A CLOUD CALLED BHURA

When a cloud of pollution casts a haze over Mumbai, it takes a group of kids to figure out what to do.

The enormous cloud appears one morning, blocking the sun and floating like “a turbulent toxic ocean.” The news covers the phenomenon nonstop, dubbing it Bhura (or brown) Cloudus. Scientists, including identical twin climatologist sisters Drs. Vidisha and Bidisha Mehta, try to figure out what’s going on. The government responds with a stunt (which fails spectacularly) in which a Bollywood star tries out the SUK-UP9, a giant vacuumlike device, on Bhura Cloudus. Chapter headings chart rising temperatures and deteriorating air quality as, amid these shenanigans, a diverse group of 13-year-old friends—Amara “Amni” Kumar, Tamanna “Tammy” D., Mithil Shah, and Andrew Thomas—each struggle in their own ways. Tammy, who’s Dalit, lives without air conditioning. Chapati, Mithil’s beloved dog, grows sicker. Amni’s parents talk of moving to Canada. Andrew’s in denial, focusing on studying and Minecraft. The tweens are alternately curious and despairing. Finally, frustrated by the adults’ endless talking and determined to do something, they establish a campaign, uncover a dastardly plot, gain inspiration from real-life heroes, and prove that “All small things count.” Vachharajani’s grown-up villains are deliciously over-the-top yet all too recognizable, just like the effects of climate change described in the story. Young people will resonate with the critical issues, but the seriousness is made bearable by the comic absurdity, clever wordplay, and whimsical graphics.

Clever, sobering, yet ultimately hopeful.