A Treasury of Ancient Indian Tales, by Swagata Deb.
Rupa, 2007 The first section consists of assorted tales that retell the stories of how thunder got its sound, and what happened when the child Hanuman thought the rising sun was a ball, to how Ganesha got the head of an elephant.
The second section tells tales of the never-ending wars between the Devas and the Asuras -- the gods and the demons -- and how they constantly tried to outwit each other and seize control of the universe.
The third section is about the ten Avataras of Vishnu: from the Matsya (fish) Avatara, who saved living beings from the great flood, to the yet-to-be-born Kalki, who will destroy all evil and create a new, fair and happy world.
The fourth section features timeless tales from the Mahabharata -- stories that are not part of the main storyline about the Pandavas and the Kauravas, but which are an integral part of the great Indian tapestry of imagination and myth: how Savitri brought Satyavan back from the dead, the tale of Shakuntala's lost ring, and many others.
(Ages 6 - 12)
[Sawnet Review]
and land was born, by Sandhya Rao.
Tulika, Chennai. This earthly yet out of the world explanation of the creation of land from an endless expanse of water comes from a tribe in Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh. It is one among several original, often surreal, stories of the birth of the earth popular in different parts of India.
In this version, the people beg god to create at least a small space where they can keep dry. So be it, says the lazy god, and initiates a process by which the jugni matas or magical mothers become bumble bees who meet the tortoise bearing a precious egg on its back. The egg hatches into dry land.
The illustrations, based on the original wall paintings done in red, black, blue, white and yellow on mud wash done by the tribals themselves, create a three-dimensional effect. Art by Uma Krishnaswamy.
(Ages 6 - 10)
Brother Against Brother and other stories, by Shinie Antony.
Tales of King Vikram. Populated by kings in danger and selfless servants, beautiful damsels and loyal friends, these stories with moral dilemmas are as interesting as they are informative. (Ages 6 - 10)
Eecha Poocha, by Kala Sashikumar.
Tulika, Chennai An endlessly entertaining cumulative tale from Kerala about Eecha the fly and her friend Poocha the cat. They make delicious rice soup. While Eecha flies off to fetch a jackfruit leaf with which to spoon out the soup, Poocha watches over the pot. But Poocha is hungry, so hungry. Aaaah.....! Available in Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, English.
(Ages 4 - 8)
Ekki Dokki, by Sandhya Rao.
Tulika, Chennai An endearing Marathi folktale about two sisters. Ekkesvali has one hair on her head; Dhonkesvali has two and thinks she's great. What happens to them when they meet an old woman who lives alone in a clearing right in the middle of the forest...? Illustrated by Ranjan De, available in Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada, Telegu, Marathi, Gujarati, Engli (Ages 4 - 8)
Favorite Fairy Tales Told in India, by Virginia Haviland.
illustrated by Vera Rosenberry . For ages 8 and up. Eight wonderful tales. (Ages 4 - 8)
From the Mango Tree and other folktales from Nepal, by Kavita Shrestha.
World Folklore Series Fifteen Nepali folktales ranging from the playful to the haunting.
(Ages 6 - 10)
Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne, by Upendrakishore Roychoudhury.
Translated by Swagata Deb. Penguin, India, 2004 (Ages 4 - 8)
Grandma's Treasure Trove, by Rashida Islam.
Sahitya Press, UK. 2000 Three well known folk tales in English and Bengali. 'The Seven Brothers Champa & their Sister Parul', 'The Hermit & the Mouse' and 'The Fox & the Stork' (Ages 4 - 8)
Jambavan: The Immortal Bear King (Mythquest series 3), by Anu Kumar.
Hatchette India, 2011 "?ambavan came face to face with Ravana. He moved with a speed and fought with a ferocity that was unbelievable"
He was endowed with incredible strength, he had the wisdom of the sages and he was a born leader.
Jambavan, the great bear king, led the army of vanaras in their search for Sita. He helped Rama fight Ravana and even helped restore the Syamanatakmani gem to clear Krishna's name. (Ages 6 - 12)
Jataka Tales, by several authors.
Media Fusion, Bangalore
The Deceitful Bird
Greed does not pay
The Clever Monkey
The Lion and the Jackal
(Ages 4 - 8)
Jatayu: Saviour from the Skies (Mythquest series 1), by Anu Kumar.
Hatchette India, 2011 "The battle raged in the skies ... Jatayu refused to give up, taking on Ravana with his giant claws and mighty wings"
He was majestic, he was strong, he was the wise king of birds. Blessed by the gods and armed with celestial powers, Jatayu races to the sun, saves Dasharatha from Shani's deadly glance and, in the end, fights the powerful Ravana, sacrificing all he had in the name of justice and loyalty. (Ages 6 - 12)
Majantali & Co., by Upendrakishore Roychoudhury.
