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We take a look at the books we received and loved this April. Picture books, chapter books - we have them all. All these books have exciting narrative arcs and interesting conclusions that are not just surprise endings but function as more than just plot lines. They get the child to think and reflect on the story.
Written by Niyatee Sharma, Illustrated by Vibha Surya
Age group: 3-5 years
The first rain of the season is here and everyone is keen to help Baba sow seeds in the vegetable garden! Baba gives seeds to Ananya, Veer and Mummy to sow. But no one knows what plant they are growing. It is going to be a surprise.
Veer, Baba and Mummy's plants grow big. Little flowers and fruits appear on them. Ananya's plant only has big leaves that grow bigger and bigger. Her plant has no flowers or fruit.
On Harvest Day, everyone except Ananya has fruits and flowers to harvest. Why did Ananya's plant not bear any fruits?
We absolutely loved the ending. Like all of her previous garden picture books, Niyatee tells us a beautiful story that children can apply to their world in different ways. Not everything is as it seems, including plants and growing gardens! Every harvest is a mystery and just because something is not visible, it doesn't mean it isn't there. You must read the book to find out more!
Written by Rajani LaRocca, Illustrated by Sara Palacios
Age group: 3-5 years
In Tamil, when we say godbye to someone, we usually say "poitu varen" which means I will go and come back. This makes sure there is no finality to the parting.
In this book, a child named Jyoti who lives in America visits her grandmother in India. Jyoti finds India to be different and when her cousins are off to school, she feels lonely. Her grandmother, Sita Pati, then engages her with games and activities. They don't speak the same language, but they find ways to connect. They read, eat and play together.
When the time comes to leave for America, Jyoti is sad, but her grandmother asks her to say, "poitu varen."
Later, when her grandmother visits America, she is lonely too but Jyoti finds ways to engage her. When the time comes for Sita paati to leave, she says "I'll go and come back."
The pictures tell their own stories - how Sita pati plays pallanguzhi, a traditional India board game, with Jyoti. In America, Jyoti bakes with her pati, and they chalk doodles on the pavement.
Written by Priya Gupta
Age group: 3-5 years
Priya Gupta is the author of some incredible children's books in Hindi. Her book of prepositions and her picture book, Phir Amaya Somvar, are some of the most popular books in our shop. Her latest book, Mai Hoon Kaun, was born out of a game she played with her students from across the world. The classic 'Who Am I' game takes a bilingual turn in this fun and exciting new Hindi book. 'Safayee mera doosra naam, ghar ho ya dukhaan. Lekin jadoo ki duniya mein udna mera kaam.' You can encourage the child to understand the riddle and guess the answer - which we know to be 'jhaadoo!' Children will have lots of fun guessing the answers.
Every question is creative and gets the child to think differently. Playing a game is a wonderful way to boost a child's cognitive skills. Research shows us how games can help children learn and take risks in their learning. When games are used to teach a language, something incredible happens. They learn to immerse themselves in the language and use it like one would flex muscles - take risks, form new sentences in the language, and actually begin to try and think in that language. Mai Hoon Kaun is also illustrated with drawings from Priya's own students, which we absolutely love!
A book of contemporary riddles (paheli) in Hindi, with key to difficult words in English. Perfect for ages 5-15, this book has been illustrated by kids learning Hindi! A unique brain teaser for those who are learning the language.
Written by Khyati Anand-Puthran, Illustrated by Prabha Mallya
Age group: 3-5 years
Kuhu loves watching the little black ants in her house. "You shouldn't trouble them, Kuhu," her mother says. "They are god's little ants." Kuhu is intrigued. If this is indeed God's little ant, Kuhu thinks that it should lead her right to where God live. And so begins little journeys to wherever the ants go. Khyati Anand-Puthran's story is simple, humorous, intelligent and rich with meaning for a child. We all go looking for god in the unlikeliest of places and the gentle humor in this story sensitizes children to multiple points of view and the humor that lies in beauty and the world.
Written by Monisha Monikantarajan, Illustrated by Dhejaswini
Age group: 0-3 years
A unique way to introduce colors to your little one! பொங்கலோ பொங்கல் is not just a book about பொங்கல் ! We also want to introduce kids to colors in Tamil through this book! Every page is rich with details and will give great talking points for you to discuss with your little one.
Written by Abhi Krish, Illustrated by Shreya Sen
Age group: 3-5 years
Little Murali is in absolute panic. He runs to his friends Tara and Kabir, asking for their help. What seems to be the matter? Well, it's a parrot! Murali tells them a parrot has been chasing him around all morning. His friends ask him to describe the parrot and what it said. For one, it squawked back everything that Murali said and repeated his words, even when he tried saying the same phrase in Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam and Telugu. It even took his vadai and proves to be a large, intimidating copy cat -- I mean, copy bird, as Murali says.
You will love reading 'Ayyo that Parrot' out with your children. It is hilarious, inventive, enjoyable and perfectly written. You will love reading out phrases like "two short strong legs hopping-bopping behind me everywhere I go." The book even weaves in phrases in four Indian languages in a fun and completely natural way that the kids will love! This one will be your family favorite -- give it a read! Shreya Sen's illustrations are quirky and fun! There's a twist in the end too! Abhi Krish is the founder of Nool Monsters, a bilingual platform for kids, and we think this witty, pun-filled, delightful story is completely in her wheelhouse!
