Around the World in Picture Books : India

Today we visit India - the land of many wonders and stories. We select four picture-story books from India's Children's Book Trust, an NGO. These four books are only 16-pages each but the stories are fun to read with bright colourful illustrations to accompany them. India produces some wonderful and award-winning books - think of Tara Books, Katha, Tulika and Karadi Tales. But we select these four books although they are not produced in hardcover or use thick paper because of the sheer pleasure one gets from reading the stories.

​1. Surprise Gift
Author: Asha Nehemiah
Illustrator: Sujata Bansal

Aunt Farida enjoys making things and decides to make a present each for Bina's family. She makes a jar of apple jam with cloves and ginger for Bina's mother; a colourful lampshade for Bina's father; a pen stand that can hold many pens for Bina's brother and a hair decoration piece with feathers for Bina. 

The gifts were sent by post but in the process, the gift tags were separated from the boxes. So Bina and her family do not know which gift is for who. 

First, Bina's father picks up the bottle of jam. Ah, he says, how does Aunt Farida know I need a jar of gum for my carpentry work. He is happy with his present.

Bina picks up the lampshade. Oh, Aunt Bina has made me a beautiful skirt. She really likes her present.

 Oh, this is nice, something for me to clean my computer and CDs ,says Bina's brother, as he picks up the feather hairpiece.
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Bina's mother is thrilled with her present - a sprinkler - just what she needs. They write a letter to Aunt Farida to thank for the gift of gum, skirt, CD cleaner and sprinkler. 

2. The Tiger and the Mosquito
Author: Mrinalini Srivastava
Illustrator: Subir Roy
Translator (from Hindi): Alaka Shankar

This simple story is wonderfully illustrated with different perspectives. A tiger is annoyed by a mosquito buzzing in his ear. He smacks it but ends up smacking himself several times. In the end the tiger gives up and walks away. The mosquito says after him, "Each is great in his own way." A good lesson indeed.

3. The Story of the Road
Author: Poile Sengupta
Illustrator: Mickey Patel
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The repetitive text in this story is effective in helping us to hear how busy the road is. One can imagine children reading this story together and making the sounds. This book can be used for choral reading with the children divided into groups and making the different sounds or words. The brightly-coloured illustration style is unusual but suits the story.

4. The Runaway Wheel
Author: Asha Nehemiah
Illustrator: Subir Roy
 
This book is written by the same author who wrote Surprise Gifts. It's an amusing story with a satisfying ending. Stories like these are what make children beg for more. 
 
Ramu and Kamala saw a poster advertising a circus. They begged to be taken to the circus and their father happily agreed to take them in his shiny, red tractor. On the way, they had a puncture and had to stop. Ramu and Kamala were asked to hold to the wheel but they got distracted and the wheel started to roll downhill, causing some mayhem along the way.

However, all's well that ends well with everyone hopping onto the now repaired tractor to go to the circus.

Don't forget, you could be lucky winner of one of these books just by purchasing a book from www.oyezbookstore.com in the month of March.