Translated by Madhuchhanda Karlekar. Thema, 1997 (Ages 4 - 8)
Nandi: The Divine Gatekeeper (Mythquest series 2), by Anu Kumar.
Hatchette India, 2011 "Nandi was fearless?he gored all the powerful asuras to death in a fierce and swift motion"
He was ever obedient, he was brave and he was the most favoured of Shiva?s followers. Nandi, the great bull and gatekeeper of Shiva's abode, carried the Three-Eyed One across the universe. Always at Shiva's side, he danced the mystical tandava with him, fought great battles and even drank a deadly poison to prove his complete devotion to his lord. (Ages 6 - 12)
Nyamia and the Bag of Gold, by Debjani Chatterjee.
Longman Education, UK. 1994 illustrated by Pampa Panwar. Four folk tales from Africa, India, Bangladesh & Poland for primary school children. (Ages 6 - 10)
One grain of rice, by Demi.
Scholastic Press, New York, 1997. A mathematical folk tale. Illustrations inspired by traditional 16th and 17th century Indian art.
(Ages 6 - 10)
Panchatantra Tales, by several authors.
Media Fusion, Bangalore New renditions of the Jataka Tales:
The Foolish Scholars
The Heron and the Crab
The Singing Donkey
The Talkative Tortoise
The Wise Rabbit
The Washerman's Donkey
Castles in the Air
The Mice and the Elephants
The Brahmin and the Crooks
(Ages 4 - 8)
Rama and the Demon King, by Jessica Souhami.
Dk Ink, NY. 1997 (Ages 6 - 10)
Religious Stories, by several authors.
Media Fusion, Bangalore A series about religious figures:
Ganesha
Hanuman
Jesus
Krishna
Mahavir
Parvathi
Shiva
Vishnu
Buddha (Ages 4 - 8)
Savitri: A tale of Ancient India, by Aaron Shepherd.
Whitman, 1992 Illustrated by Vera Rosenberry. In this tale from the Mahabharata, the princess Savitri outwits the god of death to save her husband. (Ages 6 - 10)
Seven Blind Mice, by Ed Young.
Philomel Books, NY. 1992 In this retelling of the Indian fable, seven blind mice discover different parts of an elephant and argue about its appearance. (Ages 4 - 8)
Shower of Gold: Girls and Women in the stories of India, by Uma Krishnaswami.
Linnet Books, CT, 1999. illustrated by Maniam Selven (Ages 6 - 12)
Stories of the Flood, by Uma Krishnaswami.
Roberts Rinehart, USA. 1994 A collection of great-flood legends from nine world traditions. Includes the Hindu flood legend (Matsya Avatar) as well as a selection from Hawaii, Vietnam, China, West Africa, Maori, Alabama-Native American and ancient Sumeria and Greek traditions. Illustrated by Birgitta Saflund (Ages 6 - 12)
[Sawnet Review]
Tales Old and New, by Mariam Karim Ahlawat.
Harper Collins/Indus, India. 1994. A collection of fairy tales. (Ages 6 - 10)
The Blue Jackal, by Rashmi Sharma.
Vidya Books, Berkeley, 1992. Another rendition of the jackal story from the Panchatantra. (Ages 4 - 8)
The Broken Tusk: Stories of the Hindu God Ganesha, by Uma Krishnaswami.
Linnet Books, CT, USA. 1996. illustrated by Maniam Selven. Seventeen tales of the mirthful elephant headed god of beginnings, pronunciation guide, prefatory material on Hindu mythology and on the character of Ganesha. (Ages 6 - 12)
The Elephant and the Dog, by Badri Narayan.
National Book Trust, Delhi. A story about the friendship
between an elephant and a dog. Available in Hindi, Tamil, Telegu, Gujarati, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada, Urdu and English. (Ages 4 - 8)
[Sawnet Review]
The Enchanted Anklet, by Lila Mehta.
Lilmur, Toronto. 1985. A Cinderella Story from India, illustrated by Neela Chhaniara. (Ages 4 - 8)
The Funny Tales of Mulla Nasrudin, by Various.
Mulla Nasrudin can be a fool, he can be a clown, yet he can occasionally be very wise and very funny. The book is full of stories about the way Nasrudin tricks people, and sometimes gets tricked himself. Whatever happens, each story is guaranteed to make you smile, if not laugh. Children and adults, all readers will find the stories extremely enjoyable. The illustrations add to the reading experience, reflecting the humour in the stories. (Ages 6 - 12)
[Sawnet Review]
The Gifts of Wali Dad, by Aaron Shepherd.
Atheneum, NY. 1995 Illustrated by Daniel San Souci. An impoverished grass-cutter finds that gifts can be a mixed blessing. (Ages 4 - 8)
The Monkey and the Mango, by Eknath Easwaran.
