tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11006522884919353052024-03-15T13:48:16.625+05:30Tulika PublishersBooks for childrenTulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.comBlogger328125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-40157815342444087172021-09-05T15:55:00.003+05:302021-09-05T17:49:46.291+05:30A children's book can transform a class! <p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A story is entertaining. But it can also hold
glimpses of history, geography, culture, art… It can spark discussions from simple,
everyday things to more difficult, larger issues. So, what better way to mark
Teachers’ Day than by exploring imaginative ways in which a children’s book can
transform a class.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Every book has its ‘teachable’ moments. And
often they are most unexpected, as Adithi Rao discovers when she used her book
<a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/wordbird-books/noon-chai-and-a-story.html">Noon Chai and a Story</a> for a creative writing workshop for nine-year-olds with
minds of their own and some very eye-opening questions!</span></i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/wordbird-books/noon-chai-and-a-story.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8og50zhvjMNqzt4jKcJdOXb-MRKMbVVzGqTfxqwid_oMP2VCQuiamoF50u_swVr6VK3hrrph4BofgtCQb3LVV7AVlztO7M7YALoEYP-tWYwRVrpG3F9gUQ_p8qM-MGmgtFfZWxV6taay9/w293-h293/image.png" width="293" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">Together Alone<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">by<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif";">Adithi Rao<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">To me as, perhaps, to other writers,
writing is an ‘alone’ process. Yet, it is never <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lonely</i>, for it thrums with lives and spaces so vital and immediate
that I am left in no doubt of their actual existence (if only in some alternate<span style="color: #ff3399;"> </span>reality!).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/wordbird-books/noon-chai-and-a-story.html">NoonChai and a Story</a></span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> is a product of my travels
through tiny villages in the high reaches of the Himalayas many summers ago,
coupled with stories I read about or heard from the people there of a life
divided by “a line that nobody could see but everybody spoke of”. The
protagonist of the book is Amiya, a young girl of the Dardic tribe, living in
the valley of Gurez in Kashmir. This child, like the rest of her classmates,
seeks to turn the library-of-one-book in her school, into a library-of-many.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_NQMGPC4I-2e7-EF7ozlfarAUVPzQJBK6M-BgUeyWlmiK29in3uN65W5TnJLiw1JRqM4kyQ26YTnJFfttosuyi4HXCgYorbDgj7uDdYUKHZovfMP43FntUmF3L80Zdlq0S9jfqjl0bJa/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1193" data-original-width="2048" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_NQMGPC4I-2e7-EF7ozlfarAUVPzQJBK6M-BgUeyWlmiK29in3uN65W5TnJLiw1JRqM4kyQ26YTnJFfttosuyi4HXCgYorbDgj7uDdYUKHZovfMP43FntUmF3L80Zdlq0S9jfqjl0bJa/w408-h237/image.png" width="408" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 14pt;">But, how? For, Gurez is a lonely little
place with few books, and lots and lots of snow! It is Amiya’s Deidi, her laughing,
wise, lovable grandmother, who saves the day. She recounts a story of a husband
long separated by a line that was carelessly scratched upon a map one August day
in 1947, while he was over at Gilgit trading his harvest of potatoes for the apples
that grew there. He never could return, for between him and his home now stood that
shadow line guarded by men with guns.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Amiya writes down Deidi’s story, her
sister illustrates it, and the pages are stitched together to form the second
book to adorn the shelf of the school library! Inspired by Amiya, her
classmates too gather stories from their elders over delicious cups of salty
pink noon chai. And thus, one homemade book after the other makes its way onto that
library shelf over a long and difficult winter…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Noon
Chai and a Story</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> seemed like a pleasant, simple
enough book to me, one I was keen for children to read. And so, I accepted with
alacrity when I was asked to use this book as a part of a creative writing
summer workshop for a group of nine-year-olds. Together, the children and I
learnt many things. They, that stories may be told in countless different ways.
And me, that no matter how it is told, a tale like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Noon Chai…</i> can never be simple.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzpkQRRxsOlm4mT49c4RnhO0hp6JpxA4zhCmR4ROkAKDdxFub1BeewDoYu8qbh5-2OgtRN2w55Bch88cHd0RtGFQszszb4TILXH3zgNtD0sTQx9fcupSY-uK5scntvPKhTtgHvrchC6f08/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="560" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzpkQRRxsOlm4mT49c4RnhO0hp6JpxA4zhCmR4ROkAKDdxFub1BeewDoYu8qbh5-2OgtRN2w55Bch88cHd0RtGFQszszb4TILXH3zgNtD0sTQx9fcupSY-uK5scntvPKhTtgHvrchC6f08/w245-h154/image.png" width="245" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">After I read the book out loud to the
children, keeping my tones expressive and animated to grab their interest, I
looked up expectantly for their response.They gazed back at me, utterly bewildered.
One young gentleman opened and closed his mouth a few times before finally exclaiming:
“I don’t see what all the fuss is about! Why couldn’t that silly husband just
take a flight and come back home to Deidi? People do travel between India and
Pakistan, you know?” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I was at a complete loss for words. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">“Sounds like that fellow just did not
want to return!” he added, in his practical, no-nonsense way.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Another child observed that Amiya and
her friends could have just <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">bought</i>
the books. “Why go through so much trouble making them?” she shrugged. There
were other questions, too, of course. Deidi’s husband, the one who went away,
was her cousin. “Who marries their cousin? Chee!” cried some of the other
children.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I realised, at that moment, that it
was time to step out of my head and join my readers out there in the real
world. To view the story from their eyes rather than my own complacent ones. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Like I said, writing is an alone
process…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I took it one question at a time. Well,
people do marry their cousins and even their maternal uncles in many cultures
across India. It is not a practice confined to any one religion, but a common
way of life among many. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPv2IocoPdNcv88v6Ygatmh99BbtVCUEnqXsYb41Kru56g_F0LatvuG__w89amEaAYYmNxSrUC100voTKasVhUXpYKIXKiRai_tGN_Hgu8Vzo_p1Nq52NVXOEzKbCoDzbXjwIFTmCTfG8/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1826" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPv2IocoPdNcv88v6Ygatmh99BbtVCUEnqXsYb41Kru56g_F0LatvuG__w89amEaAYYmNxSrUC100voTKasVhUXpYKIXKiRai_tGN_Hgu8Vzo_p1Nq52NVXOEzKbCoDzbXjwIFTmCTfG8/w273-h306/image.png" width="273" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Next, digging up maps of the Silk Road
(from the 2nd century BCE to the 18th century CE, Gurez Valley had been the bustling
portal into Central Asia on that famous trading route), and the Kashmir Valley
of modern India, I showed my students how the line of control cut right through
the head of the country, so close to Guerez. I did my best to illustrate the
difference between an LOC and an international border, and the implications of
each. Together, we explored what it must be like to live so close to that
invisible line, marked by guns and barbed wire fences. We tried to imagine the
life of a child of Dardic origin, whose world is buried under twenty feet of
snow for close to half of every year; children whose education is routinely
interrupted by winters, curfews and threats of militancy. Theirs is a world
with no internet or phones (smart or otherwise), no malls to shop in or bookstores
to browse through at leisure.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Painting such a picture for my students
needed me to fully imagine it myself. Doing so was one of the most poignant experiences
of my life. After all, the lives of others, when seen through our own
realities, will eternally remain beyond the reach of our puny imaginations.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">In the workshops and storytelling
sessions that followed this one, I arrived forearmed with maps, charts and
photographs that would help set the tone of the very layered and complex
histories of the people of Kashmir, before venturing to read <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Noon Chai and a Story</i>. It had dawned on
me by then that children live in their own unique worlds, shaped by their
socio-economic backgrounds and the cultural ethos of the spaces in which they
live and grow. So, I must first gently and completely ease them into the world
of Amiya before her story can become relevant and relatable to them. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAcFNdnbzCaciNXbnhQbBJ3PBB-8wsipnXgmqRwGfbPZRmGr1teABCyyqEKdKo-Y7-cmEMPWsKVSkiaVqe-rZDbZsD_vU2mC32FbOYCr5JcfvvPnha8mHYy6mPfOMAIqAtEwqqLYU_EpG/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="866" data-original-width="1044" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAcFNdnbzCaciNXbnhQbBJ3PBB-8wsipnXgmqRwGfbPZRmGr1teABCyyqEKdKo-Y7-cmEMPWsKVSkiaVqe-rZDbZsD_vU2mC32FbOYCr5JcfvvPnha8mHYy6mPfOMAIqAtEwqqLYU_EpG/w349-h290/image.png" width="349" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 14pt;">The easy-on-the-eyes, affectionate
illustrations by Ghazal Qadri have been an effective counterpoint to the grim
undertones of conflict, separation and loss that run right through the book.
I’ve enjoyed using them to show bits of artistic Kashmir life to children
during my sessions.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">That first workshop was something of
an awakening. A wake-up call to the aloneness of people, even while we believe
that we are part of a common world. My students had been alone in their
perceptions of a life made up of traffic jams, international schools and books
that can be ordered online. I too had been alone in my assumption that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Noon Chai and a Story</i> would immediately
transport my readers to the world of the story. The children of the Gurez
Valley, living their lives away from the eyes of the world, are alone too.
