Book Review: I Need To Pee by Neha Singh.

Book: I Need To Pee

Author: Neha Singh

Illustrator: Meenal Singh and Erik Eserup

Pages: 25

Plot Summary: Rahi simply loves slurping refreshing drinks, and so she always needs to pee. But boy, does she hate public loos! On her way to her aunt's in Meghalaya, she has to pee on a train as well as stop at a hotel and even the really scary public toilet at the bus depot! And when those around her refuse to help her with her troubles, her only saviour is her Book of Important Quotes.

Travel with the cheeky Rahi and read all about her yucky, icky, sticky adventures in this quirky and vibrant book about the ever-relevant worry of having a safe and clean toilet experience.

Publisher: Penguin

Read On: Paperback Edition

How Long it Took Me To Read: Half an Hour

General Thoughts: This book was kindly sent to me from the folks at Puffin India. But as always all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Things I Liked:

1. I loved how simply and succinctly this book gets it's message across. The writing and the art go very well together and put across a cohesive tale.

2. The issue in the book is something every Indian woman and girl child will find relatable. Who amongst us hasn't struggled with finding a clean, safe and hygienic place to pee? Rabi's struggles and journey will resonate with each one of us.

3. The book resonated very deeply with me. As a child I was notorious for having to use the loo in all sorts of places. My family will not stop talking about the first flight I took as a toddler and made my mother take me to the magical loo some 5 times during the 3 hour long flight. Similarly, I always , always had to use the loo in hotels, trains, homes of folks and even on bus rides. Like Rahi, I was considered somewhat of a nuisance! So this book and especially Rahi felt like a blast from the past and it was wonderful to spend time with her and be reminded of my younger self. I really, really liked Rahi.

4. The struggles of finding a loo when you need one is no joke. Even though it may be presented in a humour manner, this book does raise a fair few important questions and gets you thinking.

5. This book taught me something new too. I knew nothing about Eco-toilets that are quite prevalent in certain parts of the country. For younger readers too this will be a new and useful thing to learn about. I went on a bit of a reading spree and found out that there several kinds of eco-toilets that are better for our environment and save so much water.

6. While this is a book aimed at younger readers, as a grown up I found it just as enjoyable.

Rating: 4/5

I highly recommend.