The past year has been a time of great learning and insurmountable changes. However, the one constant we have had is the presence of great books that have provided us comfort. It is the undeniable truth: books will always be there when we need them. They will carry us through — with that hot cup of cocoa and that snuggle in warm blankets — when times are tough. This is especially true for children, who find comfort in words and worlds of great imagination. Let us begin this year with some books that will surely bring the much-needed light we all need.
For tiny tots, we start with the charmingly illustrated picture book There’s a Monster Under My Bed by Maneka Gandhi. It’s a book that you can read with your young one and expel fears that affect them most. Not only will it help them face their imagined worries like separation anxiety, monsters under their beds, lizards on the walls, but it will also help them acquire the mindset to come out as strong and independent toddlers.
Next, you can help your four-year-old discover the beauty of nature, especially the beautiful orchestra of birds around them with The Jungle Radio: Bird Songs of India by Devangana Dash. Follow Gul as she learns to discover the language of birds, from the tweet to the tap to the kee and kaws of our feathered friends. Exquisitely illustrated, this full-colour book is a reminder to cut off from the hustle-bustle and listen to the melodies found in nature — especially at the end of the year!
For those just stepping into reading on their own, there is a certain joy that comes with the Hole Books Box Set. These adorably illustrated chapter books (no more than 72 pages!), are a wonderful way to help kids start reading through tales that they will identify with. So, dive into the dilemma of Sumi who feels unlucky as her chef mother feeds her pumpkin peel muffins in Lucky Girl by Shabnam Minwalla; solve Maya’s problem as she loses the key to the class cupboard as a class monitor in Maya in Mess by Meera Nair; and join Petu Pumpkin who needs to save the day — with his tooth no less — and win a football match in school in Petu Pumpkin’s Tooth Troubles by Arundhati Venkatesh. There are 21 such ingenious stories to be discovered!
Tazmeen Amna’s The Incredible Adventures of Mr Cheeks is a book for those who love animals. A story that will have kids rolling with laughter, it features a tap-dancing chihuahua, a Persian cat who paints, and a rabbit who sings, who want to participate in their village’s annual carnival against the wishes of the bureaucratic goats and owls. At the heart of it, there is an endearing tale: differences are to be celebrated and being an oddball is actually not so bad!
For the lovers of mythology, Devdutt Patnaik’s Two Epics in One is the perfect gift. Comprising his two bestsellers — The Girl Who Chose and The Boys Who Fought — in one quirky flip book, it is a great way to let children foray into the Mahabharata and Ramayana. Told in his distinctive style and accompanied by artworks, these books look at mythology from a very different perspective and help answer and ask questions: What were Sita’s choices? What came of the hundred’s fight against the five?
Namita Gokhale’s The Puffin Mahabharata is a masterpiece that retells the timeless epic in her contemporary and easy to understand voice. This book a visual feast and a definitive read for children as they read the stories of mortals and immortals, and of tales of bravery, glory and despair that make the Mahabharata so fascinating.
There’s a joy to be discovered in stories set within India. And with the perennial classic, the Illustrated Malgudi Schooldays by the master storyteller R.K. Narayan, you can gift kids the joy of naughtiness and innocence as they navigate the escapades of Swami and his friends. Lavanya Naidu’s stunning artworks are a perfect escape into the sleepy town Malgudi and the famous Malgudi Cricket Club.
For those who love a good bedtime story, but set in their familiar surroundings, you cannot go wrong with The Puffin Book of Bedtime Stories. Imaginatively fantastical, this book has everything! From travelling to faraway galaxies to learning to tie new kinds of turbans to talking furniture. With relatable characters, children can be their creative best as they join Meena and her huffy-puffy chapattis, the wandering elephant and the helpful yeti!
Another modern classic is The Sudha Murty Children Treasury by India’s favourite storyteller grandma! A hardbound book with foiling so beautiful, you’d want it for yourself! This collector’s edition comprises three of her bestsellers: How I Taught my Grandmother to Read, Grandma’s Bag of Stories, and The Magic Drum. Peppered with her undeniable wisdom and simplistic narrative style, one needs to read these stories that have been handed over from the author’s own grandparents.
Finally, we come to Amir Khusrau: The Man in Riddles by the Dastangoi storyteller Ankit Chadha. Through riddles concealed in words and clues waiting to be unraveled, young adults can discover the life of the Sufi scholar in a fascinating way. Splendidly illustrated, this one demands a space in your shelves.
And finally, an adorable book for all those in love and the ones who love being in love! Written and illustrated by Alicia Souza, Dearest George is an oh-my-god so cute love letter in the form of a book! For the fans of Catana Comics and Sarah Andersen, this one will make you go aww and ugh, and make you pull those you love into the warmest of hugs. So, those in love, starting out in relationships, already in one, throw in your towels and pour over the fights of the ‘gifted’ hoodie, the one more hug… you get the drift.
The author is an associate commissioning editor at Penguin Random House India
Which children’s book has left a lasting impression on you? Tell t2@abp.in