(They probably never imagined that somewhere, a group of people had come
together in cyberspace to read and discuss a story about them!)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">And in the middle, holding these three
Alones and bringing them all together across time, space and cultures, is a
book, quietly telling its tale. Perhaps this, then, is the power of the written
word…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Quite at the other end of the
spectrum, I sent a copy of the book for the children of Muskaan. An NGO based
out of Bhopal, Muskaan works with children of vulnerable slum communities that
do not have access to mainstream education. Accompanying the book was, of
course, out of the question. Amiya would have to go forth and tell her story
the best she could. To my absolute delight, I was later informed that the
children loved the book. ‘Amiya is just like us!’ they said. ‘We make our own
books too!’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="background: rgb(25, 25, 25); color: #868686; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: #fedf15; font-family: rotissansserifstd; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGXrO7haxqhKh3W7NqBIML2KNpIJhJOA4qKDhQ-OQBX7cg5Cl2nYC5O08sPWSlAxezsHKEVkQEvxLWB_O2GB3ecNiZS8fqEByUheqnowUZNmHZ31ii_eu6fStJTxyzc9KegTkdlfNeBuDD/s1080/Adithi+rao.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="609" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGXrO7haxqhKh3W7NqBIML2KNpIJhJOA4qKDhQ-OQBX7cg5Cl2nYC5O08sPWSlAxezsHKEVkQEvxLWB_O2GB3ecNiZS8fqEByUheqnowUZNmHZ31ii_eu6fStJTxyzc9KegTkdlfNeBuDD/w155-h275/Adithi+rao.jpg" width="155" /></a><br /><br /></div>Adithi Rao has written seven books for children (one of which - Candid Tales:<br />India on a Motorcycle - made it to the Parag Honour List 2021) and short stories for numerous anthologies.<br />She was assistant director for the Hindi film Satya, and the rights to her film script, Baraf,<br />have been sold to Aamir Khan Productions Ltd.<br />She is currently scripting a play for Katkatha Puppet Arts Trust. <br />You can find her at adithirao.com.</span></span></div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></span></div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /><br /></span></div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p>Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-86055558083609975302021-08-26T13:16:00.002+05:302021-08-26T13:16:25.287+05:30International Dog Day 2021<h2 style="text-align: left;"> <span style="color: #170a1c; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;">Bow
WOW!</span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This International Dog Day take a ‘paws’ and turn into
a dog with two tails! For it’s time to celebrate the furry friends who walk,
loll, eat, contemplate, wander and tear around the pages of Tulika’s
pawsitively delightful canine capers! <o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpsYNSHOEgifJ7jsib-xCtd07xH5MiE68BVZE5WWQBV_xFG-M5dgy2FrOTnEwiYJnYsP0IEAaLbEDz4E6Y1foHVl87vSjUAB_ASdmKst7OGE4N1rLRQ1KzGQKzo4-M1V7oSZew3UhJyTGt/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="582" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpsYNSHOEgifJ7jsib-xCtd07xH5MiE68BVZE5WWQBV_xFG-M5dgy2FrOTnEwiYJnYsP0IEAaLbEDz4E6Y1foHVl87vSjUAB_ASdmKst7OGE4N1rLRQ1KzGQKzo4-M1V7oSZew3UhJyTGt/w179-h183/jojo.jpg" width="179" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">So, bury your snouts in </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/a-walk-with-thambi-english.html">A Walk with Thambi</a></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/soda-and-bonda-english.html">Soda and Bonda</a></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-bilingual-picture-books/purple-jojo-baingani-jojo-hindi.html">Purple Jojo</a></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-bilingual-picture-books/little-anbu-chhota-anbu-hindi.html">Little Anbu</a></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/early-readers/the-grand-story-of-ikli-chokli.html">The Grand Story of Ikli Chokli</a></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> and </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-fiction/can-t-stop-cody.html">Can’t Stop Cody!</a></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Pawsome reads whether you’re a dog
lover, or a friend of felines (Grrrrr!)! And while you’re at it, think about
the hungry Anbus and the Codys who need a home, and be kind to the Ikli Choklis
all around. You’ll be rewarded with grateful tail wags, even a pawshake, and
who knows… one of them might just make their way home… to your home to become
your petfriendforever! Just like Cody. Read an excerpt from the fabulous book right here!</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-fiction/can-t-stop-cody.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyN38ilZaIKX6q3wy3genXtoYLEhXRfogOZ6dnkEHGZEkGpPvelrPqoIlWi35zjUMF1CClSipN-MqV-6fEcCigNQ5dzxkSh08aGrl44ObkURNntOFznZtS2A1YV3bcjVinvlJm4JnEDuq/w279-h279/image.png" width="279" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“In the fifteen minutes that it took to drive home
carefully, his new friend had explored every nook and cranny in the car, coated
all the seats with dog hair, set off the passenger-side seat belt alarm
multiple times and licked Vismay’s face thirty times…</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As soon as they entered the house the puppy went
streaking down the corridor, slipping and sliding and skidding as he ran from
one room to another. He’d been in a cramped three square-foot cell,
twenty-three hours a day for two whole weeks and was almost insane with pent-up
energy and excitement with his new-found freedom…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDgc81p9z2UnW1XmuEi6atovI_y5gZWssSvx7vSNmRmTOExTLmNQMXe0V-iEh_JWgilYSDm-n4pGBU8zlGNyoUeVeeOAKq42hgR-cwSC0CrkwhmcFQzZTo7GO7jyweunx8li_SeLGJOji/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="471" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDgc81p9z2UnW1XmuEi6atovI_y5gZWssSvx7vSNmRmTOExTLmNQMXe0V-iEh_JWgilYSDm-n4pGBU8zlGNyoUeVeeOAKq42hgR-cwSC0CrkwhmcFQzZTo7GO7jyweunx8li_SeLGJOji/w232-h189/Cody.jpg" width="232" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“He looks cute and cuddly but is clearly a crazy
puppy,” he thought. “Cute and cuddly and crazy.” Somehow the name Cody popped
into his head. And Vismay knew that Cody had to be the name for this wild
bundle of joy…<o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;">He still left Cody in his crate when he left the
house. But one day as he was lacing up his shoes, Vismay looked up to see Cody
standing in front of him, watching him intently. Cody knew that when Vismay put
on his shoes, it meant he was going somewhere. Either with Cody, or not… If
Vismay asked him, “Where’s the leash?” Cody would run helter-skelter around the
room in excitement. But today Vismay uttered the dreaded words, “Cody”, he said
firmly, “in bed.”… He was to be left home alone in his crate. Usually he would
walk into his crate and plop himself down with a disgruntled sigh. But today,
he stood looking straight into Vismay’s eyes for a few seconds and then walked
not towards the crate but to his dg bed instead…</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Vismay felt Cody was trying to communicate a very
specific message to him. “Can I stay here instead?” he seemed to be asking. “I
promise to be good.” Vismay hesitated… It did really feel as if he was being
spoken to. “Okay, baby boy. Let’s give this a try… Be good! I’ll be back
soon.”… <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> V<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;">ismay was pretty sure he would feel foolish when he
came home to find a book chewed up, or a portion of a wall gnawed into. But
amazingly, he came home to find Cody curled up on the bed (not his dog bed) but
the room otherwise looked totally fine… Soon Cody could be left alone with the
run of the whole house. “You can be a proper guard dog now, Cody,” said Vismay
to him one day… Cody just wagged his tail. Falser words had never been spoken.</span></div><p></p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwlvYVM2jKHeMg12C2YG4GE64ItNkog-TnCNpzOsVyUjgakqhMZa0Nw1Q-hy6SniCMjTfYyreGzpRQFk8ryfWLayTwISnLoGB01361mGFuYbT83XNEV2YAEJnZZDxyR5vRV0s45MebYpZ/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="186" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwlvYVM2jKHeMg12C2YG4GE64ItNkog-TnCNpzOsVyUjgakqhMZa0Nw1Q-hy6SniCMjTfYyreGzpRQFk8ryfWLayTwISnLoGB01361mGFuYbT83XNEV2YAEJnZZDxyR5vRV0s45MebYpZ/w113-h223/Cody+2.jpg" width="113" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Just a few days later, in Fort Funston, Cody was
having his usual fun time chasing rainbows and squirrels. He had left the rest
of the pack pretty far behind. Kathy knew pointers liked being able to run off
into the distance but cam back quickly when called. She didn’t bother if he
disappeared for a few minutes. But n that day, she saw hi dash into the bushes
after a squirrel some three hundred metres away. When he didn’t appear after
fifteen minutes, she became a little concerned. “Coooooody!” she called out. No
Cody appeared. “Cooooooooody!” Still no Cody came running towards her, ears
flapping back in the wind.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Bow WOW indeed, right?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Get a copies of all the doggy books on our website, www.tulikabooks.com, at a special price! </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></p>Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-47477939064476786092021-08-21T15:15:00.001+05:302021-08-23T13:46:30.490+05:30My Name Is Gulab: Interview with author-illustrator Sagar Kolwankar<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/my-name-is-gulab.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZ64kJ-_NqL1rlIn1WwNr-jEOBMhbMEpX1PhyH6oZJKCezBLzOTQhbdWROCDMw8RrOvXuhrziVOCrzRN9WYRSvJzcBDpHxQM8g9RUn5i1VoaRc-rKrEownyaETh4851MtoGVNjKBzS2-P/w363-h363/image.png" width="363" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 10.0pt; margin: 10pt 0cm 0cm;"><b><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">How did the idea for a story like <i>My Name is Gulab</i> come to
you?</span></b><b><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">I'm a visual person. A picture says a thousand words – or
rather, a story! That's how Gulab also came to life, from a heart-touching
picture I came across where a man was peeping out of a manhole, from the deep
murk of a gutter. His personal story was given below this picture. About his
family, especially his daughter. About how she stood up for him when some
people tried to dehumanise him. She was 24 years old but it sparked a question
in my head: How would a child react to growing up with such deep-rooted social
issues? And Gulab came to life.</span><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="background: white; color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><b><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">Why do you think it is important for children to read a
picture book with the theme of manual scavenging?</span></b><b><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="background: white; color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">We have all grown up taking for granted that some people
do manual scavenging. We have normalised it with responses like "It's a
job, after all!" or "They can choose to do other jobs, so why don't
they?" We don’t think or talk about why only some people are made to do
this work – those from the lowest castes, who hardly have an option. It is thrust
on them as their ‘fate’. Many of us have grown up unaware of this or choosing
to ignore it. And by not talking about such social issues, we normalise the
practice even more. I hope to break that silence with this book addressed to
young children who, in my opinion, are our hope for change.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><b><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">Didn’t you think it would be too much for children to
understand?</span></b><b><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="background: white; color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIImYTnJq-eBtxVAHTSWFFslrUVPv2d3QK8AlujGwJjPvS7kVkqZu8S0kWG6kRjyB8Da58HUY3kpsNhyphenhyphenUxYXM7weHqNyojEnqRw6hKOYPEEJPi167vlQAlUiwhikfnvscG4ETLYuGdOrGm/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1845" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIImYTnJq-eBtxVAHTSWFFslrUVPv2d3QK8AlujGwJjPvS7kVkqZu8S0kWG6kRjyB8Da58HUY3kpsNhyphenhyphenUxYXM7weHqNyojEnqRw6hKOYPEEJPi167vlQAlUiwhikfnvscG4ETLYuGdOrGm/" width="266" /></a></div><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Young children are far more responsive than stone-minded
adults. I have seen children questioning their parents about serious issues in
society. The answers parents give will shape their minds. If parents lie, the
child will believe in that lie. If they hide, the child grows up ignorant of
the issue. On the other hand, if we make them aware, the knowledge will lead to
empathy. And empathy is the first step to creating a sense of fairness and
justice in young minds.</span></p></span><p></p><p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><p style="line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><b><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">Were you aware of issues of caste, untouchability and
manual scavenging as a child?</span></b><b><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="background: white; color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">I grew up in a slum with the manual scavenging community
living across the road. Kids used to say you smell to certain children.
