Author: Sagar Kolwankar
Publisher: Tulika Publishers
About the book: ‘I came across a photo of a boy who had survived a bombing. Covered in blood and dust he stared directly into the camera with empty eyes. I could feel the pain but would never understand what he had been through. Red is my attempt at imagining the feelings of children in war-torn parts of the world,’ says Sagar Kolwankar. A strong, poignant story about how armed conflict ravages a child’s everyday, how the devastation is not just of homes and lives but also of spirit. Sagar uses the power of colour to evoke two very different emotions in the course of the narrative. Equally effective is the startling use of ripped paper, seeming to suggest the torn innocence of childhood.