Birds on the Brain
by Uma Krishnaswami Publisher: Duckbill Books Reeni is wild about birds! So when she and her best friend, Yasmin, have to do a survey for a school project, asking their neighbours what they know about birds is an obvious choice. They are shocked to learn that no one—not one single person!—has heard about Bird Count […]
Baloo’s Big Win: How Palwankar Baloo Broke the Caste Barrier in Cricket
by Mamta Nainy Publisher: Puffin ‘Does anyone really win when not everyone gets to play?’ Right from his childhood, Baloo loved cricket. But he lived at a time when the rules of the game weren’t fair. Despite being a great bowler, he wasn’t allowed on the team because he was from a lower caste. Not […]
Art is a Voice
by Kripa Publisher: Art1st “Can art be a tool for dissent? If art is used by the powerful for exploitation, can it also be used for protest and resistance?” Artist and illustrator Kripa couples eleven verses with vivid illustrations, interspersed with the works of eleven contemporary Indian artists. Art is a Voice introduces readers to […]
When the Sun Sets
by Ogin Nayam Publisher: Pratham Books The Sun has set. But what does she do after a long day? Let’s find out, because the Sun has invited us to her home.
Zen
By Shabnam Minwalla Publisher: Duckbill Books Modern Mumbai – independent-minded Zen contemplates college, conflicted by feelings for the perplexing Yash. 1939 – Zen’s great-grandmother Zainab writes a diary detailing her life and events in the wider world. An absorbing page turner with well-developed characters from several generations giving insights into politics and religion past and […]
The Henna Start-up 🏆
By Andaleeb Wajid Publisher: Penguin Random House India When Abir discovers her mother has not been paid for her work, she and her friends work on a creative way to ensure this doesn’t happen again. In a first-person narrative set in tech city Bangalore, this novel addresses concerns around class and gender with lively dialogue […]
Unknown Heroes of India’s Freedom Struggle
By P. Sainath Publisher: Tullika P Sainath lights a beacon on the many stories of freedom fighters from the margins. The book was meticulously researched through in-person interviews of those who joined the Independence movement, even those whose methods diverged from Gandhi’s. This book has many brushes and voices – for each of the 16 […]
From Makaras to Manticores: Around India in 100 Mythical Creatures
By C.G. Salamander Sheena Deviah (Illustrations) Publisher: Hachette Some 260 well written, designed and illustrated pages take the reader through the widths, depths and breadths of India and its coastlines and examine 100 mythical creatures. The creatures may exist in myths and legends, in folklore, as images in paintings, maps and statuettes, or in the […]
Bipathu and a Very Big Dream
By Anita Nair Publisher: Puffin Books Bipathu and a Very Big Dream addresses BIG themes of gender bias, inclusivity of people with disabilities, and power imbalance based on economic class all without dwelling on them. The story is set in a village in Kerala where Hindus and Muslims coexist within the Malayali identity. Bipathu is […]
Meera Mukherjee: Breaking Moulds
By Vaishali Shroff Shivam Choudhary (Illustrations) Publisher : Art1st Meera Mukherjee: Breaking Moulds is the story of Meera’s first fascination with art begins as she watches her mother create enchanting alponas at the entrance to their home. The story follows her journey to Europe where she learns artistic styles of modern masters. She eventually returns […]