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Why we love it: It is bilingual, it is beautifully illustrated and shows how Bhai (brother) and Behan (sister) walk through their Indian farm home, bidding each and every animal good night. It works as a beautiful bedtime story too!
Shubh Raatri Dost written by Nidhi Chanani. The book, with its refrain of 'Shubh Raatri' or 'good night,' sets a peaceful and luminous ambience. We like how Bhai also says 'Shubh Raatri Pyaas' meaning "good night thirst" even as he drinks a beautiful steel tumbler of water!
Every sentence in every page has a Hindi translation in the Hindi script, Romanized Hindi and English, making this an accessible and easy bilingual book that actually works! We love the way the babies in the book say 'dhanyavaad' or 'thank you.' We love the sequence that the book follows, the soothing repetition, and the rhythm. Perfect for Raksha Bandhan!
Age group: 3 to 5 years
Why we love it: It combines Rakhi and math. Isn't that cool?
In the book, Bina wants to make bracelets for her brothers, Vijay, Siddharth and Arun. She finds out all about their likes and their favourite colours. She then goes about making patterned bracelets for them for Raksha Bandhan. The book teaches simple patterns, problem solving and of course, it also celebrates family and sibling love.
We love that while the book celebrates patterns, it celebrates spontaneity and randomness too.The necklace that the brothers gift Bina follows no pattern and is completely random!
Rajani's books bring math alive through stories! That's why children love them! The stunning illustrations by Chhaya Prabhat will transport your children to picture book heaven!
This is a beautifully illustrated, gorgeous picture book that is fun to read and celebrates our most precious family moments and bonds. There is math too and it sticks because children understand math, put it into context, and truly appreciate it. Highly recommended both for Raksha Bandhan and even otherwise!
Age group: 6 to 8 years old
Why we love it: This book tells your kids all about how Raksha Bandhan started, the traditions, the origin stories and some unknown facts too. For instance, what did Rabindranath Tagore have to do with Raksha Bandhan? You've heard the Bali but what about Indra, Indrani, and other Raksha Bandhan stories?
The book begins with two children who are waiting for their cousin Maya to visit them for Raksha Bandhan. They have food and some lovely Rakhis of Hanuman, Krishna and Spiderman ready. The family then sits together and hears stories about how Raksha Bandhan began. a Bandhan - Tagore urged Hindus and Muslims to celebrate together.
Age group: 6 to 8 years
Why we love it: It explores a typical sibling relationship. Sister has to babysit brother, but she wants to do her own thing. Brother wants her to read a story but she just isn't interested - until the very end!
A young energetic boy is left in custody of his elder sister when the parents are away from home. His sister, who is overloaded with household chores and meal preparations, is reluctant to babysit her brother. She chooses to immerse herself in the book of her choice and the little brother tries to do the same with his book about tigers!. But reading a book alone is no fun! After minutes of loneliness with his book, the little brother is all agog to hear the tiger story in his sister's voice. In an attempt to gain his sister's attention, he grows insistent and imaginative.
And once you conjure a tiger, you never know where it will take you or how far the gag will go.
Jeffrey Ebbeler is an instant hit at our home with his inventiveness and animated artistry. His attention to detail helped convey more content visually. My son sometimes gazes at the tigers, debating whether it looks adorable or aggressive. The expressions of the boy are my absolute favorite. This is a visual treat for all ages and our most riveting book to date, so much so that we had it as a book pick for our August 2018 Toka Explorer Box!
Want to take a peek inside? Here is a beautiful video!
Why we love it: The Nina Soni series are chapter books about a loveable, distractible and intelligent Indian-American girl, her family and friends. We also love the relationship between Nina and her sister Kavita. It's fun
A long rainy stretch during spring break has Nina restless and hungry for a new project and aggravated with little sister Kavita’s embarrassing behavior. A fresh pile of dirt just delivered to the neighbor’s house for a landscaping project ends up being too tempting to resist. Can Nina fix Kavita and create something amazing at the same time?
Irandume Pidikkum by Abhi Krish, Illustrated by Anushka Shenoy
Renu is worried. She has a new baby brother. And since his arrival, Amma has been busy fussing over him all day long. As Renu watches Amma cajole the baby and shower him with her love, she can't help but wonder, "Has Amma... forgotten me?" Published by Vaaranam Children's Books,, this is a comforting story for a new elder sibling about a parent's ever-growing love.
Age group: 3-5 years
Why we love it: This beautiful Tamil book about Renu, who is worried about her new baby brother. Ever since his arrival, Amma has been busy fussing over him all day long. As Renu watches Amma cajole the baby and shower him with her love, she can't help but wonder, "Has Amma... forgotten me?" Published by Vaaranam Children's Books,, this is a comforting story for a new elder sibling about a parent's ever-growing love.
The way the parents show how they love both Renu and her sibling is just so beautifully done. You will tear up like we did! Simple and intelligent logic always wins the children over. A must-read!
Why we love it: A vibrant celebration of traditional artisans from India, this picture book is a sweet sibling bedtime story at heart, featuring a big sister who figures out how to care for her baby sister with some help from her grandmother’s lovingly made gifts. Kesar’s baby sister Kamal will not sleep. Their entire village in the Great Rann of Kutch is kept awake by the infant’s cries and her parents are exhausted. When Kesar and Kamal’s ba comes to visit, her stories give Kesar a wonderful idea. Perhaps what Kesar needs to put her baby sister to sleep is a little bit of desert magic! This is such a glorious pick for Raksha Bandhan - a must-read!
Why we love it: The book is about two brothers, Adu (Ee-doo) and Adu (Aa-doo), whose mamma is making gulab jamuns but the brothers don't know what gulab jamuns taste like. Boy are they in for a treat! But what about the guests? Learn all about gulab jamuns and counting with this light-hearted, humorous story. It also has an easy recipe to make those delicious Gulab Jamuns!
Why we love it: The book is about Raksha Bandhan but a toy brings a whole new meaning to the festival, encouraging two siblings to take Raksha Bandhan to their neighborhood!
This vibrant and lively book is about Taaraa and Chandu, two siblings who live in America and who love celebrating Raksha Bandhan. They also want to know the significance behind the festival and why they tie he Rakhi. They discover the reason behind these various practices. We love the beautiful narration, the illustrations, the story that drives the children's discovery, and of course, a map that shows how the Shravan Poornima is celebrated across India, including Sanskrit Divas, Kajari Poornima and Hayagreeva Jayanthi. The book also explains the many stories that enrich our understanding and celebration of Raksha Bandhan.
Rubina has been invited to her first birthday party, and her mother, Ami, insists that she bring her little sister along. Rubina is mortified, but she can't convince Ami that you just don't bring your younger sister to your friend's party. So both girls go, and not only does Sana demand to win every game, but after the party she steals Rubina's prized party favor, a red lollipop. What's a fed-up big sister to do?
Rukhsana Khan's clever story and Sophie Blackall's irresistible illustrations make for a powerful combination in this fresh and surprising picture book.
