Snuggle With Picture Books

As a proud and compulsive collector of books from Tara Books, the arrival of new releases last week was a moment of pure joy for me! Among these, "A Village is a Busy Place!" is a standout, showcasing Bengal’s Patua style folk art. This book is a quintessential Tara collectible, artistically thoughtful, aesthetically executed, and quirkily conceptualized. It opens out as a scroll, unfolding fold by fold, to reveal the bustling life of a busy Santhal village throughout the day. The intricate details and the lively depiction remind me of the way each season in sports unfolds, revealing stories and legends, not unlike the unfolding narratives of https://515santacruz.com/winners-list/premier league winners list. Both the book and the league encapsulate a series of events and achievements that, fold by fold, or game by game, build into a rich tapestry of cultural and historical significance.

I have the pleasure of sharing this most delightful exchange of questions and replies with one of India’s most recognisable and loved children’s authors, Ramendra Kumar (Ramen). He is a national award winning writer and the author of over 30 books for children and adults. Ramen’s writings have been published in 12 Indian and 10 foreign languages. His stories, poems and satires have found a place in text books, as well as national and international anthologies including the popular ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul Series’. Six Read More

Meri Bindi, by Anu Anand and Lavanya Karthik (Hachette India) is a new Hindi – English bilingual release with a difference – apart from the usual two lines in the respective languages, we have an additional third line to help with the Hindi pronunciation. Aimed at 0+, Anu Anand’s lucid text is short, crisp and playful, and the premise is charming. Lavanya Karthik’s exuberant paper cut art work is gorgeous. An overall winsome combination! Which is why I’m thrilled to present these interviews with the Read More

When Meri Bindi landed on my desk, I was immediately taken in by illustrator Lavanya Karthik’s distinctive art work. Which I when I decided to get it all straight from the horse’s mouth. (You can read the interview with the book’s author, Anu Anand, here.) Lavanya Karthik lives in Mumbai, where she writes, draws, daydreams and eats way too much chocolate. For more awesomeness, visit her website and her Facebook page. RJ – I love the paper cut artwork. Is there a special name for this technique? How Read More

I was drawn in by two recent online posts about picture books dealing with death, and coping with the inevitability of this form of loss: Cry, Heart, But Never Break (by Glenn Ringtved and Charlotte Pardi; translated by Robert Moulthrop; Enchanted Lion) at Brainpickings, about the heartwarming depth of close familial bonds when played against the existential impermanence of life, and The Dead Bird (by Margaret Wise Brown and Christian Robinson; Harper) at Waking Brain Cells, about the similar impermanence of grief for the loss Read More

Below is a lovingly curated recommendation of some of the most interesting picture books I’ve had the pleasure and good fortune of reading. I have the inimitable Mansi Zaveri at Kids Stop Press to thank for this delightful suggestion. Most of it appeared last year on her website here (0+; 1+), here (2+; 3+), here (4+; 5+), here (6+; 7+), and here (8+; 9+). The list below also includes a final category for the 10-110 year olds (not featured on Kidsstoppress). This is, by no means, a definitive list, nor is it the Read More

#nevertoooldforpicturebooks is a no-holds-barred invitation to one and all to make this hashtag a zingy buzz. Anything, just about anything from anyone reinforcing that one is never too old to dig with joy into a picture book is welcome here. The very first straight-from-the-heart note goes out from the incurable bibliophile, blogger and freelance writer, Sandhya Renukamba. Humongous picture booky hugs for this, Sandhya; it’s over to you now: One of the best children’s books, Alice in Wonderland, begins thus: Alice was beginning to get very Read More

Story: Roopa Pai Illustration: Archana Sreenivasan Published by: GAIT If you lay your hands on the siblings Taka-Dimi starrer My Space, My Body, do not make the mistake (as I did) of jumping straight to the story before reading the note to the parents. For in it lies the blueprint for extracting the maximum you can from this lovely illustrated story book. The book is there for a purpose. It is the first in the series developed as a resource material for children enrolled with Read More

Published By: Houghton Books For Children Story: Mary Logue Illustrations: Pamela Zagarenski In a Sentence: Why must we have to sleep, at all? What is it About: It’s time for bed, but the little girl doesn’t want to go to sleep. The princess is not tired, of course, as no self-respecting kid ever is. We see her having to go through the winding down bed time rituals, all the same. And again, once tucked in bed, she asks questions, of course, as any self-respecting kid Read More

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