Nilgiri Press, Box 256, Tomales, CA 94971. illustrated by Ilka Jerebek. Retold stories that the author heard from his grandmother while growing up in a matrilineal familiy in Kerala. Ages 3 and up. (Ages 4 - 8)
The Monkey Who left his Heart at Home, by .
Contains 5 popular animal stories from the Panchatantra. This book has the
following stories:
1. The Singing Donkey
2. The Monkey Who Left His Heart At Home (AKA the monkey and the
crocodile)
3. The Crow's Revenge (AKA The Crow and The Serpent)
4. The Nosy Monkey
5. The Insistent Tailor Bird (Ages 4 - 8)
[Sawnet Review]
The Most Beautiful Child, by Debjani Chatterjee.
Cambridge University Press, 1996 A picture book about the Goddess Lakshmi and her owl. Lakshmi asks her owl to decide who is the most beautiful child in the world. (Ages 4 - 8)
The Naughty Mouse, by Susheila Stone & A. Welch.
Luzac Publishing, 1986 A story from the Hindu oral tradition about a resourceful mouse. Available in English/Arabic, English/Bengali, English/Chinese, English/Gujarati, English/Hindi, English/Punjabi or English/Urdu. (Ages 4 - 8)
The Right Decision and other stories, by Shinie Antony.
More tales of King Vikram.
(Ages 6 - 10)
The Snake Prince and Other Folk Tales from Bengal, by .
, edited by Sahitya Press, UK. 1999 Ten enchanting folk tales in English and Bengali. (Ages 4 - 8)
The Stupid Tiger, by Upendrakishore Roychoudhury.
Translated by William Radice. Harper Collins, India, 1981. (Ages 4 - 8)
The Winning Team, by Githa Hariharan.
Rupa, 2004 Classic stories with a modern twist. (Ages 6 - 12)
Who Will be Ningthou?, by Indira Mukherjee.
Tulika, Chennai The Ningthous and Leima, king and queen of Manipur, rule well over their meeyam, their people. They have three sons and a daughter -- Sanajaoba, Sanayaima, Sanatomba and Sanatombi. The people are happy and live in peace. As the years roll by, it is time to decide who will succeed to the throne. The Ningthou and Leima desire that the throne go, not to the eldest son, but to the wisest, most able child. And so they hold a competition. Who wins the bout? Is the winner named the next Ningthou?
In this charming folktale from Manipur, writer Indira Mukherjee and the well-known painter A V Ilango recreate the land, the culture and values of Manipur as they gently lead the child to think about two very important issues: harmony with nature and gender equality. Available in Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada, English (Ages 4 - 8)
Nonfiction
Buddha, by Anni Shapiro.
Delacorte Press, New York, 1994 Picture book with collage illustrations.
(Ages 4 - 8)
Child Art with Everyday Materials, by Tarit Bhattacharjee, Kanchana Arni and Gita Wolf.
Tara Books, Chennai. An unorthodox and enabling approach to art education, where children experiment freely with different sorts of everyday material: newspaper sheets, clay, leaves, sand and even vegetables. The book features over 75 practical exercises which suggest creative ways of playing with line, design, texture, colour, form, composition and space.
(Ages 4 - 12)
Count your Way Through India, by Jim Haskins & Liz Brenner Dodson.
Carolrhoda books, Minneapolis, 1990 An introduction to the land and people of India accompanied by instructions on how to read and pronounce the numbers one through ten in Hindi. (Ages 4 - 8)
Hindi Gym, by Aarti Chandnani.
Workbooks that make Hindi fun for kids. (Ages 4 - 8)
Holi, by Uma Krishnaswami.
Children's Press/Grolier, 2002 Part of the Grolier Rookie Read About Holidays series. (Ages 4 - 8)
I is for India, by Prodeepta Das.
Silver Press, 1996 Part of a series on countries and regions of the worlds, portrays India as a place rich with peoples and cultures, contrasts bustling cities with lush green paddy fields. Illustrated with photographs by the author. (Ages 7 - 10)
India (Where we Live), by Donna Bailey.
The book depicts the life of a farm girl of dry, northwest India, and portrays life in the city of Jaipur, especially during the festival of Diwali. (Ages 4 - 8)
Khushi Manao, by MeeraMasi.
MeeraMasi, California MeeraMasi's first children's book collection, the Khushi Manäo Series, offers five books of delightful rhymes along with an audio CD to assist with Hindi pronunciation and tone. Written in Hindi with English transliteration, this series is perfect for native and non-native Hindi speakers. (Ages 0 - 5)
Manni From a World Beyond the Stars, by Benrali.
Only1Earth, 2010 Manni From A World Beyond Stars is an artist's book, combining traditional pen & ink drawings over watercolor washes and verse creating a true fusion of many cultures that goes far beyond the terminology of "East West" because South America, Central America and the Caribbean are so much more than just two worlds. They are layers and layers of multiculturalism that create worlds of their own.
Click here to see a detail from one of the images in this book
(Ages 5 - 16)
[Sawnet Review]
One, by Jamuna Rangachari.