Apparently they were all from a lower caste. I too had
upper caste friends not eating from my tiffin box as I belong to an other backward caste myself. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0cm 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">My old one-roomed house was in a chawl, which was near a
big gutter. The whole slum was around that big gutter. We children played
there. While playing cricket, the ball would always land in the gutter and we
would jump in to get it without thinking twice. In the rainy season the gutter
water would come inside our homes. Municipality would not attend to it. So my
mother or neighbours would clean it. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0cm 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">I remember some upper caste people who used to live in an
adjacent chawl. And used to call out to a man called 'Bandhu' for cleaning the overflowing gutters in their chawl. I never
really understood why at that time. But we were told those are rich people and
they don't do such jobs. 'Bandhu’ would do it for a minimum wage, as that is
what he was supposed to do! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0cm 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">It was only when I grew up that I understood more about
how society views these things, that it was not even our “job” because we were
not from a caste that cleans gutters. Now imagine the plight of people who are
stamped with such jobs!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifToW-NQ_H56EpmIIhbzvmlCFuo-VFIDHHtf1-tat1noM_QZiHTTNTRsheIXpzDyrLmayVvlSBnMBlYe2eO6z5TWtZWlGg-X0EHXQs5l_wIBXAUWyw5dLtQIhD_pKKOuemNzVLax3YAHj/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1724" data-original-width="2040" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifToW-NQ_H56EpmIIhbzvmlCFuo-VFIDHHtf1-tat1noM_QZiHTTNTRsheIXpzDyrLmayVvlSBnMBlYe2eO6z5TWtZWlGg-X0EHXQs5l_wIBXAUWyw5dLtQIhD_pKKOuemNzVLax3YAHj/w270-h228/image.png" width="270" /></a></div><b><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">These are issues around which there has always been
silence and denial. So to put it out in a children's book is a very bold step,
breaking several taboos. Does this worry you?</span></b><b><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><p></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">A lot! I'm not worried about telling the truth to
children. Because I feel that after reading such stories with their parents,
kids will definitely have some questions. Which is what I want – encourage
dialogue and create awareness. Adults are afraid of these issues because it
challenges their deep-rooted beliefs. Children on the other hand are not
afraid. My worry is that my motives will be misunderstood, that I will be seen
as writing about something I haven’t experienced. But such subjects should be talked about and that is what I'm trying to do here. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><b><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">How did you arrive at the illustrative style for a book
with a serious theme like this?<br /><br /></span></b><b><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">A big thanks goes to Team Tulika. The book has gone
through multiple edits and I explored many illustration styles. Finally the
current style made sense. It focuses more on the characters and gives them
space – that's what we wanted to achieve.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">You said you’d like to donate all royalty from this book
to an NGO – why?</span></b></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">I write about these topics because I feel it can make a
small difference. Even 0.1% is a lot! But I don’t want it to be seen as if I am
making money by telling the community’s story. I don’t want that on my
conscience. I can do more by giving away the proceeds from these books to
educate children from that community and enable them. </span></p><p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">***********</span></p><p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><br /></p><p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpopPuFNQVLm9kLNJxkgA9Yx7_JMUT4sRCOdl-I0rYXKuW0UQIxhXAVzDmJciYWZI5JLhAhcm27mOAc58KMUY4Tyd9DoXoSnfQlVoQHBXFKwW-7ZziXwWNEDxUKupzjWAGjbPCKjHkMpqW/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1211" data-original-width="1067" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpopPuFNQVLm9kLNJxkgA9Yx7_JMUT4sRCOdl-I0rYXKuW0UQIxhXAVzDmJciYWZI5JLhAhcm27mOAc58KMUY4Tyd9DoXoSnfQlVoQHBXFKwW-7ZziXwWNEDxUKupzjWAGjbPCKjHkMpqW/" width="211" /></a></div><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">"What would children do?" is how <b>Sagar Kolwankar</b> approaches issues that affect all of us, and expresses them best through stories and pictures. He has a deep interest in storytelling through comics, picture books and novels, and believes that books are the gateway to an imaginary world that everyone should visit often. Sagar's other books with Tulika are the award-winning <i><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/i-will-save-my-land-english.html">I Will Save My Land</a></i> and <i><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/red-english.html">Red</a></i>. </span><p></p><p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; line-height: 20pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">Get a copy of <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/my-name-is-gulab.html">My Name Is Gulab</a> today!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-57842134887152861602021-08-20T17:51:00.000+05:302021-08-20T17:51:33.261+05:30Raksha Bandhan 2021: Bond > Band<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMr3Ev0eGiRWvqfyL9gIc5EuNLTiZUTjWeLVg-HnJlEO_nIB9Q43WsSb305FZrFXbCMgbTh_qoozy0a6X5xNIxbXSAQb73a_gVOkHd8jsP3g0eoMHzDvW-UFWupkcUMBmtYWob7a5b1ar/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="869" data-original-width="863" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMr3Ev0eGiRWvqfyL9gIc5EuNLTiZUTjWeLVg-HnJlEO_nIB9Q43WsSb305FZrFXbCMgbTh_qoozy0a6X5xNIxbXSAQb73a_gVOkHd8jsP3g0eoMHzDvW-UFWupkcUMBmtYWob7a5b1ar/" width="238" /></a></div><p></p><h3 style="text-align: center;">Raksha Bandhan is more than just tying bands, sharing sweets, giving gifts...<br />It really is about that strong bond like Fevikwik!<br />(if you said the brand's tagline as soon as you read 'fevikwik', we could be siblings!)<br /><br /> <span style="font-size: 18.72px;">Scroll down to the bottom for a list of sibling books.<br /></span>But on your way there, take a look at some Mayil-kwik pluck<br />when it comes to brother Thamarai<br />– our favourite sis-bro duo from <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/search?search_query=mayil"><span style="color: #cc0000;">the hotselling Mayil diaries!</span></a></h3><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvSFCuKBfR1_PbJPLNH52pMYwmNerRFCwD2Hi140kLFzFu2gDh3LsIejoy3MrUqiarBJLIfWLlG3HWtB6GRR5o1oBtiZbD1fmNQmjHVPKiu-mQUM7l0o3E6AXtQ8n-eNivWDYI7B7ml67/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1265" height="835" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvSFCuKBfR1_PbJPLNH52pMYwmNerRFCwD2Hi140kLFzFu2gDh3LsIejoy3MrUqiarBJLIfWLlG3HWtB6GRR5o1oBtiZbD1fmNQmjHVPKiu-mQUM7l0o3E6AXtQ8n-eNivWDYI7B7ml67/w515-h835/image.png" width="515" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><h3 style="text-align: center;">The affection and protection is a constant<br />– we swear on it, cross our hearts and pinky promise!</h3><h3 style="text-align: center;">Another promise we made? The sibling list!</h3><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;">1. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/anya-and-her-baby-brother.html">Anya And Her Baby Brother</a><br />2. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/wordbird-books/race-of-the-rivers-english.html">Race Of The Rivers</a><br />3. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/wordbird-books/ekki-dokki-english.html">Ekki Dokki</a><br />4. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/a-kite-called-korika-english.html">A Kite Called Korika</a><br />5. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/wordbird-books/who-will-be-ningthou-english.html">Who Will Be Ningthou?</a><br />6. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/early-readers/adventures-of-the-humongoose-family-english.html">Adventures Of The Humongoose Family</a><br />7. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/wings-to-fly-english.html">Wings To Fly</a><br />8. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/mala-s-silver-anklets-english.html">Mala's Silver Anklets</a><br />9. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-bilingual-picture-books/malli-is-coming-english-hindi.html">Malli Is Coming!</a><br />10. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/a-saree-for-ammi-english.html">A Saree For Ammi</a></span><br /><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: center;">All available on www.tulikabooks.com</h4>Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-68926270044009220662021-08-15T11:16:00.000+05:302021-08-15T11:16:35.769+05:3015 going on 25!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5A1JRWG-htYGZt18Ap4foIP9EirTbGkFvPQSCt03k8gntafkt5FyN5AJXED3ti_UR-77ajqsf4HXbFFOzga7uDGYyN3LjKt2BsJGqWLkl-Eg7sFfzjy-0RvC8WvSug98WPZdt6lBCPYiw/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1560" data-original-width="2048" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5A1JRWG-htYGZt18Ap4foIP9EirTbGkFvPQSCt03k8gntafkt5FyN5AJXED3ti_UR-77ajqsf4HXbFFOzga7uDGYyN3LjKt2BsJGqWLkl-Eg7sFfzjy-0RvC8WvSug98WPZdt6lBCPYiw/w611-h466/25+children.jpg" width="611" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqW07gNJx42kWjI1bpZtv1WWMuOUERbsm_R9r8fxmKXCqJxBNA62x0WjfFzPk_GwUOV9SlWRr4K3vfC_Fvzy99QV8mZ1pbyKi0RYt7KcDrhX9MnPbIzTPDOFypJp_4XvJKxT0nSz1gpPFM/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="651" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqW07gNJx42kWjI1bpZtv1WWMuOUERbsm_R9r8fxmKXCqJxBNA62x0WjfFzPk_GwUOV9SlWRr4K3vfC_Fvzy99QV8mZ1pbyKi0RYt7KcDrhX9MnPbIzTPDOFypJp_4XvJKxT0nSz1gpPFM/w143-h196/Tulika+Publishers+-+25+years+logo.png" width="143" /></a></div><br /><br /> <p></p>Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-44105693080064141962021-08-12T10:48:00.001+05:302021-08-12T10:48:48.542+05:30World Elephant Day! <h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ELEPHANT ENCOUNTERS</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">A dangerous face-off, cries of distress at night… A summer holiday in the jungles of Corbett country turns out to be all about eerie encounters with elephants. And at the centre of it is Gitanjali, teasingly called Hathni – ‘she-elephant’ – by her three boy cousins because of her size. Or is there more to the nickname? Does Gitanjali share some deeper bond with the big, gentle creatures?</div><div style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> Take a ride through the jungles of the Kumaon Hills this World Elephant Day (12 August) in this spine-tingling book that sees celebrated writer and naturalist Ranjit Lal at his best! An extract from </span><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-fiction/that-summer-at-kalagarh-english.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #134f5c;">That Summer at Kalagarh</span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"> – for children 10 (or even 8) and up:</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-fiction/that-summer-at-kalagarh-english.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7K5_VzIh9J7b0rAL_W5Og8QzmWyy8JaAX794W3s6sbITaGohzb0rJrGMTfIIW0snnHXSrlpBfJKLUmYG6cCoV639AkVM1V_mY7IdqglPs3mOs1_TzBe6uNVsrRb-BspvesuGuCd54a4-2/w333-h333/image.png" width="333" /></a></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><br /></div><i style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The words had hardly left her lips when a shrill scream of rage froze them in their tracks. This, followed by a deep, sonorous rumbling sound, like an angry roll of thunder, and then another enraged trumpet.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div></i><i style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Hathni wasted no time. With one fluid move, she picked up an astonished Aveek and plonked him on her shoulders and shouted: “Run! He’s coming!”</i></div></i><i style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>And now Rawat too was charging back the way he had come, waving frantically at them to flee downstream. Vijay, his face set, trained his rifle at the bend, covering his colleague. Ajay and Ajit splashed blindly downstream, not daring to look back, their breath whooping out of them in great gasps.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div></i><i style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Then suddenly Hathni stopped and spun around, squarely facing the stream bend. She put Aveek down, but held him close, his face buried in her lap. She stared, unmoving as a boulder, as the huge bull elephant rounded the bend in a welter of spray, his enormous ears flapping dangerously. His trunk was already rolled up safely, and his tusks thrust outwards aggressively; his ebony body shone. Round that bend he rumbled like a runaway locomotive, and then spotted the schoolgirl standing stolidly in the middle of his path, glaring back at him. For a second it looked as though he would be right onto her but then, inexplicably, he skidded to a halt, and surveyed the scene with cold angry eyes. He tested the air with his trunk, apparently confused. Then he emitted another shrill trumpet and stomped one great front foot into the water, frustrated, but made no move. Rawat by now had rejoined the group, and the two forest guards had taken up positions, their rifles aimed unwaveringly at the great beast some twenty yards away.