There are stunning new Indian children's books for kids in the Toka Shop. Lavanya Karthik's Dreamers series is back with its new and brilliantly illustrated short biographies. You will find books by South Asian writers from around the world in our collection and you must get your hands on them NOW!

1.The Girl Who Climbed Mountains by Lavanya Karthik

When my daughter finished this book, she said that the author got her to go into the mind of Bachendri Pal, the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest This stunning book by Lavanya Karthik recreates an incident in the life of Bachni, as she is called by her family and friends in the Garhwal. 

It is spectacular to see a biography that is not a clutter of facts but a story that gets to the heart of what drove a famous person to accomplish something bigger than herself. It is thrilling to see fear, sickness, thirst and darkness personified as demons that , just as the mountains are spoken of as sleeping gods. Lyrical, allegorical and thrilling all at once, this beautifully written and illustrated short biography is a unique way to understand the heart of what made a person achieve something truly remarkable. On top of the mountain, Bachendri Pal realized that she could touch her soul. 

Each Dreamers biography is a pinwheel of fact and recreation, illustrated to depict the inner life of the person, a mesmerizing color theme dominating each book. The Dreamers series have truly redefined children's biographies and made them special. Highly recommended!

Buy this book now! 

2. The Boy Who Loved Birds: Salim Ali by Lavanya Karthik

If 'The Boy Who Loved Birds' by Lavanya Karthik had been written by any other author, we'd have pages and pages about where the famous ornithologist Salim Ali was born, what he studied, his moment of self-realization, and a list of his achievements. Instead, this marvel of a book begins this way -

'What is a bird? 

   A target for sport.

      A morsel to savor.

        A pet. 

As a child, Saloo thought that a bird was a simple thing, until he encountered a mysterious bird and chased it to an unlikely destination. 
 

Buy this book now!

3. How to Wear a Sari

How to get your family to take you seriously? Ever been told that you are “too small” to do things. Well a sari might very well do the trick. As any sari novice will tell you, it just takes a little adjustment, a pin here, a brooch there and mostly just the confidence to carry the outfit with style. Don’t forget the sparkly sandals. You might just make it to the family hall of fame!

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4. Making Happy 

There is something powerful about reading Making Happy with your child, a shared picture book experience that we think will remain in your memories for years and years to come. The book is about a little girl named Leila whose mother battles cancer. Leila struggles to understand or accept why her mother is so sick all the time. She doesn't understand why her mum has to wear wigs and is upset when she doesn't because of the way people look at her. Leila tries her best to 'make the sick go away.' One day when she eats dinner with dad, she spills her glass in anger and immediately regrets it. Her father then comforts her and then tells her that they will spend the rest of their day 'making happy.' The three of them then tear up newspapers, make a mess, and have a grand time, and they talk long into the night, huddled together as a family. Khoa Le's illustrations work magic here. The picture of Leila, her mom and her dad in bed spending time together will remain in our hearts for a lifetime.

The book is based on the author Sheetal Sheth's own experience battling cancer as the parent of young kids. The book helps us find light in the darkest of moments. We read it together as a family and we sensed a connection so close and timeless that it felt as all-encompassing as the quilt that Leila and her classmates make for her mother. 

Buy this book now!

5. A Taste of Honey

Reminiscent of Amar Chitra Katha and Chandamama classic folk tales of my childhood, this tale is narrated in contemporary American English making it more accessible. I would have loved to know where the story is originally from - which state of India/ Pakistan or what set of well known folk tales it belongs to.