Rupa, New Delhi. 2005 Stories on all faiths practised in India, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Sikhism, Zorashtrianism with a short note on the basic tenets of the faith, and one that brings out the message of Mahatma Gandhi. (Ages 7 - 12)
The Children of India, by Jules Hermes.
Carolrhoda books, Minneapolis, 1993 Introduces the variety and richness of culture in India by describing the daily lives of children from different regions and social levels. (Ages 4 - 8)
The Little Lama of Tibet, by Lois Raimondo.
An illustrated biography of Ling Rinpochey, the young Buddhist monk who will be the next leader of the Tibetan people. Ages 6 and up, but the illustrations will keep younger children interested. (Ages 4 - 12)
The Turtle's Dream and Keys, by Benrali.
Only1Earth, 2009 A picture book inspired by the brightly colored species of box turtle, the Eastern Box Turtle of Eastern United States and Canada. Benrali has combined a love for naturalism, dreams, fantasy and poetry into a gift book which can be enjoyed by many age groups. Weaving detailed pen and ink garden drawings, etchings and watercolors readers are taken back into time through a box turtle's dream.
Click here for a fullcolor image from the book (Ages 5 - 16)
[Sawnet Review]
Toys and Tales with Everyday Materials, by Sudarshan Khanna, Gita Wolf, Anushka Ravishankar.
Tara Books, Chennai. Toys and Tales is a multi-level toymaking book, which addresses three age groups.
For the small child: It gives step by step instructions on how to make traditional folk toys with everyday materials
For the older child: It explains simple and complex scientific principles through toymaking
For the adult: It places the tradition of toymaking in a contemporary context and addresses issues of pedagogy, play, entertainment, consumerism and the toy industry (Ages 4 - 18)
Fiction
A Brahmin's Castles in the Air, by Rashmi Sharma.
Vidya Books, Berkeley, 1993. A poor, young brahmin prefers daydreaming to taking action to better his life. (Ages 4 - 8)
A Gift for Gita, by Rachna Gilmore.
Second Story Press, 1996 In the third and last Gita book, Gita is now well settled in Canada and is thrilled that her beloved grandmother, Naniji, is visiting. An unexpected announcement from her father sends Gita's world spinning. She must now decide where her home and heart are. What will Gita choose? (Ages 4 - 8)
A Wild Elephant at Camp, by Anupama Moharkar.
Tara Books, Chennai. A young boy named Kutti who lives in India within a wildlife sanctuary which is home to wild and domesticated elephants. (Ages 6 - 12)
[Sawnet Review]
All About Nothing, by Neena Sabnani & Deeya Nayar.
Tulika, Chennai Based on an animation film, the book explores the possible origin of ‘zero’ as used in mathematical calculations. The story is a fictional take on actual research done on the subject. A merchant living in Takshashila (north-western India) finds he has to do calculations all the time. But without ‘zero’, it is a complicated process indeed. One night, he falls asleep on his papers. When he wakes up, sunlight is streaming in through the latticed window, throwing circular beams of light on his calculations. An idea is sparked off. Eureka!
The people of the time – trade, trade routes, architecture, dress styles, dyes used, and so on – were also researched for authenticity in the film, which carries into the illustrations. The earthy colours and textures provide a vivid complement to the text. Bhojpatra (birchbark), used for manuscripts those days, has been used as a backdrop for an old-world feel. Available in Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada (Ages 6 - 10)
Alphabets are Amazing Animals, by Anushka Ravishankar.
Tara Publishing, Chennai. Illustrated by Christiane Pieper. Absurd in meaning but syntactically precise, the text introduces first readers to words: their sound and rhythms and how they can combine into sentences. The curious and happy scenes in this book come alive with joyful art. Every page is a story unto itself. (Ages 2 - 6)
[Sawnet Review]
Animal Antics, by Debjani Chatterjee.
Pennine Pens, 2000 Chuckle at the crazy antics of the animals in Debjani Chatterjees amazing menagerie: the astro-turtle hurtling through space, the hippo who bellowed, the elephant under the bed, the snake who came to school, the adder who learnt yoga, the rabbit-magician, the bridge-building monkeys, the sloth who loved hanging around, and many more. Poetry. (Ages 4 - 8)
Animal Crackers, by Narinder Dhami.
Random House Children's Books, UK When Sanjay gets a bump on his head from the school bully, he wakes up to find that everyone in the playground has turned into
an animal! The headmaster's a polar bear and Sanjay's best friend is a sheepdog. Even the ambulance that comes to take him to
hospital is driven by a gorilla and the paramedic is a penguin. Seeing his schoolmates in a new light gives Sanjay a clever idea
about how to defeat the bully. Will Sanjay's wily plan work, or has the whole world gone animal?
(Ages 7 - 9)
Binya's Blue Umbrella, by Ruskin Bond.
