Vani Mohan lives in Chennai. She writes and reads Telugu short stories on All India Radio, Chennai. She enjoys introducing Telugu literature to children.
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.
After his big-big sneeze, Gajapati Kulapati is back with a SPLASH! Like the very popular first book, sounds, rhythm, and repetition make this too a perfect read-aloud for little ones.
Ari may be shy, but he knows he will make a wonderful lion in the class play. But he is neither noticed nor chosen. Then, suddenly in his room a roaring, growling, prowling creature comes to life! The flat illustrative style with its strong kitschy palette gets away from usual depictions of the ‘soft, sensitive' child, and captures the energy and fun of...
When rock bees build a bee colony in Gowri's balcony, her mother decides to ask Mr Ramaiah, an expert on bees, for help. They don't have to be killed, the bee master tells Gowri and her mother. Just moved to a safer place, safe for us and for them. The little girl watches fascinated… And as she learns about bees and the environment, we too are drawn into...
Boodabim floats in the sky, he swims in the ocean and he simply glows in stripes! Who is he? A cloud? A fish? A tiger? Boodabim can be anything he wants to be! Minimal text and rollicking illustrations make this a most endearing book for little ones.
One morning, a mother and child go in search of the sun. Their journey comes alive in a vast dotted landscape where lively birds, quick-footed animals and busy humans meet and share the forest, the river and the mountain… The book is a vibrant collaboration between a master Warli artist, a design student and the publishers, inspired by the incredible...
The stars give way to the sun, the clouds to rain, the egg to the little bird… Things change. This truth is brought to children in a charmingly simple way. Dramatic pictures flow into each other to give a sense of movement, of the idea of change. CBSE recommended
Karimuga is a rakshasa, a pleasant rakshasa. He is a beautiful rakshasa too. But that makes all other rakshasas jealous of him. Karimuga can't bear to see them unhappy... Sowmya Rajendran inverts our ideas about beauty, happiness and rakshasas with humour. Niveditha's quirky pictures add to it with little and big rakshasas romping through the pages in...
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. 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...
Little Siri slips away from home one day and goes around asking whomsoever she meets to smile. Find out why in the pages of this bright and cheerful book that evokes a world of colour and things to discover. CBSE & NCERT recommended
Hiss! Boo! Muahahaha! Mala creeps up from behind and scares everyone. Then her mother gives her a pair of pretty silver anklets... The pictures of this charming and very popular story have the exuberance and freshness typical of Nancy Raj's work. CBSE recommended
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! CBSE...
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. CBSE recommended
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. CBSE recommended
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.
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. CBSE recommended
"Are you there, Amma?" "Are you inside, Amma?" Kiran looks everywhere for his mother – in the kitchen, in the balcony, and even in the unlikeliest of places! Charming watercolours make this book one warm and irresistible hide-and-seek story. 2018: Best of Indian Children's Writing: Contemporary
Suddenly the lights go off and the house is plunged into darkness. There’s a power cut! Mother lights a candle, and there begins a game of elephant, cat, deer, snake and more. Then the power comes back. Where do the animals go?
Dinaben is a Maldhari and her village is right in the middle of the Gir forest where the lions live. How does she live? What does she do? This book offers glimpses into the many aspects of life in the forest through simple text and photographs. CBSE recommended
There are many creatures in and around this pond, and much that is happening! 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 can string them to together to tell their own stories while they learn a language. A list at the end helps them remember...
A word on the blackboard gives rise to a bunch of associated words, in two languages – one familiar, and a translation in a less familiar one. Along with the vivid pictures, these form verbal and visual clues – stepping stones for many stories children can develop on their own and learn a language. A list at the end helps them remember the new words. This...
A number book with a twist at the end. What are Thambi and 45 others waiting for? This beginner reader is part of the Thumb Thumb Books series, created around the common thumbprint and featuring Thumb Thumb Thangi and Thumb Thumb Thambi. Short sentences, bold type and vibrant visuals make entry into reading easy and exciting. At the end is a page for...
