Today’s post comes to you from Suji DeHart.

Baloo’s Big Win by Mamta Nainy, is more than just sports history or an Indian biography; it’s a celebration of dignity, courage, and breaking down barriers. It’s ideal for children who love cricket, history, or stories that inspire change—and for educators seeking resources to support discussions about equity, identity, and representation.

It was also just announced that it is this year’s winner of the Neev Book Award; this accolade, presented by the Neev Literature Festival in Bangalore, recognizes outstanding children’s books that deepen understanding of India and its diverse narratives.

In pre-Independence India, caste restrictions shaped nearly every aspect of daily life—arguably, their influence lingers still. Palwankar Baloo (born 1876 in Dharwad, present-day Karnataka), the son of Dalit leather workers, faced this prejudice firsthand in his pursuit of the sport he loved: cricket. Refusing to accept the exclusion, Baloo strove to perfect his skills and finally, despite systemic discrimination and exclusion from mainstream teams, his exceptional skill could not be ignored: he became the first Dalit cricketer to play at the highest levels in India, eventually captaining the Hindus team in the Bombay Quadrangular tournament and challenging deeply entrenched caste barriers in the sport. Throughout his life, Baloo continued to fight for the rights of the Dalit, and to champion equity not only in sports but in all facets of Indian culture. 

The richly hued, expressive illustrations by Saumya Oberoi perfectly complement Nainy’s text, bringing this story of bravery and perseverance vividly to life. The different visual perspectives, such as looking from the ground up, into a “huddle” of cricket players, delightfully but subtly reminds the reader that this book is about taking different viewpoints and seeing things from a new angle. 

Accessible language, direct but not overbearing or preachy, make this book a great read for kids of all ages, and a superb resource for teachers or librarians wanting to open or continue conversations about belonging. 

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See other illustrated biographies by Mamta Nainy in the Magic Makers series by Penguin India:

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Suji DeHart has been a librarian, service coordinator and international educator for the past 20 years. She co-founded Make A Difference Courses, a social enterprise whose mission it is to train and mentor students to tell stories that make the world a better place via short documentary films. Suji is the mother of two young men and thinks constantly about what kind of world we are leaving for them. She believes that simplicity and having the sense of “enough” are powerful paths on which to walk more joyfully and ecologically. Her background as a librarian informs her work in changemaking.