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Who’s afraid of Z? Not Me!

A delightful story, written in verse, about a family computer which has lost the letter ‘z’ (American ‘Zee’). We can imagine what would happen if we were to lose ‘a’ or ‘p’ on the keyboard. But ‘z’? Playfully narrated and illustrated, the story makes us think about the much neglected ‘z’. The wordplay and the mischief make this a fun book. There are a ‘illion’ reasons to read this picture book!

HarperCollins Publishers India 2022 Lubaina Bandukwala Allen Shaw

The Theatre of Ghosts

A journey in the dark to an evening of traditional theatre turns out to be quite the adventure for five children and a puppy. The pages in this wordless tale are brilliantly lit by the illustrations where the children, led by the three girls, encounter fears as they make their way through the jungles, fields and wetlands of the Majuli island. A sterling example of a deeply contextual story that echoes universal themes and values while not losing a sense of adventure and fun.

Pratham Books 2022 Pankaj Saikia Pankaj Saikia

My Street

A tale for today’s troubled times, where the entire neighbourhood comes together to help a boy who breaks a toy that he used to ride the streets. The sense of movement, speed and joy of the boy as he whizzes through the neighbourhood are superbly captured in snapshots from different vantage points in this wordless book. The strong theme of fraternity is held easily but firmly in this breezy and beautifully illustrated book.

Pratham Books 2022 Sadaf Siddique Habib Ali

Jokhu and the Big Scare

A fun picture book about a monster or jokhini, sourced from Assamese folklore, but given a modern twist. The central character of Jokhu is wildly illustrated and perhaps the idea is that scary monsters need not always be either feared or defeated, but can also be befriended. The little girl who becomes friends with Jokhu is unshaken and fearless. But even as a friend Jokhu is not entirely tamed in the end! And that is good!

Tulika Books 2022 Priyadarshini Gogoi Debasmita Dasgupta

When a Forest Wakes Up

If you see patterns in clouds and creatures in the sun and moon, then you’ll love this picture book. It draws images in words and the illustrations offer various interpretations. The beautiful images, borrowing from various folk-art forms, are done in bold strokes and often challenge the words on the page. All the animals in the forest are allegorical, even the sun! Meant for all age groups, this picture book is a magical journey into our own imagination.

Pratham Books 2021 Sudarshan Shaw Sudarshan Shaw

Dugga

This is a heart-warming wordless picture book which tells the story of an indie dog in a busy city. Dugga’s life is not easy – he lives beneath the sidewalk, forages for food and often faces the wrath of humans. But as a survivor he’s incredibly endearing. Then one day he has a nasty accident. The illustrations are remarkable, done only in shades of brown, as they make us relook at all the dogs who live and survive on the streets around us.

Pratham Books 2022 Rajiv Eipe Rajiv Eipe

Beauty is Missing

Priya Kuriyan, the illustrator-writer of this book has woven a tale around an unusual pair of heroines – a sharp and brave rural policewoman and a music-loving buffalo. Beauty, the buffalo goes missing, and Jincy, the policewoman gets down to work to find her. The beautiful illustrations tell half the story, and the tightly written text conveys the rest, subtly and hilariously. This book is a treat for both early readers as well as older children.

Pratham Books 2022 Priya Kuriyan Priya Kuriyan

तीसरा दोस्त

विनोद कुमार शुक्ल ऐसे बिम्ब और प्रतीक रचते हैं कि पाठक को गद्य में भी कविता का रस मिलता है। ‘तीसरा दोस्त’ एक छोटी कहानी है जिसमें एक एहसास पूरे जीवन की तरह समाया हुआ है। दो दोस्तों का गहरापन, उनका एक दूसरे में अभिन्न रूप से शामिल होना एक चमत्कार की तरह घटता है। अतनु राय के चित्र हमेशा की तरह इसमें एहसास का गाढ़ापन भरते हैं।

जुगनू प्रकाशन 2022 विनोद कुमार शुक्ल अतनु राय