by Samantha Kokkat Nestled in an apartment in the hills of Mussoorie, India’s most beloved children’s book author has been religiously stringing together words and sending them readers’ way for around seven decades now. Ruskin Bond (image source: The Hindu) Ruskin Bond published his first novel, The Room on the Roof, in 1956 when he … Continue reading #INDIAKIDLIT – Ruskin Bond – The Writer in the Hills
#INDIAKIDLIT – Anushka Ravishankar on Writing Wicked, Wacky Verse
by Samantha Kokkat Anushka Ravishankar Anushka Ravishankar, an eminent personality in India’s children’s literature industry, has been working in children’s publishing since 1996 as an editor and writer. She started off as an editor at Tara Books, a groundbreaking independent publishing house, where she wrote her first book Tiger on a Tree. In 2012, she … Continue reading #INDIAKIDLIT – Anushka Ravishankar on Writing Wicked, Wacky Verse
#INDIAKIDLIT – Tara Books – a pilgrimage and homage
by Nadine Bailey This is a personal story of my relationship with Tara Books - for an extensive history of the company please read their latest blog celebrating 28 years of existence. My first introduction to Indian books was through what is probably one of Tara Books’ most famous offerings - the inimitable London Jungle … Continue reading #INDIAKIDLIT – Tara Books – a pilgrimage and homage
#INDIAKIDLIT – The Case of the Fascinating Folktale
by Shobha Viswanath Karadi Tales -- a children's book publishing house based in Chennai, India A child’s imagination is a vibrant thing, always hungry for stories. Adults, in their role as storytellers to children, nurture this imagination through the stories they tell them. But this can be a daunting task for the typical adult who is … Continue reading #INDIAKIDLIT – The Case of the Fascinating Folktale
#INDIAKIDLIT – Pratham Books & StoryWeaver
by Jeremy Willette As a librarian, former language teacher, and someone who lived and worked in India for eight years, I love everything there is about Pratham Books. Pratham Books (pronounced like the English "TH" in "Thanks" and which means “first” in Hindi) is a nonprofit publisher whose top mission is to get books into … Continue reading #INDIAKIDLIT – Pratham Books & StoryWeaver
#INDIAKIDLIT – Memories of Partition in Children’s Literature
by Dr. Dhooleka Sarhadi Raj, PhD This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of Pakistan and India, an occasion to celebrate how far they have come from their Independence from British Rule. Annually, on August 14/15 both countries fête the heroism of Freedom Fighters and founders who fought the British and won. Press … Continue reading #INDIAKIDLIT – Memories of Partition in Children’s Literature
#INDIAKIDLIT – Many Languages, Many Voices
by Radhika Menon When Tulika Publishers was set up in 1996 the key questions that confronted us was, how do we create books that reflect a contemporary Indian sensibility, rooted in the Indian multilingual, multicultural context? When the languages children hear all around them are kept out of the books they read, how representative or … Continue reading #INDIAKIDLIT – Many Languages, Many Voices
#INDIAKIDLIT – The Stories We Tell
by Samina Mishra Equality is – when Mummy gives my sister and I the same amount of money Inequality is – when Mummy takes my brother out visiting but not me Equality is – when my friend and I get the same marks Inequality is – when Sir does not give girls a chance to … Continue reading #INDIAKIDLIT – The Stories We Tell
#INDIAKIDLIT – Inviting Children into the World of Books
by Gita Varadarajan “To be literate is not to be free, it is to be present and active in the struggle for reclaiming one’s voice, history, and future.” (Friere and Macedo, 1987) In the year 2011-12, I had the privilege of working with 5th graders at P.S.11 in Chelsea NYC. I walked past this mural … Continue reading #INDIAKIDLIT – Inviting Children into the World of Books
#INDIAKIDLIT – The Invisible Visibles – Sikh Representation in Children’s Literature
by Rasil Kaur Ahuja Sikhs are ostensibly the most visible minority in the world, yet we remain near invisible in the books children read. Famous Sikh Gurus (Guru Nanak, Guru Arjan, Guru Har Gobind, Guru Tegh Bahadur, Guru Gobind Singh) - Amar Chitra Katha comics - edited by Anant Pai Growing up in the India … Continue reading #INDIAKIDLIT – The Invisible Visibles – Sikh Representation in Children’s Literature
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 