Roll it, pat it, poke in eyes, stick on nose and ears — and a ball of chapati dough can turn into almost anything! The endearing illustrations follow the quirks of a child's imagination. 2010: Outstanding International Book, United States Board for Books for Young People, USA
Thom! It lands on Kuttan’s toes. Dheem! He kicks and up it goes. The pages of this book resound with the rhythm of dance as Abu's big red ball bounces in tune with the delightful illustrations. Originally in Malayalam
This zippy zestful grand-ant has travelled the world, and how! This smart ‘travel quiz' comes in crisp, cheery verse that jogs the mind even as it swings the imagination. Clues come through words and pictures, taking children on a whirlwind journey from New Zealand to Japan, China, Nepal... But how does grand-ant travel?
A little girl wants a story that never ends. Grandmother starts off a chain story typical of folktales the world over – an old man from Madikere comes to Bengaluru, the old man's wife, then her daughter, the daughter's doll, the doll's dog… And finally, in a clever twist, it fuses into another story and comes full circle – so it can never end! Bold,...
Sameer lives in a house on Saraswati Street in a city called Mumbai, which is in Maharashtra, which is in India, which is in... A popular idea re-presented in a new and appealing way to show how everyone is a small part of this universe. Strong illustrations take children on a visual journey of expanding horizons, from Sameer's house to the star-filled...
An ant's curiosity leads to adventure in this chain story of repetition and cumulative images. The illustrations within illustrations drawn in stark white on brown are adapted from the art of the Warli storytellers. The stories are illustrated in a flowing river-like fashion, capturing the pattern of the cumulative tale visually as well.
Putul lives by the Ganga in a fishing village in Bengal. In the torrential monsoons one year, the mighty river swells over the banks and into the huts and two friendly dolphins come leaping in the water right through Putul's window. Worried that someone might kill them, Putul leads them back into the river. But the strong currents begin to sweep her away…...
A curious crow comes across the palace of the rich and elegant king of birds, Pavo Cristatus the peacock. Soon after, Pavo has a visitor — a cousin, Cavo Pristatus, from Africa who looks like a peacock, but is not quite one. Who is he? This cheerful tongue-in cheek story with flamboyant pictures combines the themes of the weak outwitting the strong and...
The 'arribada' or arrival of thousands of olive ridley sea turtles for mass nesting on some beaches of Odisha is one of nature's amazing spectacles. Yet thousands of these gentle reptiles die every year due to callous fishing practices and human apathy. Through unique photographs, ridley facts, and a narrative born out of first-hand experience,...
“There was once a mountain made of bare stone…” It stands cold and alone until one day a small bird appears and changes its life. This well-loved story by American writer Alice McLerran, shared all over the world in many languages, draws from universal truths that go beyond boundaries of language and culture. The illustrations are as lyrical, evoking the...
Enemies have abducted Princess Mati’s parents. She and her brother Satya are secretly spirited away by the loyal Jaya Prabhasa. As they journey through a world they have never known in their sheltered existence, they acquire extraordinary skills to survive perilous forests and swamps. But are these sufficient to help them rescue their parents? This...
Santosh travels alone from Mumbai, where he lives with his mother, to Kolkata, on holiday. He has secret plans to look for his father, whom he barely remembers. The train ride brings him into contact with people outside his sheltered world – a prelude to another, deeper, journey. With a light and honest touch, this book explores the emotional dilemma of a...
Mystic weaver, radical reformer, loved and hated equally in his time... The simple wisdom of Kabir’s famous dohas makes him one of the most frequently quoted poets even today. This novel traces one day in Kabir's life, from daybreak to midday to nightfall, threading fact, legend and poetry. Spare visuals before each section continue Kabir's favourite...
One little child is staring at something. Another joins him, then another... until finally ten little children are staring at something. What do they see? The suspense builds up, page after page, through text and picture, to an amusing climax. This beginner counting book has illustrations as innovative as the concept, in black and white pen-and-wash on...
Gadagada gudugudu... the marble rolls from one child's hand to another in exchange each time for something exciting. The story moves in a straightforward childlike way as, one after the other, it reintroduces simple street games endlessly popular with children. Trundling alongside is the rhythmic refrain that fascinatingly echoes the circular movement of...
Pranav says he is drawing a picture. But his mother sees nothing on the page! What is Pranav drawing? The narrative and freewheeling illustrations follow the simple, spontaneous logic of a child's mind.
Every day, Basava goes to the forest to collect firewood for his mother. But one day it grows dark and he can't find his way home. That is when Basava sees the glowing dots of fire that light up the forest... A gentle story with a touch of magic and dramatic illustrations.
Amminikutty Amma picks out the last peppercorn from her spice box to make some tasty onion chutney. But little Kurumolagu has no intention of being ground and eaten just yet. With a desperate Amminikutty Amma hot on his heels, he hops, jumps, skids, brakes, revs and races his way away. This “beautifully told and very charming story” was chosen for an...
Did you know that bees make a real song and dance over honey? And delicate butterflies can frighten fearsome birds? Superbly comic pictures exaggerate funny but true facts about the mad, mad world of creepy crawlies.
Based on real accounts, this is an imagined story of a boy in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami that hit several countries. It could also be the story of any child whose life is closely linked with nature. The narrative follows the feelings of the boy as he tries to comprehend the horror and bewilderment of the experience. Photographs, not of the...
The four, along with the lion cub, are off to Canada with a message for the Techno Sage, who has sealed her island with an impenetrable shield. An adventure with a scientific twist!
Fifteen-year-old Aiyappan lives in Kanchipuram. In school, he learns Maths, Science, Languages, Computers… and Kuttu. His teacher has written a play especially for the students – about an encounter between children and aliens. The script is presented in this book, and includes stage directions so that the reader can perform it. The narrative offers...
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! Available in Mundari. For more...
Sometimes a circle, sometimes a slice and soon not there at all... This picture book in easy verse urges a child to look out of the window each night to watch the 'moon show' in the sky – its waxing and waning. Echoing the text, the illustrations are deliberately childlike and capture the grand sweep of the night sky.