Illustrated by Vera Rosenberry. (Ages 4 - 8)
Bringing Asha Home, by Uma Krishnaswami.
Lee & Low Books, 2006 It's Rakhi, the Hindu holiday special to brothers and sisters, and Arun wishes he had a sister with whom to celebrate. Soon it looks as if his wish will come true. His parents are going to adopt a baby girl named Asha. She is coming all the way from India, where Arun's dad was born.
The family prepares for Asha's arrival, not knowing it will be almost a year until they receive governmental approval to bring Asha home. Arun is impatient and struggles to accept the long delay, but as time passes he finds his own special ways to build a bond with his sister, who is still halfway around the world. (Ages 3 - 7)
[Sawnet Review]
Buddha, by Anni Shapiro.
Delacorte Press, New York, 1994 Picture book with collage illustrations.
(Ages 4 - 8)
Chachaji's Cup, by Uma Krishnaswami.
Children's Book Press, 2003 Illustrated by Soumya Sitaraman
Why does Chachaji always insist on drinking his chai from the same chipped china teacup? A young boy learns the history of his family, uprooted during the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan. (Ages 4 - 8)
Cherry Tree, by Ruskin Bond.
St Martin's Press, 1991 Six-year-old Rakhi follows her grandfather's suggestion and plants a cherry seed. She learns to care for it through its difficult life as she grows up herself. (Ages 4 - 8)
Child Art with Everyday Materials, by Tarit Bhattacharjee, Kanchana Arni and Gita Wolf.
Tara Books, Chennai. An unorthodox and enabling approach to art education, where children experiment freely with different sorts of everyday material: newspaper sheets, clay, leaves, sand and even vegetables. The book features over 75 practical exercises which suggest creative ways of playing with line, design, texture, colour, form, composition and space.
(Ages 4 - 12)
Count your Way Through India, by Jim Haskins & Liz Brenner Dodson.
Carolrhoda books, Minneapolis, 1990 An introduction to the land and people of India accompanied by instructions on how to read and pronounce the numbers one through ten in Hindi. (Ages 4 - 8)
Excuse me, is this India, by Anushka Ravishankar.
Tara Publishing, Chennai Illustrated with exquisite textile art, this is a story of travel through a child's imagination. The brilliant nonsense verse captures the surreal mixture of places, people and creatures that make up India. (Ages 4 - 8)
[Sawnet Review]
Goddy Tales, by Shinie Antony.
6 tales for ages 8 - 12. "Meet Goddy. he is cool, he is funny and he is, ahem, God. When God makes a friend, size and lineage don't matter. Hence Goddy's best friend is a tiny creature, very common, but not exactly loved by mortal souls. Along with his father, best friend and sundry angels, Goddy deals with everyday problems just like u and me in this sneak preview of heaven..." (Ages 6 - 10)
Hen Sparrow Turns Purple, by Gita Wolf.
Tara Publishing, Chennai. Designed as a scroll, HenSparrow Turns Purple also makes a long wall picture. This cheerful adaptation of a folk tale tells the story of HenSparrow, who falls into a vat of dye, and turns quite purple. The illustrations recall the exquisite art of Indian miniature painting. (Ages 2 - 6)
[Sawnet Review]
Hindi Gym, by Aarti Chandnani.
Workbooks that make Hindi fun for kids. (Ages 4 - 8)
Holi, by Uma Krishnaswami.
Children's Press/Grolier, 2002 Part of the Grolier Rookie Read About Holidays series. (Ages 4 - 8)
I is for India, by Prodeepta Das.
Silver Press, 1996 Part of a series on countries and regions of the worlds, portrays India as a place rich with peoples and cultures, contrasts bustling cities with lush green paddy fields. Illustrated with photographs by the author. (Ages 7 - 10)
In the Dark, by Gita Wolf, Sirish Rao, Rathna Ramanathan.
Tara Publishing, Chennai. Five men are out walking on a moonless night, when suddenly they bump into something. Each of them sees something different, yet each is convinced that he is right. How is that possible? And what could this thing be? In the Dark is a tale of wisdom for all ages. This witty and unique version of a traditional Sufi story is hand calligraphed and illustrated in the style of traditional woodcuts. (Ages 2 - 6)
[Sawnet Review]
India (Where we Live), by Donna Bailey.
The book depicts the life of a farm girl of dry, northwest India, and portrays life in the city of Jaipur, especially during the festival of Diwali. (Ages 4 - 8)
Kali and the Rat Snake, by Zai Whitaker.
Tulika Books, Chennai Kali hates school. And school hates him, he thinks, for he has no friends. The children there find him strange. He wishes his father
were an 'ordinary' bus-conductor or postman instead of a snake-catcher, even if one of the most celebrated in the Irula tribe. He
worries that others will see him eating fried termites (his favourite snack!) and laugh. And then one day, a large rat snake creates
havoc in the classroom . . . and Kali becomes a hero!