</i></div></i><i style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>“Nahin maaro! Don’t shoot him, please!” Hathni pleaded suddenly, staring at the great beast, her eyes calm once again. “He’s only bluffing!”</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div></i><i style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Imagine the scene! A picturesque forest stream curling around a bend, flanked by tall rocky cliffs on either side. A humungous bull elephant, straddling the stream at the bend, testing the wind with its trunk, its small eyes cold with baffled rage. A plump, serene-faced schoolgirl with calm eyes and damp hair, standing firmly in the middle of the stream, staring at the swaggering demon, not twenty-five yards away from her. A little boy, clinging onto her for dear life, his face buried in her long, grey T-shirt. Two tense forest guards, standing splay-footed, their rifles at the ready, aimed at the monster elephant. Some distance downstream, two more (medium-sized) boys, perched on top of a high rock where they have scrambled, looking down at the stream, knees knocking and gibbering. The elephant trumpeted again, and the guards’ fingers tensed around their triggers…</i></div></i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sBPcaiNMTMkSkyrOhlPaqV-_QT2RglRaBYP9SYJguMrQVw9DLOJ1PM1WY2NWZaG-WUqHTzXe4fyTp8J_O74wXq_yoYx8woC54VN3KG_amETDpqsHtA8L02PPK_5Vix45XvrWuwD-ZJiW/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></a></h3><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sBPcaiNMTMkSkyrOhlPaqV-_QT2RglRaBYP9SYJguMrQVw9DLOJ1PM1WY2NWZaG-WUqHTzXe4fyTp8J_O74wXq_yoYx8woC54VN3KG_amETDpqsHtA8L02PPK_5Vix45XvrWuwD-ZJiW/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><br /></a><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/aditi-adventures/aditi-and-her-friends-beautiful-and-the-cyberspace-runaway-english.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sBPcaiNMTMkSkyrOhlPaqV-_QT2RglRaBYP9SYJguMrQVw9DLOJ1PM1WY2NWZaG-WUqHTzXe4fyTp8J_O74wXq_yoYx8woC54VN3KG_amETDpqsHtA8L02PPK_5Vix45XvrWuwD-ZJiW/" width="240" /></a><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/aditi-adventures/aditi-and-her-friends-gardy-in-the-city-of-lions-english.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRTynDLdUoTQKukbWT_uhmRZZ9BCGIEMBGiKRJn7iEOF1T7R_PzY9k3m-Fn5gn-bGPRDAv-xCof9eqonBDJPyN74Ql5oXkmSbSzdxZ7yLszyA7EysyPqzsnj8Q7ZZeyW98DKFEHt7TVKv/" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/aditi-adventures/aditi-and-her-friends-beautiful-and-the-cyberspace-runaway-english.html" target="_blank"></a></div><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">On Elephant Day you will also want to meet another elephant of a very different kind – the lovable Beautiful Ele the Beautiful Elephant of the </span><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/chapter-books/aditi-adventures/"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Aditi Adventures series</span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"> (for the same age group), who tries hard to be logical and sensible and patient (but doesn’t always get there). How did she come to be called Beautiful? That’s a story you’ll have to read!</span></h3><div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSdgvMNpH9C/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkSA9xAyElfsrsZsD0CJD_L7NWOR2REkZnyFsp7pi-899AUeUOiZp7gXB3Py0ZUaFYgX86-gB1KHRAM7cF6_heVv2x2B73Ttbijn-d56ZUurFOQxy2Alr_gBt7EXGZOdr3MKgLpWlpLInw/w277-h277/Elefact0.jpg" width="277" /></a></div></span></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Looking for picture books for younger ones? Look no further! </span><span style="color: #134f5c;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSdgvMNpH9C/" target="_blank">Check out our Instagram</a></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> where we've featured a few of our ele-friends! </span></h3>Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-79233752763390078512021-08-06T17:50:00.000+05:302021-08-06T17:50:53.716+05:30Imagine You're A Bird... <p></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> In case you didn't know, we have a BRAND NEW activity book!</span></h3><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/activity-books/jump-write-in.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizqtV7QyMnpr688YaENWOTzV2xagG3mfW6xaWjtA8ATFVOucGamhMVfdkKNCRsph22c3oEnuh59DPYduLXugGAGmQgNnvovYxD0Hgh_mLv6BQKRX516gImE-pwcUufT2eIQQI3EhZAG75_/w333-h333/image.png" width="333" /></a></div><br /><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Put together by the marvellously marvellous Sandhya Rao,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">this book is a think tank when you're feeling blank,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">a scrapbook to mix and match, save and store...</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">Bottomline? An absolutely cool tool for budding writers!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">To celebrate its launch, we announced a writing prompt</span><br />Imagine You're A Bird<br />What Do You See When You Look Down? <br />(apart from clouds, of course!)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The answers we got? TREMENDOUS! So we just HAD to share them with you.</span></div></h3></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><h3><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">That's not all! We felt inspired wrote our own (it's the last one).</span></div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: center;">Being our 25th anniversay, it's only natural we wrote about a crow!</div> </span></h3><h3><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18.72px; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="text-align: center;">If you feel inspired to write too, please leave your answer in the comments. </div><div style="text-align: center;">We promise, we read everything :) </div></span></h3><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Ready? Let's jump right in!</span></h3><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">My 8 yr old sees a flower with nectar and bees along with grass and trees.<br /></span></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">***<br /><br />If I am a bird, I see my feet when I look down😂🙈<br />***<br /><br />Down below, that fox 🦊 I spy,<br />Trying to reach those grapes 🍇 so high,<br />Swiftly, towards those vines 🍃 I fly,<br />“These grapes are sour, Mr Fox,” I lie 😆<br />***<br /><br />Flying high in the sky<br />I see block buildings and inviting trees<br />Green grass and blue lakes<br />Children playing about in their school break<br />Cars and buses cruising around<br />Beautiful sights...<br />But can't make sense of the human sounds!<br />***<br /><br />The shiny head of a bald man.<br />***<br /><br />Tiny humans!<br />***<br /><br />If I was a bird flying up high<br />Looking down at the world from my very blue sky!!<br />I would see the vibrant green of my Mother Earth<br />And hope the food for all is in no dearth!!<br />I would see the shiny brown of the mighty mountain tops<br />And dream of the day I can climb it and hop!!<br />I would see the peaceful white of the faith and hope<br />Tugging at the ends of my ever binding ropes !<br />***<br /><br />Hiya... I am the bird now...I see a pond with lot of blooming trees around,<br />flying hither-tither are the cranes and parrots... I see a big wall nearby,<br />I must be flying over a indian temple..oh what a beauty!<br />The big gopuram is home to lot of pigeons, mynahs, crows<br />and sparrows! The temple is a ecosystem by itself!<br />Humans have known this would work! Kudos!<br />***<br /><br />When the Sun is up and shining<br />I look down through the passing clouds<br />I see no kids on the swings<br />No balls being kicked around<br />Running tracks are empty and<br />No friends gathered around the tea shop<br />I fly over the market<br />Look for my favourite fish seller<br />No one is around<br />Nothing to sell, nothing to buy<br />I head to the grandma<br />Who feeds me lunch<br />I see her waiting at the door<br />For her grandkids who are far away<br />***<br /><br />Flapping my wings in the sky<br />Many wonders, I see when I fly.<br />From the cloud, down to the ground<br />I see colours, all around.<br />Diving down, on a seeing spree<br />Watching flower patches and many a bee !<br />Rocket takeoffs – I get a free ticket to.<br />Exploring the world with a five star view<br />Electrical transformers and a windmill<br />Visuals on mountains and a hill !<br />People eating barbeques, making pottery<br />Some charging prices, others giving for free.<br />Pyramid of Giza, I visit everyday<br />On Mount Everest is where, I lay.<br />Going to watch a boy’s cartoon,<br />Bye bye friends, I’ll see you soon !<br />***<br /><br />For all the flowers I see<br />For all the pollen I spread<br />For all the bees that are my friends<br />For the trees that are my bed<br />I see so much from up here<br />It is tough to understand<br />Why a human would want to destruct<br />All the nature in hand? <br />For all the flowers I see<br />For all the pollen I spread<br />For all the bees that are my friends<br />For the trees that are my bed<br />As I spread my wings and fly<br />I pray to sky above and the ground below<br />For humans to be kind to mother Earth<br />And together we will love and grow.<br />***<br /><br />Fly fly fly up high <br />With cool winds blowing across my face <br />Down down down I see <br />Children running hither and thither<br />Fishes swimming in the river <br />Flowers dancing in glee<br />Flocks of birds flying with me<br />Trees swaying this way and that<br />Oh what a beautiful sight<br />While the sun is ready to rise and shine<br />I fly, fly up high<br /><br />***<br />हमारा घर काट कर,<br />तुमने खड़ी की कितनी इमारते;<br />दुख है की यह इमारत बन गया तुम्हारा पिंजरा,<br />पर हमे पता है तुम्हारी उड़ने की ख्वाहिशे।<br /><br />***<br />Singing bird I am,<br />I may not what is glam,<br />To the gold and diamond,<br />I give a damn,<br />Small churping bird I am.<br />When I fly up in the air,<br />I can't see much,<br />Through smoky glare,<br />The soot, the choking air, the polluted atmosphere,<br />Ah! Let me see are humans not there?<br />***<br />Our attempt</span></h3> <p style="text-align: left;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><div><br /><h3><span style="font-weight: normal;">As a crow I see lots of children<br />Skipping and hopping down the road<br />Excited and happy, they quickly run<br />Towards the colourful Tulika Bookstore!<br /><br />Yes, there is a 'colourful Tulika Bookstore' in the office premises in Chennai!<br />Live far away and can't visit it? <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tulika.bookstore" target="_blank"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Here are some photos!</span></a></span></h3></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div><br /><br /></div></div>Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-15370705345982417352021-07-31T15:05:00.004+05:302021-07-31T15:57:26.841+05:30Friendship Day Sing Along!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjX-Ub5Gwa5-e-cU1p0qsK_6DYR4SmndFszJZyiplSH7H7wsoUgcWnSdaEqg3hir9DczV-Lo5OW_wD1_u6FXbWUuQCO4CCjokWNiufcft66zjcsG_s9BBi5FQ7cMFF1uECr_jeNrdqBgwG/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="900" data-original-width="2314" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjX-Ub5Gwa5-e-cU1p0qsK_6DYR4SmndFszJZyiplSH7H7wsoUgcWnSdaEqg3hir9DczV-Lo5OW_wD1_u6FXbWUuQCO4CCjokWNiufcft66zjcsG_s9BBi5FQ7cMFF1uECr_jeNrdqBgwG/w640-h250/Friend+of+Tulika.jpg" title="From Tiji and Cheenu, illustrated by Proiti Roy" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: large;">What are friends
made of? </span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">This Friendship Day (1 August) </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">we dip into Talking Tales from Tulika,<br /></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">our lively collaboration with Spotify, </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">to discover the secret to that bond of
joy.<br />The specially composed lyrics of the songs </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">are from the podcasts<br /></span><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>Best
Buddies</i></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> and </span><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>Helping Friends </i></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">based on favourite books<br />many of you will
