Over 100 of our titles in English and Hindi are part of the list compiled by the Central Board of Secondary Education, for recommended reading in schools. Selected by an expert panel, these books for Classes I-XII are regularly requisitioned for schools across the country.
A thrilling book based on a true story of an encounter with the endangered cat in the Western Ghats of India. Perched on a treetop at a waterhole in a reserve forest in Kerala, the author and his friend, Natarajan, an Irula tribesman, were waiting to sight a tiger. This was when Natarajan told him the story of his first encounter with a black panther in...
Bahadur, the little elephant has forgotten how to sleep. Worried and very, very sleepy, he goes to his animal friends for help. But they all sleep in their own different ways – elephants don't sleep like that! What will Bahadur do? The snoozy-woozy first story in the ever popular series about Bahadur the baby elephant!
Ismat the shoemaker decides to buy his family special gifts for Eid. He is persuaded by the shopkeeper to buy a pair of trousers for himself. However, there is only one last pair and it's too long. But long trousers can always be shortened, can't they? Eid arrives, and with it comes a shock and a surprise. This crisp adaptation of a delightful Turkish...
Raw, green, sour and crunchy. Or ripe, golden, plump and soft. Summer time is mango time, a time children wait for – blazing sun, sticky mango juice ringing their mouths and dripping down their fingers. The sweet, simple story and luscious pictures evoke delicious flavours of hot days, warm friendships and the smell of mango in the air. 2013: Highly...
Moyna lives in a little tribal village. She cannot go to school because she has to tend goats, collect firewood, fetch water… But she is so full of questions that the postmaster calls her the ‘why-why girl'! In this inspiring and delightful story, her first picture book, acclaimed Jnanpith award-winning writer Mahasweta Devi tells us how she meets Moyna...
Sabri draws wherever she can. On the floor of the hut with rough chalk, or with her one and only pencil on paper from old notebooks. She draws her world – the sun coming up from behind the hills, the chicken, the goats... Then one day in school she sees long colour pencils, and paint that comes out of bottles. After that it isn't enough for her to draw –...
Kali hates school. And school hates him, he thinks, for he has no friends. His classmates find him strange. He wishes his father were an ‘ordinary' bus-conductor or postman instead of a snake-catcher, even if one of the most celebrated in the Irula tribe. He worries that others will see him eating fried termites (his favourite snack!) and laugh. And then...
Bhoomi the planet plays games with her friend, Moon, traces star patterns, and watches blazing comets whizz by. It's exciting to live in Space! This is one of five First Look Science books, perfect for a child’s first introduction to basic concepts about the world around because they were conceived visually. The stunning pictures convey the beauty,...
Boondi is a little drop of water who rolls and tumbles in the river. One hot day he feels himself being lifted up, up, up into the sky into a big, heavy cloud. What now? This is one of five First Look Science books, perfect for a child’s first introduction to basic concepts about the world around because they were conceived visually. The stunning pictures...
Dhooli, a tiny speck of dust, flits and floats in the air with her friends. She flies past clouds and birds and aeroplanes. She watches rainbows in the sky. What else does she do in the air? This is one of five First Look Science books, perfect for a child’s first introduction to basic concepts about the world around because they were conceived visually....
Gitti the rock is very old. After a long, long journey that started from the boiling hot centre of the earth, he now sits quietly on a mountain, watching the sun rise and set. What is his story? This is one of five First Look Science books, perfect for a child’s first introduction to basic concepts about the world around because they were conceived...
Super-seed Beeji is off on a super-ride! Zooming over icy lands and hot deserts, swooshing down a river… she's a tough little seed who loves adventure but is happy to be back on soft soil. A Beeji-eye view of different landforms. This is one of five First Look Science books, perfect for a child’s first introduction to basic concepts about the world...
The quiet villages of Sundarban are terrorised by a monster with wild eyes, sharp teeth, striped skin and pointed nails — Dokkhin Rai! Until finally, Bon Bibi, protector of the forests and people, asks him a simple question: Why do you do this? The answer to this question is central to the age-old theme of human-animal harmony. Set in the lush and...
A little girl discovers a seed one day. She puts it in a pot – and then begins the thrill of watching it grow. Will it be tall? Will it have fruit? Or flowers? The wonder and excitement of emerging new life comes through in this book. 2006: White Ravens Catalogue 2008: Silver Medal, Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards, USA
At one time, yaks had no home of their own. But Gola the yak wants a home — where he will have food to eat, water to drink, and be happy. His friend Muri the eagle takes him to the sea, the forest, the desert... The concept and the striking visuals introduce children to different landscapes. Along with it are words that go with each scene and add to...
Malli's uncle and his family from the city have come to her village. She wants to take some gifts for them but has only one rupee. However, as she sets off on her way, her little basket slowly fills up… This story is about the joy of simple surprises. The exuberant illustrations carry the feel of rural Tamil Nadu with bright colours and strong lines....
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...
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.
The smart lion thinks he can use the fox to bring him food every day. But the fox is smarter! A familiar Panchatantra fable with innovative twists and a whole new environmental angle. The rich, energetic illustrations draw from the art of the Gond people from central India who live closely connected with nature.
When a herd of elephants creates trouble in the jungle, do the little rabbits run away in fear? No! From Aztec to Chinese, there are many versions of the story about the rabbit in the moon. The illustrations for this bilingual retelling are based on the pithora folk style of central India, which derives from cave art.
The old snake is punished – the frogs will now ride on him. The frogs jump for joy – but they had better watch out! This unusual bilingual retelling of a Panchatantra favourite swings sympathy in favour of the snake. Stunning pictures are based on wooden folk toys from Channapatna in Karnataka, a craft style that came centuries ago from Persia.
This timely collection retells stories from mythology and folklore to focus on the need to protect, conserve and value water. Together with interesting facts and a timeline from earliest times, it makes a creative plea to readers of all ages to treat water, and, by extension, all life, with respect. Well-known writers draw upon the oral traditions of the...