Available in Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada, English (Ages 5 - 10)
[Sawnet Review]
Khushi Manao, by MeeraMasi.
MeeraMasi, California MeeraMasi's first children's book collection, the Khushi Manäo Series, offers five books of delightful rhymes along with an audio CD to assist with Hindi pronunciation and tone. Written in Hindi with English transliteration, this series is perfect for native and non-native Hindi speakers. (Ages 0 - 5)
Lights for Gita, by Rachna Gilmore.
Second Story Press, 1994 Newly arrived from India, Gita longs to celebrate Divali, the Festival of Lights, with the traditional fireworks. But the ugly November weather interferes and the friends she's invited can't come to her party. To make matters worse, the power goes out, plunging the city in darkness. How will Gita manage to overcome the darkness and find the light? (Ages 4 - 8)
Look, the Moon, by Sandhya Rao.
Tulika Books, Chennai A picture book which urges a child to look out of the window each night to watch the moon. Illustrated by Trotsky Marudu.
(Ages 3 - 6)
[Sawnet Review]
Mala's Silver Anklet, by Annie Besant.
Tulika, 2011 Illustrated by Nancy Raj.
Hiss! Boo! Muahahaha! Mala creeps up from behind and scares everyone. Then her mother gives her a pair of pretty silver anklets... The pictures of this charming story have the exuberance and freshness typical of Nancy Raj's work.
Available in English, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, Bangla. (Ages 3 - 6)
Manni From a World Beyond the Stars, by Benrali.
Only1Earth, 2010 Manni From A World Beyond Stars is an artist's book, combining traditional pen & ink drawings over watercolor washes and verse creating a true fusion of many cultures that goes far beyond the terminology of "East West" because South America, Central America and the Caribbean are so much more than just two worlds. They are layers and layers of multiculturalism that create worlds of their own.
Click here to see a detail from one of the images in this book
(Ages 5 - 16)
[Sawnet Review]
Milk Rice, by .
Perera Hussein Publishing House
Perera Hussein Publishing Hou Journey to a strange village and learn the secret of their hats or travel in time to towns in Sri Lanka with a genie. Read about the dilemma of a cat that is forbidden to kill or dream about building an aeroplane that will fly over golden paddy fields. In this collection MilkRice enthusiastically presents nine stories for children from new and established Sri Lankan writers. (Ages 5 - 10)
Monkey's Drum, by Anita Moorthy.
Tara Books, Chennai. When Monkey gets a thorn in his tail, he asks the village barber to remove it for him. But the barber shaves the tip of Monkey's tail off by mistake. So Monkey demands the barber's knife in exchange for the missing hair. But it doesn't stop there...
This traditional rhyming story of the trickster monkey has always been a favourite grandmother's tale. Illustrated by Soumitra Sarkar.
(Ages 4 - 8)
Monsoon, by Uma Krishnaswami.
Farrar, Straus, Giroux Illustrated by
Jamel Akib.
In a hot, dry city in northern India, a young girl
waits for rain. (Ages 4 - 8)
Naina's Adventure, by Enakshi Choudhuri.
Orbolo Books Available in English-Hindi, English-Bengali, English-Gujarati and English-Tamil. All text is in English script. A full glossary and pronunciation guide is provided.
Summary: Naina, a little girl who lives in America, longs to visit her grandparents who live in India. One night her wish comes true when she goes on a magical journey on the Goodnight Express to spend the day at her grandparents? home in India. During her adventure, Naina learns that as the Earth spins, day and night occur at various times in different parts of the world. (Ages 4 - 8)
One, by Jamuna Rangachari.
Rupa, New Delhi. 2005 Stories on all faiths practised in India, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Sikhism, Zorashtrianism with a short note on the basic tenets of the faith, and one that brings out the message of Mahatma Gandhi. (Ages 7 - 12)
One, Two Tree, by Anushka Ravishankar.
Tara Publishing, Chennai Illustrated by Durga Bai, a tribal artist from the Gond region of Central India. This visually stunning read-aloud book invites young children to count the improbable number of animals
that clamber up an ever-expanding tree.
Illustrated with art from the Gond tribal tradition of central India, One Two Tree! is at once a number book, a picture book, a nursery rhyme tale and a fable of living together.
A unique and accessible way of introducing even very young children to exceptional art. (Ages 2 - 6)
[Sawnet Review]
Paper Boat, by Rabindranath Tagore.
Illustrated by G. Bochak A child launches paper boats hoping someone in another country will find them. (Ages 4 - 8)
Ravi's Diwali Surprise, by Anisha Kacker & Kusum Ohri.
Modern Curriculum Press, 1994. Ravi is anxious to spend time with big brother, who is away for college, during Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights. (Ages 4 - 8)
Robi Dobi, by Madhur Jaffrey.