recognise. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: large;">Ready to sing? Here we go!</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #cc0000;">BEST BUDDIES</span></span></b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Friends aren’t always like each other, are they?<br />But that’s what friendship is all about, isn’t it?<br />Here are three pairs of them – Shabana and Kajri, Aana and Chena, Tiji and Cheenu.<br />A</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ll </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Best Friends Forever!</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/shabana-and-the-baby-goat-english.html" style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjsqLOxAXsmm4vzAQjUg8yAWW0Jl4ndJcgmGMTtS_yvCuQYcFvxsTpWHVp5s-VO9KzD7PzFLyZXw5x168lN8Iy1RYdxhgPWyK4HLCA-4-mG9qbVpV4T4Ndq78WTtne0z-c-xoqjLaLHUDn/w182-h182/image.png" width="182" /></a><b><span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-bilingual-picture-books/aana-and-chena-aana-aur-chena-hindi.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOEh1G_HqF6ZB5tazBoBcust_n7mGzHyZWh2XPpeC8xfjV4FAfxvQ0wo1VXwYwE4p_DrqSB2kz5GutHZ-W0hBfBUomBN-ltbu3JXZCR4EXQZekMc3OB8VTt6HUvdRzIgE9dFu80g1Vediv/w179-h179/image.png" width="179" /></a></span></b><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-bilingual-picture-books/tiji-and-cheenu-tiji-aur-cheenu-hindi.html" style="font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRDPiUxuQJZhuJHMnpeKJ_2iDztOXMbyOE-xaltNUuuHGY6LeIEjMPmTLc7do7x5ixc15FkiucWlpdaIdhiZS91ZXhZAVnAkhosUnQ4ZOv-H-pJHnKvWEnIYP6TcKULyWn6vlwmKkQHPr/w176-h176/image.png" width="176" /></a><br /></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /><a href="https://tulikabooks.com/upload/Best%20Buddies%20-%20song%201.mp3" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">CLICK HERE TO PLAY THE SONG</span></a><br />LYRICS BELOW TO SING ALONG!</span></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><i>Best buddies<span style="color: #ff3399;"> </span>you and I<br />
We sing and dance together<br />
Best buddies<span style="color: #ff3399;"> </span>you and I<br />
We play and laugh together</i></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><i>We make a
good team <br />
Like cookies<span style="color: #ff3399;"> </span>and cream<br />
Or chutney and dosa<br />
Or chai and samosa!</i></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><i>You make me
laugh when I am sad<br />
I give a hug when you feel bad<br /></i><i style="text-indent: 0cm;">Best buddies<span style="color: #ff3399;"> </span>you and I<br /></i><i style="text-indent: 0cm;">We always care and share!</i></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">HELPING FRIENDS</span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">F</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">riends in need are
friends indeed! Standing up for and being there for friends<br /> – these are important
in friendships, as all children know. <br />And that’s what you see in the three very
different kinds of stories in this set.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/appaka-english.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsITzMxJW7sNEpaeUuWUfPXSYCxmaD8KViupUb6fB7WxSw4gbBw0TUuSIs8XFM0NoxCUURqh6y2IKoCUuM-V4x80A1n_vJEock2CAUyLFVbn5vROj6YgOTsF5zbrfV45F88ELNh0AQgDBv/w189-h189/image.png" width="189" /></a><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-bilingual-picture-books/best-friends-jigri-dost-hindi.html" style="font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ASIhcxFo7s7OwUIa-gd0ZKeSWj_ulmCX0qVkL2GuBRBA7QCaxkYd3gAHy8DI6huHkYIQZfDgToS0TxZJSpP4zY5mg4l1uv2N1hKAJFLyCfKvISOF-J8YmYQ0P6q45sx5Ph9YK_foHIPE/w176-h176/image.png" width="176" /></a><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/the-pleasant-rakshasa-english.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAVPm_08rffaejIW0KUl0mBLHBVS0VXVKduO_wlhDEttMqifKuOkt7BynukW8SWg15-uo6F5jCiUvn3hSlkF0Q180qis1-g6LLroW5a2qlbvLvypNnLo2QQcMYKEzOYPHHBX9aL_Yecyk/w174-h174/image.png" width="174" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 16px;"><br /><a href="https://tulikabooks.com/upload/Helping%20Friends%20-%20song%203.mp3" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">CLICK HERE TO PLAY THE SONG</span></a></span><br style="font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-size: 16px;">LYRICS BELOW TO SING ALONG!</span><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><i>Chada chada pada<br />Chada chada pada<br />Karimuga is happy again<br />Ha ha ha ha ha ha!</i><i><br /><br />Yellow or red<br />Purple or pink<br />It doesn't matter<br />Don't you think?<br /><br />A HO for Karimuga<br />A HA for Karimuga<br />A HO for The Pleasant Rakshasa<br />Ho ho ho ho ho ho!</i></p></div><br /><span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: medium;">Another one, you say? Alrighty then, pal!</span><p></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://tulikabooks.com/upload/Helping%20Friends%20-%20song%202.mp3" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">CLICK HERE TO PLAY THE SONG</span></a></span><br style="font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-size: 16px;">LYRICS BELOW TO SING ALONG!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><i>With every branch<br />
And every stalk<br />
I really believe<br />
Trees can talk.</i></p>
<p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><i>They move in the wind<br />
And swish and sway<br />
I know it, I see it <br />
Every day.</i></p>
<p class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><i>Go out and try<br />
Have a tree chat<br />
Then give it a hug<br />
And even a pat</i></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><i>Surely you'll see<br />That as time goes<br />The friendship will last<br />The friendship will grow!</i><o:p></o:p></p><div style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><br /></div><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit2nqMIZOQKdxfbhFLS8zXe6-HZhRHsI7aO7pw8_Nn84rHzJOZ883YDYNwRskOFYfXip9h02Nt0pJwHSX7IEdNQvjlinToIgXXrY7KKlvuLngDnv2ZRPK5gK4LfYqWASBl1ieurMwnfEOs/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="638" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit2nqMIZOQKdxfbhFLS8zXe6-HZhRHsI7aO7pw8_Nn84rHzJOZ883YDYNwRskOFYfXip9h02Nt0pJwHSX7IEdNQvjlinToIgXXrY7KKlvuLngDnv2ZRPK5gK4LfYqWASBl1ieurMwnfEOs/w169-h146/Sing+thangi.jpg" width="169" /></a><br /><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/info/talking-tales-from-tulika-spotify" target="_blank"><b style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: medium;">Click here to listen, sing and dance to all 10 episodes<br /></span></b><b style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: medium;">on Spotify in English, Hindi and Tamil!</span></b></a></div><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWZ6IiDV7A4eGLjTJrVCXjDh-AsjEh_tFNanGhlaUJ3Z7x3OKVR7A3hCUk5_RrppIrpdEsSEG_H5pDC3w8KkkDAH7oqBgYVv2onoBGX5T6dXxm3MBsrYq4JkGPQ__OT0GYKzYk7gxJuRC/" style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-indent: 0cm;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1800" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWZ6IiDV7A4eGLjTJrVCXjDh-AsjEh_tFNanGhlaUJ3Z7x3OKVR7A3hCUk5_RrppIrpdEsSEG_H5pDC3w8KkkDAH7oqBgYVv2onoBGX5T6dXxm3MBsrYq4JkGPQ__OT0GYKzYk7gxJuRC/w337-h337/F+day.jpg" width="337" /></a></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: 36.0pt; text-indent: 0cm;"><b><span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: medium;"><br /><br /><br /></span></b></p></div><br /><p></p>Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-77599466223748031032021-07-28T16:56:00.009+05:302021-07-29T18:09:10.032+05:30World Nature Conservation Day 2021<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirT50SjZb4LR4bJFliJEnihOtOSDUboYx7Car_D4TVJklE1CLYluWMO7lg0TLHNmE2qWRexOwqixWAF46ZllHBz6l99QOp4QFx9fGNAO0CPDjhBmDnRx89c0PTPQIERUcKTCmY8__6lXD9/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirT50SjZb4LR4bJFliJEnihOtOSDUboYx7Car_D4TVJklE1CLYluWMO7lg0TLHNmE2qWRexOwqixWAF46ZllHBz6l99QOp4QFx9fGNAO0CPDjhBmDnRx89c0PTPQIERUcKTCmY8__6lXD9/w200-h200/one+world+1.jpg" width="200" /></a><br /><br /></div><b style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: medium;">World Nature Conservation Day 2021</span></b></div></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: helvetica; font-size: large; font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div></div><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Books that help a child * Wonder * Understand * Care * Save *</b> </div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">What is nature? Is it a rainbow or the mountain ranges? The sky or the seas?<br /><br />The plants or </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">peacocks? Bananas or bees? Where is it, can I see it?<br /><br />Lastly, where is it going and why </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">should we save it?<br /><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We turn off lights for an hour every Earth Day. We’ve switched from plastic to all-natural</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">paper or cloth bags, and to paper or metal straws. We’ve learnt to carry our own water</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">bottles wherever we go... All small steps to reduce, reuse, recycle, in the hope of leaving a</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">better world for our children. But how do we best prepare them to sustain ecosystems, to</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">preserve wildlife and biodiversity from degradation in their future?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br />How do we teach them </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">to nurture nature, to be “good ancestors”?<br /><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Celebrating World Nature Conservation Day (28 July),</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">here are a wide range of books </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">that take children of all ages on a journey through sky</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">and sea, land and rivers, to make </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">friends with nature, to meet animals,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Picture books for 3-6 years </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">1. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/ira-the-little-dolphin-english.html">Ira the Little Dolphin</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">2. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/sultan-s-forest-english.html">Sultan's Forest </a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">3. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/unhappy-moon-english.html">Unhappy Moon</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">4. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-bilingual-picture-books/dinaben-and-the-lions-of-gir-dinaben-aur-gir-ke-sher-hindi.html">Dinaben and the Lions of Gir</a> – Bilingual <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">5. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-bilingual-picture-books/takdir-the-tiger-cub-bagh-ka-bachcha-takdir-hindi.html">Takdir the Tiger Cub</a> – Bilingual<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> 6. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-bilingual-picture-books/lai-lai-the-baby-elephant-nanha-hathi-lai-lai-hindi.html">Lai-Lai the BabyElephant</a> – Bilingual <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">7. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-bilingual-picture-books/baby-beboo-bear-baby-beboo-bhalu-hindi.html">Baby Beboo Bear</a> – Bilingual<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> 8. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-bilingual-picture-books/the-seed-beej-hindi.html">The Seed</a> –
Bilingual <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">9. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/let-s-catch-the-rain-english.html">Let's Catch the Rain </a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">10. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/let-s-plant-trees-english.html">Let's Plant Trees </a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">11. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-bilingual-picture-books/best-friends-jigri-dost-hindi.html">Best Friends</a> – Bilingual <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">12. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/salim-mamoo-and-me-english.html">Salim Mamoo and Me</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">13. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/big-rain-english.html">Big Rain</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">14. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/the-colour-thief-english.html">The Colour Thief</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">15. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/i-will-save-my-land-english.html">I Will Save My Land</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">16. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/in-verse/malu-bhalu-english.html">Malu Bhalu</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">17. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/wordbird-books/race-of-the-rivers-english.html">Race of the Rivers</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">18. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/wordbird-books/ekki-dokki-english.html">Ekki Dokki</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">19. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/wordbird-books/kolaba-english.html">Kolaba</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8zRlVoUBZpC1u2dSb38hG79MrjsF_Ha0hKPzwJZaQzqoTftsEtNNrUaKmFnBb5y6TamERRC_ffX3Fhml3zfUSC9qoMfmaMP6YQNuaLg1E9Zm1yZXl7z6X7kGJ8tPS-_P94wdHFGEBy2B/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8zRlVoUBZpC1u2dSb38hG79MrjsF_Ha0hKPzwJZaQzqoTftsEtNNrUaKmFnBb5y6TamERRC_ffX3Fhml3zfUSC9qoMfmaMP6YQNuaLg1E9Zm1yZXl7z6X7kGJ8tPS-_P94wdHFGEBy2B/w238-h238/One+world+2.jpg" width="238" /></a></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Picture books for 7-8 years </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The wisdom of folk tales, the thrill
