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Set in North-East India, this story explores big and small losses, goodbyes and change through a multi-layered narrative with many questions. Why does someone have to leave the village? What makes a city different? The vivid artwork is consistently from a child’s perspective, capturing the feeling of being small in a vast world. Layered with everyday joy and human-nature connections, this is a book for many ages!
Everyone’s grandma is supposed to be all warm and fuzzy and a great cook. But Biji rides a motorbike, loves to wear make up, and invents food mishmashes like mangoes with parantha. And Biji is a terrible cook. She does try, but what she comes up with is hilariously inedible. Until finally she finds that one thing she can actually cook well. The bright and action-filled illustrations help to make this colourful grandma real.
Based on a true event in rural Tamil Nadu, this story follows a boy’s efforts to rally villagers to rescue nestlings of a vulnerable bird species. It captures community involvement in prioritizing a bird’s protection over immediate needs. Diverse characters offer insight into rural life and draw attention to a co-existence with nature and each other. The artwork, using a limited palette, plays with darkness and perspective in interesting ways.
This lovely book, set in rural Kerala, features a captivating cast embodying essential questions- How to live with difference, how to remain curious, and hold on to dreams. These themes are delicately examined, allowing readers to think independently. The writing, simple yet richly layered, evokes a sense of place and rootedness. The illustrations are few but packed with detail and character.
Maithili and the Minotaur: Forest of Forgotten Fears
In this wildly, fantastical adventure, Maithili and her irreverent friends – a minotaur, a wolfhound, a snake and a three-eyed cat – embark on a thrilling and dangerous journey through a living, breathing forest. An adventure ensues, as the familiar school library and forest are imbued with an edginess. The superb artwork brings each character alive, making this comic-format book a worthy successor to the first title in the series.
This compelling story of a young boy in rural Tamil Nadu, leading a life differently from the likely readers of this book, spotlights the precarious and deprived, yet free existence of a child from a nomadic community, and the social context in which the family’s tradition occupation is abandoned. Neither school nor the care and comfort of family are in the picture. A thought-provoking read that can generate introspection and discussion.
The book attempts to bridge the divide between urban and rural children’s lived experiences. Suddenly uprooted because of his parents’ distress migration, Giri finds himself in a situation where he is no longer the smart and popular boy in his class as he once was. Instead, he is a silent stranger, whose language no one understands. How he slowly negotiates this new reality, and takes charge of his life, is an inspiring story, told with a light touch.
This poignant narrative navigates the complexities of young adult life, while philosophically exploring death. Conversations feel authentic, and using ‘Death’ as a character and companion is an interesting device to reflect on the past and present. Pen and ink drawings suit the graphic format effectively. Importantly ending with hope and resolution, the story is insightful and wise, without being preachy. It would resonate with many young readers today.