Dial Books, NY 1997. An Indian elephant befriends a mouse, a butterfly and a parrot, and together they have many adventures. (Ages 4 - 8)
Roses for Gita, by Rachna Gilmore.
Second Story Press, 1996 Several months after moving from India, Gita longs to plant roses, to create a garden just like her grandmother's in India. But Mom is busy with her studies, and Mr Flinch, the mean old man next door won't even let Gita look at his lovely garden. Will she ever be able to plant the first rose she longs for? Will she and Mr Flinch ever be friends? (Ages 4 - 8)
Ruler of the Courtyard, by Rukhsana Khan.
Viking Children's Books, 2002 Saba, a girl in rural Pakistan who is afraid of chickens, is faced with what she thinks is a snake but turns out to be the 'nala' of Nani's salwar.
(Ages 4 - 8)
Silly Chicken, by Rukhsana Khan.
Viking Children's Books, 2005 Rani, a girl in Pakistan, thinks her mother loves her pet hen more than she loves her in this story about sibling rivalry. (Ages 4 - 8)
Thama and the Little Boy, by Kamala Laxman.
IBH Publishers, Bombay, 1983. Illustrated by her husband, the cartoonist R.K. Laxman. (Ages 4 - 8)
Aditi and the One-Eyed Monkey. An enchanting modern fairytale involving an unlikely foursome. A monkey sets out to explore the
world, joined by a curious ant and an elephant trying hard to be aggressive. They come across a
princess with a mission and rally around to help her. Armed with a cloak of invisibility, a sword of
courage and a ball of magic clay, the friends journey to the den of a fierce dragon who must be
tamed. Poor dragon! [Sawnet review]
Aditi and the Thames Dragon. In this delightful sequel to Aditi and the One-Eyed Monkey, the postal parrot brings a cryptic letter
with a British stamp for 'Aditi and Friends' -- an urgent call for help from twins Roshan and Rohit
in London. A River Dragon is in trouble!. The five friends set off and their adventures finally land
them on primetime television news!
This book was written for the children of Blue Gate Fields Junior School in London. The children
had read the first book and very much wanted Aditi and friends to come to London. Suniti Namjoshi
weaves fantasy, philosophy and feeling so deftly into a story that will keep readers enthralled.
[Sawnet review]
Aditi and the Marine Sage. Aditi and friends are on a mission again, this time to the depths of the Great Barrier Reef. From flights on dragonback over blue-green oceans to trips underwater there is much excitement in store. Only the elephant is worried. Will she finally find her name?
The Children of India, by Jules Hermes.
Carolrhoda books, Minneapolis, 1993 Introduces the variety and richness of culture in India by describing the daily lives of children from different regions and social levels. (Ages 4 - 8)
The Closet Ghosts, by Uma Krishnaswami.
Chilldren's Book Press, San Francisco. 2006 Moving to a new place is hard enough without finding a bunch of mean, nasty ghosts in the closet. This looks like a job for Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god who can change shape in the blink of an eye and chase goblins and demons away with his thundering voice. When Hanuman answers Anu's plea for help, she rejoices — until she realizes those pesky ghosts don't seem to be going anywhere.
Illustrations by Shiraaz Bhabha (Ages 4 - 8)
[Sawnet Review]
The Giant Who Looks for his Temper, by Santhini Govindan.
Scholastic India, 2001. Hindi Edition Boomba Chala (Ages 4 - 8)
The Happiest Tree, by Uma Krishnaswami.
Lee & Low Books, 2006 Meena is excited about the class play, a new and improved version of Red Riding Hood. But when she learns that she must play one of the trees in the forest, Meena's excitement vanishes. She is just too clumsy to be a quiet, steady tree.
One day at the Indian grocery store, Meena sees a yoga class in progress, and the store owner convinces her to try the children's class. Little does Meena know she is about to find a way to grow from the inside out, just like a tree, and move beyond her feelings of clumsiness and frustration.
The Happiest Tree is a gentle and empowering story of a young girl's road to self-confidence. It is sure to spark interest in yoga, and provide comfort to all children as they struggle to overcome the everyday obstacles to growing up.
Illustrated by Ruth Jeyaveeran
(Ages 4 - 8)
[Sawnet Review]
The Little Lama of Tibet, by Lois Raimondo.
An illustrated biography of Ling Rinpochey, the young Buddhist monk who will be the next leader of the Tibetan people. Ages 6 and up, but the illustrations will keep younger children interested. (Ages 4 - 12)
The Magic Liquid, by Jamuna Rangachari.
Rupa, New Delhi. 2005 Taro is on a mission to rescue his planet. With the help of Raju, he explores the planet Earth while searching for the elixir of life.
Taro is from the planet Zyrus and Raju is a student of doorstep school in Mumbai (Ages 7 - 12)
The Milkman's Cow, by Vidya Pradhan.
