Children’s Day litfest : An excellent list of kid-lit
Editor’s note: With Children's Day—and Pandit-ji’s birthday anniversary—round the corner, here’s a list of children’s books—by Indian authors—ranging from mythology to travel and activity books. You never know, you may also find something for the child in you:) Happy Reading!
Written by: Neha Kirpal is a freelance writer and editor based in New Delhi. She writes on books, travel, art and culture, music and theatre. You can read some of her work here.
Some fun fiction reads
The Day Ben and Andrew Say Bonjour! by Raisha Lalwani: This Dubai-based author’s latest is about an exciting adventure. Seven-year-old Ben and three-year-old Andrew decide to surprise their mother with a holiday to a place that’s ‘a lot like heaven’. With colourful illustrations and fun activities, the story is told in rhyme and sprinkled with bits of trivia about Paris, its sightseeing spots, shopping, the lovely flowers that grow in the city, and the delicious food.
Ghoul School by Vibha Batra: The bestselling children’s author is back with this tale book about a ten-year-old ghost Siliguri, who goes to a school for ghouls. Here he learns, among other things, how to scare humans, haunt old buildings and walk with his feet backwards. But Siliguri wants to be an entertainer and enlists Kachori, a human to help him out. The book is reminiscent of watching ‘The Addams Family,’ filled as it is with hilarious make-believe terms from the netherworld like Ghoogle, EwwTube, Facelessbook, Eekstagram and Deadflix.
A Higgledy Piggledy Growing Up by Polie Sengupta: Playwright, poet, novelist and short fiction writer tells the story of 14-year-old Neel. He grows up in a short span of three months when he decides to investigate curious burglaries that begin to take place in his neighbourhood. This is a coming-of-age-story in the backdrop of post-Independent India where the young boy also confronts the dark side in the form of communal hatred.
Royal-ish: Lily's Adventures in Bagradoo by Amrita Gandhi: This is an interesting read about Lily Ray, a seventh grader who is a wildlife enthusiast and nature vlogger. When Lily finds out that she is related to the royal family of the gorgeous kingdom of Bagradoo, she jumps at the chance to experience the island’s natural wonders. Even though the palace is lavish and the royal family gracious, Lily finds herself feeling out of place. When she begins noticing strange things happening around her, Lily has to save Bagradoo with help from a fashionable princess, a good-hearted thief, a wacky professor and a snarky robotic diary. The book is especially delightful because of cartoonist, illustrator and storyboard artist Lee-Roy Lahey’s black-and-white pictures.
Some non-fiction for the young ones
My First Shloka Book Collection, translated by Chitwan Mittal and Sarita Saraf: With the festive season in full swing, a new set of illustrated board books brings ancient verses to young readers. The set features Sanskrit shlokas about six much-loved Hindu gods and goddesses: Durga, the protector of worlds; Shiva, the lord of all beings; Lakshmi, the bringer of wealth; Ganesha, the remover of obstacles; Saraswati, the giver of knowledge; and Vishnu, the lord of all worlds. It has vibrant illustrations by Bhargavi Rudraraju and includes the original shloka in Sanskrit, an English transliteration and a kid-friendly translation.
My Big Book of Fun with Friends! Volume 1 by Geeta Dharmarajan: This fun, interactive book for kids consists of 51 story-based learning activities to inspire young ones to read. Its mazes, puzzles, games, poems, facts and big ideas have something for everyone, and are sure to keep little ones engrossed, curious and creative. You can also scan the QR codes at the end of the book for ten new ones, for free!
Golden Sportspersons by Tanushree Podder: Did you know that Avinash Sable ran 12 kilometres to school and back as a six-year-old? Or that Jeremy Lalrinnunga practiced weightlifting using bamboo sticks and water pipes? Hima Das would run barefoot on a muddy football field because she didn’t have a pair of running shoes. They all grew up to be famous sportspersons. Through the stories in this book, Podder aims to ignite in children the spark to nurture a dream as well and learn that behind every triumph lies struggle. Also, don’t miss the gorgeous pull-out poster at the end of the book!
The Gutsy Girls who Led India by Ilina Singh: The author’s second book after ‘The Gutsy Girls of Science,’ has biographies of ten women warriors from different parts of India. Queen Didda, Velu Nachiyar, Abakka Chowta, Keladi Chennamma and Rani Lakshmibai led their communities with courage, skill and wisdom. They fought against societal norms attached to girls and continue to inspire women. With the help of simple poetry and prose and accompanied by illustrations by Isha Nagar, the book also gives you a gender-agnostic, nine-step leadership guide drawn from the lives of these women.
From the Splainer team…
Chittukuruvi books: Our assistant editor, Aarthi, recommends these Tamil books for toddlers and kids—especially for the Tamil-Americans who want their child to hear, read and speak the language. They have everything from books on Tamil consonants (with sounds) to story books featuring animals and families and food like this yum vazhai illai virundu book (which we would secretly love to buy for ourselves).
