A letter from a parent
The theatrical monkey is now a household legend. We do all the voices.
Nikita R.Mother of a five-year-old, Delhi
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Big Beetle Books · No. 09
Who's Got the Scarf?
A lost red scarf, a clever monkey, and a village full of very theatrical excuses
Builds honesty and persistence, never preachy
Eric Carle-style collage kids want to look at again
A mystery with a satisfying reveal
Rs. 349.00Rs. 399.00
12% offNo GST on books
Nandita can sign this one for your child by name. Add it in the cart.
What changes this week.
1.
Children start narrating their own "who took it" mysteries at home.
2.
More requests to look closely at the collage illustrations.
3.
Early conversations about honesty and "owning up."
4.
A favourite animal voice to imitate, the monkey's, usually.
5.
Repeat requests to find out "who really had the scarf."
Four small shifts this book sets in motion.
Focus.
A real mystery: who has the scarf, gives children a reason to track clues across the whole story.
Honesty.
The animals' excuses, and what's really going on, open an easy, non-preachy conversation about telling the truth.
Observation.
The collage illustrations reward a close look, details that explain the mystery are hiding in plain sight.
Persistence.
The farmer boy doesn't give up on his scarf, a small, clear model of sticking with something.
Before this book
A lost thing is just gone, no story in it.
Before
After a few readings
A lost thing becomes a whole village of suspects, clues, and one very theatrical monkey.
AfterEric Carle-style collage illustration·Builds honesty, trust, and persistence without a lecture·Repetition and rhyme made for read-aloud sessions·Set in a warm, relatable Indian village world
A note for the reader
How to read this book.
№ 1
Ask "who do you think has it?" after each animal's excuse.
№ 2
Do a voice for the monkey, the more dramatic, the better.
№ 3
Pause on the illustrations and look for clues together.
№ 4
Talk about what the boy could do differently next time.
From parents & young readers
Notes that have arrived in the post.
A letter from a parent
Lyrical and suspenseful, my six-year-old guessed wrong till the very end and loved it.
Sameer A.Father of one, Pune
From a teacher
Gorgeous art and a sly lesson on honesty. A storytime favourite in my class.
Lata M.Primary teacher, Chennai
What it quietly builds.
01
Focus
Tracking clues across a full story.
02
Honesty
Understanding excuses versus the truth.
03
Observation
Reading detail in collage illustration.
04
Persistence
Not giving up on what matters.
On reading it again
Once they know who really had the scarf, children read it again just to watch themselves guess wrong.
Is this book for my child?
Three ages, three different books.
3–4
The rhyme age.
Rhythm, repetition, and funny animal voices carry the story on their own.
4–5
The guessing age.
Old enough to guess along, and to enjoy being wrong.
5–7
The noticing age.
Ready to spot the visual clues and connect honesty to the story's resolution.
Not just a mystery.
Most animal mysteries, and this one.
Typical animal mystery books
Solve the mystery quickly, with little build-up
Use the animals as scenery, not real characters
Skip the honesty conversation entirely
Read once for the reveal, then set aside
Who's Got the Scarf?
Builds real suspense across a whole village of excuses
Gives every animal a distinct, theatrical voice
Turns the reveal into an honest conversation, gently
Rewards a second read with new details in the collage
b
From the studio · Bengaluru
Big Beetle Books is an independent children's imprint making screen-free picture books for the slow afternoon, written by Nandita Rao and illustrated by Mohan Perera.
Complete the shelf
More laughs for the shelf.
Different jokes, same trust in a child's sense of humour.
Who's Got the Scarf?
Paperback · Rs. 349.00 Rs. 399.00