Prakruti Maniyar, editor, Purple Pencil Project

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A dash of history, some adventure, some folk, and some horror — children’s books are alive in a way most adult fiction is not. Here are a bunch of stories I read this year that will create core memories for your child, I promise. Heroes the Colour of Dust by Amit Majmudar is a fun spin on the Dandi March. It is a cleverly written book. Girls of India: A Chera Adventure by Anu Kumar introduces kids to an inclusive idea of India. The story set in the Chola period fits the bill of being both entertaining and historically enriching. Bijal Vachharajani’s Savi and the Memory Keeper helped me connect with our natural world. I feel it’s important to raise a generation that is less anthropocentric and more aware of how our climate is changing. Searching for the Songbird by Ravina Aggarwal is an adventure that familiarises children with different landscapes, cultures and the songs and sounds of a new place. It enables them to find harmony with nature. Jokhu and the Big Scare by Priyadarshini Gogoi and Debasmita Dasgupta is based on an Assamese folktale of friendship and has been released in 10 Indian languages. It’s perfect to encourage multilingual reading among kids and adults. Tweens might like reading  The Ghost of Malabar by Soumya Ayar and Isha Nagar; set against the backdrop of the Portuguese arriving in India, it is warm and healing.

An illustration by Priya Kuriyan from Beauty Is Missing.  Pic Courtesy. Pratham Books

What’re they reading?

Jagat Tekkatte, COO, Kitab Khana

It’s important to observe what children like reading these days. Every child is different and hence, their reading preferences will vary. While picking books as gifts, one must be aware of the receiver’s taste in literature. Among middle readers [below eight years of age] there is a high demand for Tales from the World by Geeta Ramanujam, The People of the Indus by Nikhil Gulati with Jonathan Mark Kenoyer, and Michael Morpurgo’s There Once is a Queen. To spur mindfulness about inclusivity, self-image tolerance, happiness and the need to accept different personal choices, kids can be introduced to Jess Rose’s Fantastic Frankie. For young adults, who are brimming with energy, I would suggest book titles such as When Things Get Dark: Stories inspired by Shirley Jackson and How to Live your Life by Ruskin Bond.

An illustration by Tanvi Bhat from My  Grandmother’s Masterpiece. Pic courtesy/Penguin Random  House India

Inspire with words

Rudramuni R Biradar, proprietor, Book Lovers

It’s absolutely essential to inspire young minds, light them with creativity and courage at all ages. Books like I came upon a lighthouse by Shantanu Naidu is a light-hearted account of the unlikely but every bit fascinating friendship between Naidu [a millennial] and the octogenarian Ratan Tata. After the pandemic, it has become imperative to instil hope and resilience in children. New From Here by Kelly Yang addresses that need while opening up a new culture and its struggles to young readers. I really liked My Grandmother’s Masterpiece by Madhurima Vidyarthi as it helps us see everyday relations in new light.  

Power of pictures

Richa Jha, author of children’s books

I have always believed that picture books are for all ages. While buying books for children, we lay too much stress on the takeaway. That’s not the purpose of literature. As long as stories warm the cockles of our hearts and can find the voice to speak with us, they work just fine. Paati’s Rasam by Janaki and Dhwani Sabesh, Beauty is Missing by Priya Kuriyan, Asamo, is that you? by Canato Jimo and Ogin Nayam can certainly charm kids. Asamo is an incredible picture book that imagines both curiosity and fear from a  refreshing perspective. The Miracle on Sunderbaag Street by Nandita da Cunha and Priya Kuriyan shines a light on how ideas grow legs. To encourage reading in Hindi, I would suggest Sushil Shukla and Vandana Bisht’s Bhai Tu Aisi Kavita Kyun Karta Hai.