of real encounters or the power of imagination… these stories speak of living in
harmony through a web of interdependence, and celebrate the whimsy and wonder
of the natural world.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">1. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/a-bhil-story-english.html">A Bhil Story</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">2. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/birdywood-buzz-the-vulture-returns-english.html">Birdywood Buzz</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">3. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/the-great-birdywood-games-english.html">The Great Birdywood Games</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">4. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/bulbuli-s-bamboo-english.html">Bulbuli's Bamboo </a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">5. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/putul-and-the-dolphins-english.html">Putul and the Dolphins</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">6. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/magnificent-makhna-english.html">Magnificent Makhna</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">7. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/the-king-and-the-kiang-english.html">The King and the Kiang</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> 8. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/the-magical-fish-english.html">The Magical Fish</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">9. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/black-panther-english.html">Black Panther</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">10. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/the-mountain-that-loved-a-bird-english.html">The Mountain that Loved a Bird</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">11. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/out-of-the-way-out-of-the-way-english.html">Out of the Way! Out of the Way!</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">12. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/the-spider-s-web-english.html">The Spider's Web </a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">13. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/dancing-bees-english.html">Dancing Bees</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">14. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/wordbird-books/gulla-and-the-hangul-english.html">Gulla and the Hangul</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">15. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/our-myths/in-bon-bibi-s-forest-english.html">In Bon Bibi's Forest </a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">16. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/in-verse/mama-what-is-the-night-english.html">Mama, What is the Night?</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">17. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/i-will-save-my-land-english.html">I Will Save My Land</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">18. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/in-verse/i-planted-a-seed-english.html">I Planted a Seed...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">19. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/gular-flower-english.html">The Gular flower</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">20. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/wordbird-books/sabri-s-colours-english.html">Sabri’s Colours</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0xoxSgAIvyFL6AM2ZaRPXBrRasY9aanvIT98rlmOavUPtyv92xKIwu_kTf6fzHap-pXd5jEkLU-ZBWj6jw7BNxtxD_z3LMlSOrtl1qpQjW8wbI24ExNW5v2JmO6TUK7LNb4EI0ll7KYY/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0xoxSgAIvyFL6AM2ZaRPXBrRasY9aanvIT98rlmOavUPtyv92xKIwu_kTf6fzHap-pXd5jEkLU-ZBWj6jw7BNxtxD_z3LMlSOrtl1qpQjW8wbI24ExNW5v2JmO6TUK7LNb4EI0ll7KYY/w258-h258/One+world+3.jpg" width="258" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Fiction for 8-12 years </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In the way we choose to live and
treat each other – Nature and People – It’s our world to care for and protect!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">1. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/story-collections/water-stories-pb-english.html">Water Stories from Around the World</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">2. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-fiction/andamans-boy-english.html">Andaman s Boy</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">3. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/award-winners/the-forbidden-forest-english.html">The Forbidden Forest</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">4. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/early-readers/trouble-in-the-forbidden-forest-english.html">Trouble in the Forbidden Forest</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">5. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/early-readers/adventures-of-the-humongoose-family-english.html">Adventures of the Humongoose Family</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">6. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/aditi-adventures/the-antarctic-mission-english.html">Aditi Adventures: The Antarctic mission</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">7. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-fiction/kabir-the-weaver-poet-english.html">Kabir the weaver poet</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">8. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-fiction/that-summer-at-kalagarh-english.html">That summer at Kalagarh</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">9. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/story-collections/one-world-english.html">One World</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">10. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/story-collections/sorry-best-friend-english.html">Sorry Best Friend</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOyRzuYQLjcoLSEdvpTxsCbN4X99ZbZ06472KH5sh9RyFxFQWjoLbifzcgKokCKS-lDKw3ZtPHy7Fzf-F8oasdfU_ZqH7d_D2QB_VtJ4CfXFTKqsnjtlw-LqhnWtmDxLdCqzMGE22TkCj4/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOyRzuYQLjcoLSEdvpTxsCbN4X99ZbZ06472KH5sh9RyFxFQWjoLbifzcgKokCKS-lDKw3ZtPHy7Fzf-F8oasdfU_ZqH7d_D2QB_VtJ4CfXFTKqsnjtlw-LqhnWtmDxLdCqzMGE22TkCj4/w245-h245/One+world+4.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Non-fiction for 8-12 years</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Art or Science, it’s all about – looking, seeing , feeling, nurturing and
being alive to empathy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">1. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/looking-at-art/the-house-that-sonabai-built-english.html">The House that Sonabai Built</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">2. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/non-fiction-picture-books/the-coral-tree-english.html">The Coral Tree</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">3. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/non-fiction-picture-books/riddle-of-the-ridley-english.html">Riddle of the Ridley</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">4. <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/factfiction/jagdish-and-the-talking-plant-english.html">Jagadish and the talking plant</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhslUm1b4yLiEngsmACDEW7LlbCGyl7zWaFBkxXo6WOnV8efyvlBXE993QRmdinEm_866qYayFHPfhvGdzwFrIkz7GGQm4QtVOjSpnwrLKRJtSf65byU6ZOg8Xi7CUyETVgdzG9Tvrrx56W/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhslUm1b4yLiEngsmACDEW7LlbCGyl7zWaFBkxXo6WOnV8efyvlBXE993QRmdinEm_866qYayFHPfhvGdzwFrIkz7GGQm4QtVOjSpnwrLKRJtSf65byU6ZOg8Xi7CUyETVgdzG9Tvrrx56W/" width="240" /></a></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Young Adult</span></b></div><o:p></o:p></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A powerful
call to stop the hurt and heal the wounds from years of plundering the earth
and the people to whom it belongs. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/young-adults/oonga-english.html">Oonga</a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0YzIKVyilNqatCqrDZAk7K0Tc4_Op73pl2KbC9Bj-h3tbDi4ssWqk1dnrfYHpy-WERN-b8-lISubju5eGibHf7S-9lyteGd6poyLYuOQw1x4zAdxkj6Mdvkrf0_qjS3RIzuHkLyhzA6u/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="139" data-original-width="1211" height="55" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0YzIKVyilNqatCqrDZAk7K0Tc4_Op73pl2KbC9Bj-h3tbDi4ssWqk1dnrfYHpy-WERN-b8-lISubju5eGibHf7S-9lyteGd6poyLYuOQw1x4zAdxkj6Mdvkrf0_qjS3RIzuHkLyhzA6u/w475-h55/One+world+5.jpg" width="475" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></p></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-50112049940074505062021-07-24T17:30:00.014+05:302021-07-25T13:18:59.695+05:30Happy Parent's Day: A whole lotta love for all the pet, plant and human caregivers! <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;">‘Appreciate all parents throughout the world’ read this year’s global theme for Parents’ Day. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZ-lsAVEJ71SsxnWbix9UTCey7G11vLcD_tJ9bUm0vrSI4eDg0JGFrQoRiH6tVCXH6wMhoTag9hhYUWaV7PGK1YoRdBLQGUo6oWae3RB_B_3OncFKqZVQfYgQIw6p8B7oqa1GWyypqnn0/s625/Screenshot+2021-07-24+at+5.52.11+PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="403" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZ-lsAVEJ71SsxnWbix9UTCey7G11vLcD_tJ9bUm0vrSI4eDg0JGFrQoRiH6tVCXH6wMhoTag9hhYUWaV7PGK1YoRdBLQGUo6oWae3RB_B_3OncFKqZVQfYgQIw6p8B7oqa1GWyypqnn0/w206-h320/Screenshot+2021-07-24+at+5.52.11+PM.png" width="206" /></a></div>Looking beyond the conventional notions of father-mother parenting, we’re recognising and celebrating all the awesome, paw-some, blossoming parents out there, their wonderful extended families and many supportive communities, who together help build a healthy and safe support system for the children in their lives. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;">Across cultures, parenting by choice is usually regarded as very rewarding journey, though we fully acknowledge that people’s pursuit in life might vary. On this occasion, however, we pause to wonder… What makes someone a parent? Is parental care boundless or restrictive? Is it a role that comes in one size and fits all or can it be customised to suit us best? If one were to opt for it, is birthing the only route to parenthood? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_C1KIsrZJetbGnReABFJt-h8KIKKZa2vERyc1WxjU_lO9Ra3-0RLgjmEO4IDF0WB_R9f6DJ4XdsZNlxI2lN0tXCsJMdL757LW2QZ9SpXzsQheVYyQ4Zq3Btj8IlP81n6bbRUgbS-hKSeg/s609/Screenshot+2021-07-24+at+6.16.56+PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="609" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_C1KIsrZJetbGnReABFJt-h8KIKKZa2vERyc1WxjU_lO9Ra3-0RLgjmEO4IDF0WB_R9f6DJ4XdsZNlxI2lN0tXCsJMdL757LW2QZ9SpXzsQheVYyQ4Zq3Btj8IlP81n6bbRUgbS-hKSeg/w320-h202/Screenshot+2021-07-24+at+6.16.56+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>“Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother,” said well-known television host Oprah Winfrey. Then there’s ‘alloparenting’, a term coined by socio-biologist Edward Wilson. This is when an individual gives care, time and/or resources towards a non-descendent young – like a parent, to humans or even plants or animals. Alloparents could be teachers, mentors, grandparents, extended family members, babysitters, domestic workers or caregivers who, in the bigger picture, share the parenting role. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;">Psychologists in fact believe that inter-generational and collective living is vital for a child’s development. So we see how in many traditional cultures where family is considered supreme, caregiving is less centred around the primary birth or legal parents. Older or younger siblings, cousins and experienced caretakers like grandparents play an active role in bringing up children. Several of Tulika’s books reflect that…</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNeZ53hnLu8Snj6cK-usvLIc3S8UerSElEZrFkzKLh3RP5cdMXsTkwLf8ri-0yAF4yoHal8g6OgO9Uuts4vIyrD3N55nxSgORN2Jac_B7NlIxTLutSCtsN8Sgvqe8WzdFvYuZrpG3NcyT/s410/Screenshot+2021-07-24+at+6.02.26+PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="410" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNeZ53hnLu8Snj6cK-usvLIc3S8UerSElEZrFkzKLh3RP5cdMXsTkwLf8ri-0yAF4yoHal8g6OgO9Uuts4vIyrD3N55nxSgORN2Jac_B7NlIxTLutSCtsN8Sgvqe8WzdFvYuZrpG3NcyT/w293-h291/Screenshot+2021-07-24+at+6.02.26+PM.png" width="293" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Ubuntu, serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/zakir-and-his-tabla-dha-dhin-na-english-paperback.html"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Zakir and His Tabla: Dha Dhin Na</span></a><span style="color: #38761d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">The famous tabla maestro’s first guru was his father Allarakha. Breaking many parenting conventions, he enriched little Zakir’s life from when he was a little baby – murmuring tabla bols or beats in his ear as a ‘prayer’!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Ubuntu, serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/the-lonely-king-and-queen-english.