In her new children’s book, Shalome Rides a Royal Elephant (Speaking Tiger), Baghdadi Jewish writer Jael Silliman stitches a fascinating history of the first Jews who arrived in Calcutta in the late 18th century. The book traces the journey of Silliman’s ancestor Shalome Aaron Obadiah Ha Cohen, who travelled to India from Syria by ship in search of new opportunities. However, what draws a reader in instantly is that it is narrated through the eyes of Shalome’s pet monkey, Chanchal.

When 14-year-old Aryaman Pathania, a voracious reader from Bombay International School, read the book, Chanchal’s colourful narration was the first thing that struck him. “The fact that the entirety of the book was narrated through Chanchal gave it an unbiased perspective, rather than if it were narrated by Shalome. It also gives the story a humourous tone,” admits Aryaman. Silliman teases the readers by throwing in fun terms like monkspective, monkpals, monkeylicious, and sounds like “tick tick tick and a lick”.