows four children - Penny, Lucy, Ethan and Jack- who are off to a wildlife resort with their mother who is a reporter. She is going there to cover a story on a wildlife enthusiast, Mr. Troy, who runs a sanctuary for wild animals. He is also the owner of the resort. The children chance upon the baby elephant when they sneak out for a walk by the forest trail and the rest of the book tells the gripping tale of how they help unite and free the elephants back into the wild. The children get into deep trouble themselves and their lives are threatened but they do everything in their power to save the helpless animals. The book also features monkeys, tiger and a python - all part of the gripping adventure!
Synopsis of ‘The Circus Trap’ by Sindhu John:
Miss Scaly, the notorious ring-mistress of a dwindling circus, traps and forces a black panther to perform at her shows. She is ably supported by Gator, a goon who smuggles wild animals for a living. The story picks pace when the four protagonists Jack, Lucy, Penny and Ethan visit the circus. What begins as an exciting event soon turns into a tenacious effort to protect and save Majestic, the panther. Unknowingly, they set in motion a chain of events that bring Miss Scaly and her arch rival Veronica head to head. Majestic was Veronica's pet when their father ran the circus. After his death Miss Scaly stole the panther and the circus from her sister. The story ends with the children having done their bit to help Veronica get her panther back. She promises to send the animal to a rehabilitation centre and to eventually release him back into the wild or a sanctuary.
Character references:
Miss Scaly: notorious ring-mistress of a dwindling circus. A bitter, scornful lady, infamous for treating the animals and people under her with a ruthless, iron fist.
Gator: ferocious thug and a most wanted criminal. A brutal animal trainer and a cunning goon known best for poaching and smuggling wild animals.
Majestic: the Black Beast, star of the circus. A spirited, captivating black panther, trapped and bullied by Miss Scaly and her fearsome thugs.
Hop on board a rip-roaring adventure with the undaunted four as the plot thickens with traps, treachery and an unrelenting quest for freedom.
In the author’s words:
“I request you to visit my website www.sindhujohn.comwhen you have the time. You will find all the characters of the book along with a short introduction.”
About the author:
Sindhu John is an author and life long story teller from the beautiful state of Kerala, India. Her books are for a global audience and she choses characters that children can easily identify with.
Adventure! That’s one word Sindhu loves spinning into her stories. Growing up, she was lucky to have the best of two worlds - an incredible boarding school life in the Nilgiris and long exciting summer holidays at her ancestral home in Kerala. Between building tree houses in the enchanting woods at school and fun days at home which included whiling away time with the family elephants, the author discovered her zeal for adventure.
Sindhu is passionate about wildlife and the environment. Through her stories she transports children into a world of fun while gently encouraging them to empathize with animals and to respect nature.
Sindhu currently lives in Kerala and supports her husband in the running of their family business. Her two daughters love whipping up tales too and often bedtimes are a riot of made-up adventure stories. ‘The Circus Trap’ is her second book and is a sequel to ‘The Hunters’ Trap.’ Both have a stamp of approval from her children, who have added charm with their character sketches and illustrations.
Says Sindhu: “Perhaps the most special part of the book for me is the involvement of my daughters in the script as well as the sketches they drew. I quite enjoy telling them the story and taking back their suggestions. They've really inspired the series.”
The self-published ‘The Hunters’ Trap’ (ISBN 9781649195807) and ‘The Circus Trap’ (ISBN 9798491451548) are both available at Amazon in paperback, RRPs £8.13 and £5.95, respectively. There’s also a Kindle version of ‘The Hunters’ Trap’, RRP £2.18. For details see: www.amazon.co.uk/Hunters-Trap-
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