Children's Book Trust, 2005 Mother Cow refuses to budge from the middle of the road. A number
of grown-upsranging from a milkman to a wrestler and a policeman try to
force the cow to move, but they fail. Finally it is a young boy who solves
the problem. (Ages 4 - 8)
[Sawnet Review]
The Parrot's Training, by Rabindranath Tagore.
Translated by Debjani Chatterjee. Tagore Center, UK. 1993 (Ages 4 - 8)
The Road to Mumbai, by Ruth Jeyaveeran.
Houghton Mifflin, 2004. Along the road to Mumbai, Shoba and her monkey, Fuzzy Patel, make many new friends—mysterious monks, a curious camel, and a snake with a sensitive stomach, just to name a few. Shoba and Fuzzy are on their way to a top-secret monkey wedding. But you shouldn’t expect an invitation. According to Fuzzy, it will be the most boring wedding in the history of the universe. But magical things can happen on the road to Mumbai—and when trouble threatens to ruin the big event, unexpected friends come to the rescue. In vivid paintings filled with color and light (and more than one uninvited guest!), Ruth Jeyaveeran brings the beauty and excitement of India alive for children everywhere to enj (Ages 5 - 8)
The Song of the Scythe, by Debjani Chatterjee.
SIMT & Sahitya Press, UK This picture storybook tells the
charming ghost story of Rashi's visit to Abbeydale Industrial Museum in
Sheffield. It is available in 5 dual language editions: English with
Bengali (trans. by Rashida Islam), English with Urdu (trans. by Basir
Sultan Kazmi), English with Arabic (trans. by Abdul Razak
Said), English with Cantonese (trans. by Cheung Lee) & English with
Somali (trans. by Mohamed M Noor). Illustrated by David Lumley. (Ages 6 - 9)
The Turtle's Dream and Keys, by Benrali.
Only1Earth, 2009 A picture book inspired by the brightly colored species of box turtle, the Eastern Box Turtle of Eastern United States and Canada. Benrali has combined a love for naturalism, dreams, fantasy and poetry into a gift book which can be enjoyed by many age groups. Weaving detailed pen and ink garden drawings, etchings and watercolors readers are taken back into time through a box turtle's dream.
Click here for a fullcolor image from the book (Ages 5 - 16)
[Sawnet Review]
The Umbrella Thief, by Sybil Wettasinghe.
Kane/Miller Publishers, NY. 1987 When each of the umbrellas he brings back to his village disappears, Kiri Mama devises a plan to track down the thief. A tale from Sri Lanka. (Ages 4 - 8)
The Why-Why Girl, by Mahasweta Devi.
Tulika, Chennai. Moyna lives in a little tribal village. She cannot go to school because she has to tend the goats, collect the firewood, fetch the
water… But she is so full of questions that the postmaster calls her the "why-why girl"!
Mahasweta Devi is one of India's foremost writers. In this delightful story, her first picture book, and the only children's book
she has written in English, she tells us how she meets Moyna (and her mongoose!) and helps her find answers to all the
why-whys in books, that Moyna herself learns to read.
Available in Tamil (translated by Ambai), Hindi, Malayalam (translated by Paul Zacharia), Kannada (translated by Girish Karnad),
Marathi, Gujarati, English. (Ages 6 - 10)
Tiger on a Tree, by Anushka Ravishankar.
Farrar Straus Giroux, 2004. Illustrated by Pulak Biswas. About a tiger who gets stuck in a tree. (Ages 1 - 5)
[Sawnet Review]
Tigress, by Helen Cowcher.
A ranger and his herdsmen concoct a plan to save a tigress, her cubs, and other animals as well. (Ages 4 - 8)
Toys and Tales with Everyday Materials, by Sudarshan Khanna, Gita Wolf, Anushka Ravishankar.
Tara Books, Chennai. Toys and Tales is a multi-level toymaking book, which addresses three age groups.
For the small child: It gives step by step instructions on how to make traditional folk toys with everyday materials
For the older child: It explains simple and complex scientific principles through toymaking
For the adult: It places the tradition of toymaking in a contemporary context and addresses issues of pedagogy, play, entertainment, consumerism and the toy industry (Ages 4 - 18)
Where is Amma?, by Nandini Nayar.
Tulika, 2011 Illustrated by Srividya Natarajan.
Kiran looks for his mother everywhere -- in the kitchen, in the balcony ... and even in the unlikeliest of places! Where is Amma? follows Nandini Nayar's whimsical What Did You See? and the hugely popular What Shall I Make? which has editions in the US and the UK and was cited by the Honour List of the USBBY. The charming watercolour illustrations make this one irresistable hide-and-seek story.
Available in English, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati, Bangla. (Ages 3 - 6)
Yoga Class, by Uma Krishnaswami.
Bebop Books/Lee & Low, 2000 A young girl tries out a series of yoga asanas, and finds out who she really is. (Ages 2 - 5)