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">The Lonely King and Queen</span></a><span style="color: #38761d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">Here’s a one-of-a-kind bedtime story about adoption. With gentleness, humour and charm, it leads to a wider understanding of ‘family’. More, it reaffirms the right of every child to be loved and to have a home. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Ubuntu, serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/anya-and-her-baby-brother.html"><span style="color: #351c75;">Anya and her Baby Brother </span></a><span style="color: #38761d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">A very special picture book on sibling rivalry and sibling love. With a bit of sci-fi, a bit of humour, a large bit of inventiveness, and cheerful pictures that bring it all together!</span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYS6mVv56gnj8OpG2RgNwD_udOnBQo8yLyL1yjEst5d83qbGoAilHqu2knyvjigRFyYB9m4Jq_VFPSkMta5WZCEsaeCw2qFjItDlX6QUZtTWPqFmcd9ShRPw2tvfWv-vcu3pQAJkPhxmzm/s458/Screenshot+2021-07-24+at+6.10.56+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="408" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYS6mVv56gnj8OpG2RgNwD_udOnBQo8yLyL1yjEst5d83qbGoAilHqu2knyvjigRFyYB9m4Jq_VFPSkMta5WZCEsaeCw2qFjItDlX6QUZtTWPqFmcd9ShRPw2tvfWv-vcu3pQAJkPhxmzm/w280-h314/Screenshot+2021-07-24+at+6.10.56+PM.png" width="280" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Ubuntu, serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/i-will-save-my-land-english.html"><span style="color: #274e13;">I Will Save My Land </span></a><span style="color: #38761d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">Her grandmother refused to give up her fields when faced with the social prejudices of her village, so it is no wonder that Mati will not give up her own little patch of land when the big ‘company’ comes to snatch it away for mining. An irresistibly told story that has at its heart a little girl’s relationship with her grandmother.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Ubuntu, serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Ubuntu, serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/gone-grandmother-english.html"><span style="color: #351c75;">Gone Grandmother </span></a><span style="color: #38761d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">Another grandmother story, except here she’s gone… Somewhere up in the sky, Nina’s mother tells her. But HOW? Nina wants to know, and comes up with her own answers. An award-winning picture book, where a little girl finds her Nani through the warmth of memories, the comfort of imagination – and a little bit of natural science!</span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLvdbQWff0NHBQueK2cgN6wJXkxsysIjwunyE33WJl25qx_Yo8hI31lPFvas-8KGtdEsOHLPLFOIP5SBMuCybqlXwdwiSiDgkyN0XX4hyIr3PcQs81NiHswLUhl0zyL13fs2NUlyVs9L_/s562/Screenshot+2021-07-24+at+6.03.57+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="562" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLvdbQWff0NHBQueK2cgN6wJXkxsysIjwunyE33WJl25qx_Yo8hI31lPFvas-8KGtdEsOHLPLFOIP5SBMuCybqlXwdwiSiDgkyN0XX4hyIr3PcQs81NiHswLUhl0zyL13fs2NUlyVs9L_/w467-h298/Screenshot+2021-07-24+at+6.03.57+PM.png" width="467" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Ubuntu, serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Ubuntu, serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/wordbird-books/the-trickster-bird-english.html"><span style="color: #7f6000;">The Trickster Bird</span></a><span style="color: #38761d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">Renchu is sick and she begs for a story. So Daadi obliges, as grandmas always do. But through her affectionate rendering of the tale of how Renchu’s grandfather was once tricked by a partridge, Daadi also brings in the world of the Paardhi tribals and how families who once were happy forest dwellers are now reduced to ragpicking – perhaps so Renchu knows where she came from.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Ubuntu, serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-fiction/the-boy-with-two-grandfathers-english.html"><span style="color: #073763;">The Boy with Two Grandfathers </span></a><span style="color: #38761d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">Not everyone has two grandfathers quite like Amol’s! From the way they look to the way they speak, the food they eat and the way they think, they couldn’t be more different. But when the going gets tough, Amol couldn’t ask for a tougher twosome to stand by him. A bittersweet novel for pre-teens which speaks volumes about the diverse parenting roles of two grandfathers, from a Bal Sahitya Puraskar winning writer.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Ubuntu, serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-fiction/just-a-train-ride-away-english.html"><span style="color: #196470;">Just a Train Ride Away</span></a><span style="color: #38761d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">Santosh craves the space for both parents in his life, and decides to do something about it. A short, quick-read novel, winner of the Bal Sahitya Puraksar, which explores the delicate web of relationships with a light and honest touch.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_e-l4dtW_VYoAv1o0TNUcsrHx4o419iaig9_I3eCcAG66KhjvkLEMWr_DjAinG6RROlcMa1k9HW3UypdzxVk3ulijqOHYL70dDI3yD3kgGnKUc30M0hYebzOK8tTHw7Pxza-pvCSSa9Ci/s584/Screenshot+2021-07-24+at+6.00.14+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="584" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_e-l4dtW_VYoAv1o0TNUcsrHx4o419iaig9_I3eCcAG66KhjvkLEMWr_DjAinG6RROlcMa1k9HW3UypdzxVk3ulijqOHYL70dDI3yD3kgGnKUc30M0hYebzOK8tTHw7Pxza-pvCSSa9Ci/w400-h285/Screenshot+2021-07-24+at+6.00.14+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;">The last few years have seen an interest in the idea of sustainable parenting, where families or individuals chose different paths based on their mental and physical health, lifestyles, time and resources. With the pandemic, there’s also been an increasing societal shift towards positive change. In the various paths to parenthood, several millennial parents have moved from ‘owning’ pets or plants to ‘parenting’ them. As an inspirational trend, children, who have been indoors for over a year now, are getting weaned away from the screens to care for other living beings intuitively. Showing us that people, across all age groups, cherish caring, protecting and nurturing living beings. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;">Many of our books convey that young ones – whether human, furry or leafy – need lots of love, sunlight, water and care! These are deeply meaningful relationships and we are happy to share a list of books that embraces parenthood with open and wide arms! </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Ubuntu, serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Ubuntu, serif; font-size: 13pt;">Aloe-lujah! Our favourites that root for you, green thumbs!<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Ubuntu, serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yBm2TjVpUdMp6JwDrLSQNhhEa7p4vxJZChCx-QgoIJ8ZqU5tittqs8vhv9Rm5yU-OA1sglJXZRdzGeSm2UDM3gsX2zKwtv_z4vRX2z4NwJW4t9ZidmQWStF5UyLx7mK5-r6sFq75uOHo/s629/Screenshot+2021-07-24+at+5.50.05+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="629" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yBm2TjVpUdMp6JwDrLSQNhhEa7p4vxJZChCx-QgoIJ8ZqU5tittqs8vhv9Rm5yU-OA1sglJXZRdzGeSm2UDM3gsX2zKwtv_z4vRX2z4NwJW4t9ZidmQWStF5UyLx7mK5-r6sFq75uOHo/w368-h325/Screenshot+2021-07-24+at+5.50.05+PM.png" width="368" /></a></b></div><b><br /></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-bilingual-picture-books/the-seed-beej-hindi.html"><span style="color: #38761d;">The Seed</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/in-verse/i-planted-a-seed-english.html"><span style="color: #38761d;">I Planted A Seed</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/let-s-plant-trees-chalo-ped-lagayein-hindi.html"><span style="color: #38761d;"> Let’s Plant Trees</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><br /></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #dc5858; font-family: Ubuntu, serif; font-size: 13pt;">Woof woof! Purrr-fect reads for pet parents:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #dc5858; font-family: Ubuntu, serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6K2MIyLUn-aS7joH2vEAWBmyG4HfDSQKFKFu58Zgt-9KXkP7l8pOASN-uY5jNL024kum28jHmhLtJraq3QH38fiqWxlR2DR8CT3tYhSlVojaOEtINNNvSr-COaxT91O1hmN64L_t34Iw0/s715/Screenshot+2021-07-24+at+5.55.48+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="715" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6K2MIyLUn-aS7joH2vEAWBmyG4HfDSQKFKFu58Zgt-9KXkP7l8pOASN-uY5jNL024kum28jHmhLtJraq3QH38fiqWxlR2DR8CT3tYhSlVojaOEtINNNvSr-COaxT91O1hmN64L_t34Iw0/w541-h296/Screenshot+2021-07-24+at+5.55.48+PM.png" width="541" /></a></b></div><b><br /><span style="color: #dc5858; font-family: Ubuntu, serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/baby-board-books/pooni-pooni-where-are-you-english.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">Pooni Pooni, Where are You?</span></span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/appaka-english.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Appaka</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Catch That Cat!</span><span style="color: #0c343d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/pooni-at-the-taj-mahal-english.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> Pooni At The Taj Mahal</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/where-s-that-cat-english.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Where’s That Cat? </span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/maoo-and-the-moustaches-english.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Maoo and the Moustaches</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/illustrated-classics/our-incredible-cow-english.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Our Incredible Cow </span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-bilingual-picture-books/little-anbu-chhota-anbu-hindi.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Little Anbu</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/shabana-and-the-baby-goat-english.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Shabana and the Baby Goat</span></a></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Ubuntu, serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></b><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4WNpzByBpUQLz3-qwITN-IJc_Cvuz5VMWK34sPnWxwyo2GCtNm-K6XuyPG7NYW1kC4cikc2xf1lwy8prXnvdN4cssTzPfnATTtjZ5NdQe7Elc0HyzvOOXGFogiHrhPLAp_-2gmlsN-8Gx/s1280/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-25+at+1.17.35+PM+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1182" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4WNpzByBpUQLz3-qwITN-IJc_Cvuz5VMWK34sPnWxwyo2GCtNm-K6XuyPG7NYW1kC4cikc2xf1lwy8prXnvdN4cssTzPfnATTtjZ5NdQe7Elc0HyzvOOXGFogiHrhPLAp_-2gmlsN-8Gx/w376-h406/WhatsApp+Image+2021-07-25+at+1.17.35+PM+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="376" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRrG_VxIA8W-g9R3OVUcgyilWWfPlvrE5XrvoKj6C_uD6F69xo7Y6uMCt8uInYlr6h0Y3ke4elLejMqI9QSm9CgmZ8HX5DcIwarmBoq7LCXvdOMYVtU0-17DWNV8UZ9BFxbPiohyphenhyphen0C2kSJ/s706/Screenshot+2021-07-24+at+5.47.52+PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="706" data-original-width="508" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRrG_VxIA8W-g9R3OVUcgyilWWfPlvrE5XrvoKj6C_uD6F69xo7Y6uMCt8uInYlr6h0Y3ke4elLejMqI9QSm9CgmZ8HX5DcIwarmBoq7LCXvdOMYVtU0-17DWNV8UZ9BFxbPiohyphenhyphen0C2kSJ/w200-h278/Screenshot+2021-07-24+at+5.47.52+PM.png" width="200" /></a></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">A popular African adage says, ‘It takes a village to raise a child.' We in India know that well – for don’t our children grow up within a buzzing community of people! And bringing this idea to life full-size is everyone’s lovable ele-friend </span><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/gajapati-kulapati-english.html"><span style="color: #38761d;">Gajapati Kulapati!</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;"> With four books about him already crowd favourites, find out what he is up to in our new fun-tastic activity book </span><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/activity-books/gajapati-kulapatis-big-day-colour-count-create.html"><span style="color: #351c75;">Gajapati Kulapati’s Big Day – Colour, Count, Create</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;">. Get all the yummy snacks ready, gather the village and celebrate this BIG day with Gajapati Kulapati and his friends! </span><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/activity-books/gajapati-kulapatis-big-day-colour-count-create.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">BUY NOW!</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: Ubuntu, serif; font-size: 15pt;"> </span></b><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: Ubuntu, serif; font-size: 15pt;">Soulmates or soil-mates, they’re all purr-fect for showing love!</span></b><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-17376215532461089322021-06-30T18:30:00.076+05:302021-06-30T19:55:09.603+05:30Celebrating Pride: Embracing differences, building acceptance and fostering love! <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;">“A rainbow is not afraid of showing its true colours because it knows it is beautiful inside out,” says a Canadian philosopher. Introducing gender indentities, diversity and pride into a child’s life is important and equally sensitive. So, when can parents, caregivers and educators let children explore these topics? