In response to the needs of children growing up in a multilingual society, these books provide access to two languages at a time – Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati or Bengali, paired with English. The text is deliberately simple to allow the two languages on the page to be as close as possible to each other, so one can be followed through the other.
Malli gave her uncle’s family many things when they came to her village. Now, she is coming to the city. Will they also give her something? A music-loving, terrace-gardening grandmother puts creative hats on her grandchildren as they think of what to give their favourite cousin. This sequel to the ever-popular Malli comes wrapped in a vibrant palette, and...
Tiji and Cheenu like to eat different things, do different things… and they are best friends! Warm, exuberant pictures from one of the country's finest illustrators build up this universal story of friendship.
Across the room, over a table, under a chair… Anita follows a long line of ants. Where do they take her? Zestful pictures capture the curiosity of a lively little girl and introduce young readers to some simple, everyday vocabulary.
A big box, her grandparents' walking sticks, Amma's long red dupatta… Neelu has everything she needs for her big, strong fort. But – oh no – she trips and falls, and the box becomes flat! Whacky pictures take us on a colourful ride into a child's imagination. 2018: Best of Indian Children's Writing: Contemporary
Ducks, tigers, pangolins, penguins… This book introduces young readers to a variety of animals and the different ways in which they carry their young. Bold illustrations set against textured backgrounds portray the parent-child bond in a charming manner.
Pranav wants Maya to come to his house. "Why?" Maya wants to know. Bright pictures form a cheery backdrop to a narrative that sees a house through a child's eyes, and makes a good introduction to colours.
Mister Crocodile gets very angry when five little monkeys tease him from a tree. Aaaaaaaa... gobak! What happens then? An old favourite is infused with rhythm, repetition and bilingual flavour, to create an unforgettable reading experience. Bold, jaunty pictures with eye-catching expressions bear the touch of a skilled animator.
Papa tries to wake up Annika, but all Annika says is "No!" What does Papa do now? Endearing pictures highlight the father-daughter bond in a familiar morning scene in many homes.
When the lioness goes off to hunt, her cubs go off to play. But is the jungle safe for them? Inspired by the endangered Asiatic lion found in the Gir forest, Gujarat, this book follows the playful adventures of three curious lion cubs while their mother is away. Minimal text and lively illustrations with an edge of drama skilfully introduce young readers...
What did Kabir find and where did it go? Will he find it again? Graphic visuals add an interactive dimension to this lost-and-found story. Pictures match clues in the text offering many everyday objects for children to identify as they wander with Kabir through the pages.
One day, Balu finds a basket. What does he do with it? Bright, clean pictures create a cheerful backdrop for this fruit-filled book. 2018: Best of Indian Children's Writing: Contemporary
Drip, drip, drip! It's raining… What happens when seven animals have to share one small umbrella? Cheery pictures liven up this old folktale about sharing, retold with a twist.
On Monday Mani is a monkey, on Tuesday he's a crocodile, on Wednesday... A days-of-the-week book that gives a real ride to the imagination.
It's a very mixed-up world where flowers talk and trees fly! The goofy text of this mad little bilingual book spins on whacky illustrations that whirl the reader along.
When will it rain, Little Frog asks his mother. When black clouds appear in the sky, she replies. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday... every day Little Frog looks up at the sky and when he sees something dark, asks the crane, the fish, the stork if these are clouds. No, comes the reply – until finally, the rain comes down! Bold strokes and bright colours highlight...
Guddu's mother wants to take a photo of him. But Guddu will not smile! A child's toys come to life in this fun bilingual story with animated illustrations that are picture perfect.
Striking pictures by first time photographers capture everything as vast as the sky and as tiny as a worm with equal delight and fresh perspectives – a bird flying high in the sky, a spider's web, sunlight on a river... The accompanying text echoes the children’s sense of wonder at the patterns and colours. Young readers can stick their own photos at the...
A little boy dreams of becoming a fisherman, a potter... a dancer! Imaginative ideas lead children into different worlds. Bold, colourful pictures on the pages are labelled with words in two languages – one familiar, and a translation in a less familiar one – so that children can string them to together to tell their own stories while they learn a...
One day, Jojo the dog wakes up to find purple spots on his body. Where did they come from? Jojo sets off on a search... This charming tale with a twist is also a wonderful introduction to colours.
A black cat with bright green eyes becomes a white cat with bright green eyes. How does this happen? But this is only the beginning of the adventure. Stunning pictures play with the shape of the elegant cat.
It can fly and do magic. It is a horse and also a pencil. What is it? Bright, endearing illustrations add to the charm of this perfect read-together book with grandparents!
There was a donkey who felt so happy that he sang through the night in the cucumber field. The problem was that the cucumbers couldn't bear it. What did they do? Earthy illustrations in the patachitra style from Odisha energise this droll new bilingual retelling of a well-known Panchatantra story where the focus shifts to the plight of the cucumbers!
Yak yak yak... the tortoise loves to talk – and learns the hard way that keeping his mouth shut is sometimes very necessary! The clipped narrative style pares the original fable from the Panchatantra down to its essence with dramatic effect in this bilingual retelling. It is offset by decorative, detailed illustrations in the style of kalamkari textiles...
Big Hunter catches poor Deer in a net. Can Deer's friends help him escape? One of the more popular stories from the Panchatantra about friendship and resourcefulness, in a bilingual retelling. The illustrations have the strong lines and vivid colours of Bengal’s patachitra folk paintings used by storytellers as backdrops.
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Panchatantra Books 
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