The Royal Falcon by Jessi Kaur Illustrated by Pammy Kapoor: Review

From the modern day school room setting to the ancient court of the Guru, your imagination will soar when you fly with Guru Gobind Singh's falcon Khushi, in Jessi Kaur's The Royal Falcon. Be prepared to confront the directives of your own inner avenues as you journey with Khushi to navigate the Sikh boy, Ajran's, subconscious while he struggles to do the right thing in the wrong situation. Experience the triumph when his choices inspire others and ultimately earn him the reward of recognition where it counts most. Read this book and you may find yourself with a lump of longing in your throat at the story's conclusion.

I found The Royal Falcon by Jessi Kaur to be a fantasy made real by every day events. Arjan, young Sikh boy, has a magical adventure with an imaginary falcon which helps him sort out troubled feelings of anger and resentment. When something Arjan values is stolen, he becomes upset. Guru Gobind Singh's falcon flies out of the painting the boy is looking at and offers to help him recover his property. Arjan names the falcon Khushi and together they embark on a series of adventures flying over the school yard, through the city where Arjan lives, and back through time to Guru Gobind Singh’s court.

His interaction with the imaginary falcon encourages Arjan to grapple with tough questions of ethics, apply what he learns to his situation, and arrive at a positive resolution to his dilemma. The choices Arjan make bond him with his Guru. It brings him closer to the values he has been raised with in a tangible manner, all the while taking the reader along on a journey of self discovery.

Read this book and you may find yourself asking a few questions, taking a closer look at your own life, observing how you interact with others, reviewing your personal environment, and hoping to achieve the comfort Arjan finds when he opts for kindness rather than revenge.

Author, Jessi Kaur, the mother of one, is a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, and the co-founder of International Institute of Gurmat Studies headquartered in Tustin, California. She has been a speaker at Gurmat youth camps and multi-faith conventions around the world. Formerly a lecturer in English Literature at Delhi University of New Delhi, India, Jessi Kaur has consulted for the Department Human Resources in high tech Silicon Valley and is the Vice Chairperson for the Fine Arts Commission of Cupertino Ca. Jessi's experience with the younger set becomes obvious in this delightful imaginary tale. Her talent’s depth is revealed in the introspection it provokes.

Illustrator Pammy Kapoor, the mother of two, and a resident of San Jose California, is a student of advanced art. She captures the imagination with her drawings using a medium which at first glance appears to be color crayon, pencil or pastel, but much the way the tale blends the real and imaginary, seems to combine her technique with computer graphics. The very nature of the illustrations brings them to life making them believable and appealing, perhaps even inspirational to aspiring young artists, and awakens a sense of adventure in the eye of all.

Editor Harsharan Kaur of Ellicot City, Maryland, the mother of two, with a B.A and in Literature and an M.A in communication, uses her experience to foster cross cultural understanding and promote peaceful resolution to battle discrimination and bullying in schools.

Together these three women make a strong inspirational statement for what can be achieved by motivated mothers bringing together elements of high adventure and thought provoking ethics in their joint presentation, The Royal Falcon.

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.