Book excerpt: Moti Goes to Bat! Is this the story of a Moti the birdie joining a little league or NY Jets? Could it be it joins a cricket team in New Jersey or the National team of India? Nothing of the sort. The four friends were sitting on the deck after returning from school. Chakra, the crow was sad as his brother Shukra has been missing and he was worried. Panna's mother organizes a search party and locates the hurt Shukra lying on the ground being protected by a large group of ravens and crows. Shukra tells Doctor Dolittle when he was awake that he was attacked in the air by a mouse. This became clear when the good doctor told that it was not a mouse but a fruit bat. Moti goes to meet the bat and makes a friendship with the bat and her baby. Moti, the fearless birdie from Hyderabad, thus successfully introduces the bat family to all her friends and they too become part of Panna's animal family.