Rubin D'Cruz is passionate about Publishing. As Director, Kerala State Institute of Children’s Literature, he organised the first Thiruvananthapuram Book Fair. During the twelve years he spent at the National Book Trust (NBT), India, he edited and supervised the publication of three hundred titles and made the books widely available in Kerala.
Gulab’s classmates call her ‘Stinky Gulab’, and it’s not because she smells. Her father is a manual scavenger, made to clean drains and gutters with his bare hands, even today! “Why do you do it?!” asks Gulab angrily. With determination and a little help from science, she takes the first bold step towards change. Addressing a deep-rooted social evil, the...
Little Malathi wants to run after hens and chicks, and catch the ripe yellow mangoes as they fall – but how can she, on a wheelchair? She grows up to show that she can do much, much more! Moments and experiences from the remarkable life of disabled athlete Malathi Holla, told simply and sensitively, bring out her determination and untiring spirit. The...
Kuk... Kuk… The poor rooster can't KUKAROOKOO because his throat is so parched. There is not a drop of water left in the village pond. The only hope is to find a badwa who can ask the gods to send rain. What does the badwa tell them to do? Go home and paint! The adventure-filled origin myth about Bhil art revolves around the thirst for rain and water...
Words rollick and frolic in Kanna's head, yet he hardly speaks. One day, he is with his family at the cave temples when the lights go off. Everyone is frightened, except Kanna. Light or no light, it makes no difference because he can't see anyway. And as he confidently leads the way out, he finds himself talking… Words tumble out to unleash the playful...
Nyadosh the cow has a fierce gleam in her eyes and a furious appetite. She chomps on textbooks, feasts on frocks and devours anything blue in colour. But once she gets on the ilish fish trail, there's just no stopping her… This comical tale of a common cow with uncommon taste is one to relish. Nyadosh's extraordinary appetite unfolds through vivid photo...
Why do I have to sit separately in a corner of the classroom? Why can't I drink water from the tap like other children? Why do the teachers never touch my books? The ‘whys' shout louder in little Bhim's head as he grows up, trailed constantly by the monster of untouchability. They catapult him into a lifetime of struggle for equality. And they shape the...
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...
Little Tsomo eats a big, steaming hot momo. And then? A mouthwatering story in which the flavour-filled savoury comes appetisingly alive! Watercolour pencil illustrations softened with subtle brushstrokes conjure up scenes sure to tickle the taste buds, satisfy hunger pangs and stir up a song.
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. CBSE recommended
Bulbuli lives in a bamboo house in a bamboo grove, and is busy in her little bamboo world from the time she wakes up to the time she goes to sleep. Just following Bulbuli around, this story told in a rhythmic, cumulative style spotlights bamboo to make a simple green statement. Words and pictures communicate a very real sense of the versatility of bamboo...
Pappuram and Kojaram are kaavadiya bhaats, storytellers from Rajasthan. Each has his own favourite story about why Lord Ganesha is always worshipped first, before any other god or goddess. They open their kaavads, the beautifully painted storytelling boxes, and begin – only to realise at the end of it that the stories may be different, but are still...
A majestic elephant protects the forests from timber traders, tree-cutters and poachers. The animal becomes such a legend that his photograph adorns the walls of local homes. But one day, the Forest Department receives strict orders to hunt the elephant down… After the gripping Black Panther, Aravind Krish Bala returns to the Western Ghats. This riveting...
Where is Crocodile? This warm story explores the thoughts, feelings and imagined fears shared by friends when one of them suddenly goes missing. Delicate and complex emotions are handled with simplicity, while the pictures capture mood, motion and confusion with a light touch and a lot of heart. The book came out of a workshop in which writers and...
A warm afternoon, a fruit-laden tamarind tree, four boys in search of something to do… Join them as they pick the fruit and climb the tree. Loving attention to little details about the self, other and environment make magical a child's experience of the everyday. A dynamic tranquility pervades the story, drawing the reading child into a contemplative...
Lai-Lai the baby elephant is curious and playful but, like all little children, stays close to his mother. The world of elephants is explored through stunning photographs by the award-winning wildlife filmmaker, drawing the child into the forest. The informative text has lovable elephant cartoons alongside. CBSE recommended
A little girl spills, drops, breaks, trips on things. She is called Clumsy, Slowcoach, Careless... words that scare away all other words. But in her head, words become stories and stories, pictures – and with a box of paints and a brush, she sweeps herself away from the names people call her! Vivid watercolours lift her from her everyday milieu into a...
"Come in for a haircut! You choose... We cut!" says the sign outside a hair cutting saloon, so a lion walks in to do just that. But where is everyone? And who are these other lions staring at him? Well, by the end of the story we know why lions DON’T have haircuts – in spite of the alluring array of mane makeovers the illustrator offers!
Drums, cymbals, trumpets… It is the festive day of the Ratha Jatra at Puri and Pria wonders why the idols of Jagannatha, Subhadra and Balabhadra are unlike other gods. That’s how Jagannatha looked when he lived deep in the forest, her grandmother tells her. And so starts a story of Nilamadhaba, the secret god of the Sabaras. Central to this is the dynamic...
A little boy runs excitedly in the darkness, lit only by the light of a bright, bright moon. He is going with his mother and baby brother to the millet fields. As his mother works, he tries to make the most of the moonlit night with his newfound friend, a stray dog, while his brother sleeps... It takes an exceptional writer like Perumal Murugan to...
Soori loves to draw and paint. But where he lives now with his mother is a rundown neighbourhood, unclean, unsafe and completely colourless! He wants to move away, but knows they can’t. He wishes that colours would rain down and brighten the buildings. A few days later, Soori finds himself amidst painters, paint cans and brushes! What’s going on?...
Asha’s first trip in her colourful auto every morning is to the flower market, where she buys a big bag of jasmine buds. Follow her through the week and through the city, as she picks up and drops off passengers at the railway station, the beach, the cricket stadium… stringing and selling jasmine all the way. Vibrant pictures liven up the route and offer...