Written by Niveditha Subramaniam, illustrated by Aindri C
Age group: 3-5 years
Ammu is excited. She has made a little boat out of her plastic bottle. She sets it afloat on the stream and when her mother calls her to eat, Ammu forgets all about the bottle boat. The boat then floats from the stream and joins bags, straws, jars and even bits of balloons as the float into the river, .
Ammu laughs with her friends at school, knowing little about how her bottle boat, which she has set out into the world inadvertently, goes out to do so much damage. Little actions have huge consequences. Ocean's garbage patch, the ill effects of plastic in the ocean how it harms the fish, the seals, chokes them.
We love how the book juxtaposes Ammu's carefree life, even as the little boat she has created sets out to do so much damage. The illustrations by Aindri C add to the oceanic atmosphere of the book, bringing alive an underwater existence that is threatened by little acts of oblivion. Here's an interesting fact - for the pictures, Aindri, uses the Japanese art of fish print, Gyotaku. It dates back to the mid-1800s and is a practice wherein fishermen nature printed to record their catches, giving rise to an entire art form. Fish print in this book is replaced with plastic caps and bottles.
Written in catchy rhyme, the book is a great way to get children interested in the consequences of pollution.
Written by Serow, Illustrated by Rajiv Eipe
Age group: 6-8 years
There are tons of children's books about animals but don't you just love books that depict animals in realistic settings? We are obsessed with how good Serow's new book is and how it lodges in our memories as an unforgettable adventure.
This picture book is about Chitty a snow-white puppy. with large endearing eyes, who is adopted by the author in Pune. The author takes her to her family farm house in the Western Ghats in Karnataka. The descriptions of the farmhouse, set in the thick, deciduous forest with rosewood, cinnamon, monkey jack, dhoop and supari, are just mesmerising.
How does a shy pup like Chitti adapt to the forest? We are blown away by Serow's prose, her descriptions of the stunning monsoons in the Western Ghats with sheets of relentless rain, or how Chitty sits by the river Bedthi, which flows down the ghats as a wondrous waterfall and empties into the Arabian Sea. Human and canine feet crunching on dry leaves in the absolute stillness of the forest, every page of this book shines forth spendidly, filling us with curiosity and longing. Towards the end of the book, we marvel at the circle of life that Serow talks about and how she ties Chitty's own story to her beliefs.
Rajiv Eipe's illustrations match Serow's brilliant writing, word for word. Chitty herself is drawn so realistically that you almost reach out to touch her head or gaze into her beautiful eyes. You almost walk into the magnificence of the stars in the Western Ghats, or reach out to catch the flying termites that Chitty loves to chase. The forests come alive with Rajiv Eipe's illustrations and you are mesmerized.
Here's a quick and unequivocal review - this book HAS to be part of your collection!
Written by Namita Moolani Mehra, illustrated by Chhaya Prabhat
Age group: 6-8 years
Written by Sandeep Virmani, illustrated by Niloufer Wadia
Age group: 6-8 years
Ajiri, a chinkara fawn, is separated from her mother and is raised by Shivam, the son of a naturalist and Mitti, a girl who lives in the Banni grasslands. Ajiri learns to trust humans as she develops an unusual friendship with Shivam but will she reunite with her mother? Sandeep Virmani brings the story to life through two intertwining points of view - Ajiri's and Shivam's narratives. It is mesmerising to travel through the pages of the book to the grasslands of Kachchh and the wetland within the grasslands. Ajiri's adventures are exciting. After journeying through the grasslands searching for her mother, she comes across a pack of ferocious dogs. Filled with bruises and bites, Shivam saves Ajiri when he sees her trying to escape from the dogs. Shivam takes her to his father who takes care of her and helps her heal. It is beautiful to read both Shivam's and Ajiri's points of view.
Ajiri feels a sort of fearlessness when she is in Shivam's company. She loves being with Shivam but her voice tells her something else and calls her to return to her family. Shivam's father has an idea - to let Ajiri learn how to graze fearlessly at Mitti's house. Miti belongs to a family of camel herders - they didn't live in one place but set up their temporary homes in places where their animals could graze. It is magical to read about the camel pastoralists and their nomadic traditions.
Written by Radhika Chadha, illustrated by Priya Kuriyan
Age group: 3-5 years
This brilliant and delightful little story is inspired by the author's farther and his rendition of Kalidasa's playful verse, Jhambupalvani Pakhvani in Sanskrit. The book is about Mannu the monkey who loves jamun fruit and wakes up one summer morning waiting to pick ripe fruits off the trees. Mannu has been waiting for this day – when the purply-shurply jamun are pulpy-shulpy ripe. But why isn’t there a single berry on or around the tree?
We love how this books leads to a fun and surprise ending!
Written by Parintha Shetty, illustrated by Aindri C
Age group: 6-8 years
Aaji's birthday is coming up, but Jyoti has no idea what to get her. Fortunately, everyone in their village has lots of very different ideas. . .
Sweet, touching and a joy ride from start to finish with beautiful illustrations by Aindri C, A Birthday Present for Aaji is the latest from the Penguin's line of Hook Book, a series of short simple stories for beginning readers come with fun stories set in different parts of India.
Written by Chatura Rao, Illustrated by Rajiv Eipe
Age group: 6-8 years
Best Sweets has opened next to Firoza's dadu's sweet shop and is taking away all the customers. How can Firoza make her dadu's shop better than Best?
The Hook Book series of short simple stories for beginning readers come with fun stories set in different parts of India, gorgeous illustrations and short exercises to enhance the reading experience.