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">Child psychologists recommend nurturing young children from a place of positivity, anti-bias and acceptance, while intentionally weaving values of kindness, honesty and empathy into</span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">the fabric of their lives. By encouraging vulnerability, respecting differences, and providing open and safe environments for discussion, they believe, we can raise individuals who feel worthy, fight intolerance and push for equal rights. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Through June, we highlighted books that gently, yet powerfully touched upon topics like sex, gender identities, attraction, family dynamics, diversity, inclusion, tolerance, kindness and acceptance across age groups. We kickstarted this series with a moving review of our award-winning picture book ‘</span><a href="http://tulikapublishers.blogspot.com/2021/06/happy-pride-month-three-cheers-to.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Guthli Has Wings</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;">’ written by Kanak Shashi. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Later, we shared exclusive excerpts from well-acclaimed books like ‘</span><a href="http://tulikapublishers.blogspot.com/2021/06/being-aware-is-first-step-towards.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Big Hero, Size Zero: Gender Talk</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;">’ by Anusha Hariharan and Sowmya Rajendran, ‘</span><a href="http://tulikapublishers.blogspot.com/2021/06/fiercely-fun-madly-morose-and-prone-to.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">This is Me, Mayil</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;">’ by Sowmya Rajendran and Niveditha Subramaniam and ‘</span><a href="http://tulikapublishers.blogspot.com/2021/06/nurturing-diversity-spreading-wings-of.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Blue and Other Stories</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;">’ by Suniti Namjoshi. Today, we’re closing this series on a high note! Are you ready to chase rainbows and paint your nails with our lovely ele-friend '</span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/ranganna-english.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Ranganna</span></a>'</span><span style="color: #0c343d;">! Let’s dance and prance! <span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3hmkvDl8C0dYJMrXfuGf-XYChAkoRZwVGYEBEfwYx5RY5n_uKP_s_sMaEfnSZ0y6RYgUOzzOKzEjSj3l4lVnxXvLJxeMN4DKGp-sYBNAGatevKVQbrc_g9Md12KonDf2OTb-9XB8rGZQ/s532/Screenshot+2021-06-30+at+3.28.35+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="478" height="589" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3hmkvDl8C0dYJMrXfuGf-XYChAkoRZwVGYEBEfwYx5RY5n_uKP_s_sMaEfnSZ0y6RYgUOzzOKzEjSj3l4lVnxXvLJxeMN4DKGp-sYBNAGatevKVQbrc_g9Md12KonDf2OTb-9XB8rGZQ/w530-h589/Screenshot+2021-06-30+at+3.28.35+PM.png" width="530" /></a></div><span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span><p></p><a name='more'></a><span style="color: #0c343d;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Say hello to our cheerful and colourful </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/ranganna-english.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Ranganna</span></a>!</span></span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Calisto MT, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"> An elephant who gets </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61); font-size: 17.33333396911621px;">fascinated by</span><span style="font-size: 13pt;"> colours? And wants to wear nail paint? Will his friends Aditi and Anushka polish his nails too? Illustrations that are a riot of colour zestfully captures the tale of an elephant who loves colour and wants to paint his nails in different hues.</span></span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">Read a few promising reviews about this crowd-favourite book… then scroll down to celebrate diversity, inclusion and love with Ranganna. Happy Pride!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><!--more--><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); text-align: center;"><b><span></span></b><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61); font-size: 17.33333396911621px;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Ubuntu;"><b>A picture-perfect book for introducing acceptance and pride to young people!</b></span></span><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"> ⭐</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;">“In Ranganna, Arthi Navneeth has created a wonderfully upbeat elephant character with an uninhibited love for colours. With his sunny disposition, he is sure to put everyone in a cheery mood. Well-designed spreads by Kavita Singh Kale washed with stunning colours render a lovely rural charm making it an irresistible pick!” — Praba Ram, Saffron Tree</span></b></p></blockquote><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyv91lI7DBIrIIcRQx5GxNN9Z9fRcGj1Lqm8pfizJl6IkmNigadIZzaap893wQNbOsRFrj4wfp4q3drSBCSOFz4eps_suwf_0TKmQgATljjECFilt_C3_xZJ1xjFg4lVLRRFveFp46X4QS/s841/Screenshot+2021-06-30+at+3.32.31+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="841" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyv91lI7DBIrIIcRQx5GxNN9Z9fRcGj1Lqm8pfizJl6IkmNigadIZzaap893wQNbOsRFrj4wfp4q3drSBCSOFz4eps_suwf_0TKmQgATljjECFilt_C3_xZJ1xjFg4lVLRRFveFp46X4QS/w594-h329/Screenshot+2021-06-30+at+3.32.31+PM.png" width="594" /></a></div><br /> <span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"> ⭐</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"></span></b></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;">“In this charming tale, we meet the effervescent Ranganna who wants to add some colour to his plain self. And he gets his wish when he meets two little girls, Anushka and Aditi. How many toe nails does an Indian elephant have? Well, ask the two little girls in the story, they know! And, that's how many colours of nail polish they find to paint Ranganna's nails - one colour per toe nail. Is it any wonder Ranganna does his happy elephant dance at the end? Arthi Navaneeth's genial narration and Kavitha Singh Kale's bright spreads make this a delightful read for the kids.” — Sheela Preuitt, Saffron Tree<o:p></o:p></span></b></p></blockquote><b><o:p></o:p></b><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;">⭐</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"></span></b></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;">“Did you ever read or watch something just for the sheer loveliness of it and not wonder what it all meant, in the end? If you’re answering “yes” to these questions, ‘Ranganna<span style="caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">’ is your story. He’s an adorable, cuddly, blue elephant. Yes, blue, with bright pink bubble gum cheeks. Kavita Singh Kale’s art work looks like it’s from a classic Indian children’s book or comic from the eighties. It’s unpretentious, beautifully imperfect and completely relatable.</span>” — Goodbooks.in</span></b></p></blockquote><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixH1t1G-kRFDkLGqwOaI3UdnzwRPtXNPCrL4eP5T-fyb3KuaBLmThQpJ_8g_9tbxPoeD7t0qZd3TURL2TnLDmJhhf80_JObR6sRYbYJcKJgsuaVoXjxPmG9qiEFJk3bhaGF1bpJKvz-SZL/s911/Screenshot+2021-06-30+at+3.31.55+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="911" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixH1t1G-kRFDkLGqwOaI3UdnzwRPtXNPCrL4eP5T-fyb3KuaBLmThQpJ_8g_9tbxPoeD7t0qZd3TURL2TnLDmJhhf80_JObR6sRYbYJcKJgsuaVoXjxPmG9qiEFJk3bhaGF1bpJKvz-SZL/w594-h329/Screenshot+2021-06-30+at+3.31.55+PM.png" width="594" /></a></div><br /> <span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">⭐</span></span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"></span></b></p><blockquote><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;">“I got Ranganna by Arthi Anand Navaneeth as a haul along with few other books when the lockdown was lifted first and deliveries started… Ranganna elephant would like nothing but colours, all around him, and all over himself if had his way. When his friends show him their new nail polish, his only wish is to get his nails painted as well. What do you think he’ll do?</span> <o:p></o:p></b><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;">A colourful story, what I call rainbow-ed. Lots of colours to learn… [we liked] the beautiful message behind the story, of friendship, of respect, and of accepting anyone as they are. Go for it, it is a colourfully beautiful book to have in the collection!” — Anuradha Gupta, reviewer </span></b></blockquote><p> </p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"></span></span></b></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 26px;">“We loved the simple story line and the absolutely eye catching illustrations!</span> What we loved are the absolutely adorable story line and </span></b><b><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 26px;">the gender neutral message in the book.</span>” — R’s Mom, a Kolkata-based blogger </span></b></span></p></blockquote><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hYeNAwhU9W_JeL8iMnX2wnArPo8sWv8rSlB4wR9KSsPzlWNsIdn3Jj73asOD475cjdEv3LAojyeM0BwW16y3ryg7F7Yo4JJR4CCMW2HNFCpjx_W56kyr5TXPyEnzUivKg73E_uhsisk2/s869/Screenshot+2021-06-30+at+6.27.00+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="869" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hYeNAwhU9W_JeL8iMnX2wnArPo8sWv8rSlB4wR9KSsPzlWNsIdn3Jj73asOD475cjdEv3LAojyeM0BwW16y3ryg7F7Yo4JJR4CCMW2HNFCpjx_W56kyr5TXPyEnzUivKg73E_uhsisk2/w585-h327/Screenshot+2021-06-30+at+6.27.00+PM.png" width="585" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><span><!--more--></span></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-family: Calisto MT, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Ranganna, the little elephant lives near a dhobi ghat. He is captivated by the brightly coloured nails of his friends and wants to paint his toes too! But whoever heard of an elephant wearing nail polish?! A simple story on gender </span><span style="font-size: 17.33333396911621px;">neutrality, acceptance</span><span style="font-size: 13pt;"> and love with illustrations, which are a riot of colour and energy, make </span></span></span><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/ranganna-english.html" style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Ranganna</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"> one irresistible picture book! </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b style="font-family: Ubuntu; font-size: 13pt;">Are you ready to do the Ranganna dance </b><b style="font-family: Ubuntu; font-size: 13pt;">with the young people in your life</b><b style="font-family: Ubuntu; font-size: 13pt;">?</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61); color: #0c343d;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61);"><span style="color: #0c343d;">What are celebrations without some fun? Move and groove to a special set of songs tuned based on this adorable book — visit our </span><a href="https://soundcloud.com/tulika-publishers/sets/ranganna-songs"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">SoundCloud</span></a> </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61); color: #0c343d;">page now and get shaking! </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61); color: #0c343d;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPiO-yAa7pCP4ugZEoeeszcyaAO5dBR0hU7VnsoEcWUWCmlUpl-Rx73kbW1YK7oGvPphvBS1xzgehPrpVMNKMvRpbUd0Tv1B-QCnJW-D5NB57As_G7dzjoejfA-nsn-l3t_-DTvl4Mr5M/s443/Screenshot+2021-06-30+at+3.30.28+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="443" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPiO-yAa7pCP4ugZEoeeszcyaAO5dBR0hU7VnsoEcWUWCmlUpl-Rx73kbW1YK7oGvPphvBS1xzgehPrpVMNKMvRpbUd0Tv1B-QCnJW-D5NB57As_G7dzjoejfA-nsn-l3t_-DTvl4Mr5M/w400-h223/Screenshot+2021-06-30+at+3.30.28+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Mukta; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;">Though Pride month is coming to an end, we strongly believe that our universal mission to acknowledge diversity, nurture safe environments, advocate for inclusion, and spread kindness should carry on… </span></p><span><!--more--></span><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); text-align: center;"><i><span style="line-height: 21.466665267944336px;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Ubuntu; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></i></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 21.466665267944336px;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Mukta; font-size: medium;"> Introduce pride to the young people in your life with our gender-bender books,</span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Mukta; font-size: medium;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"></span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 21.466665267944336px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #741b47;">order them from our </span><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/guthli-has-wings-english.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">website</span></a><span style="color: #741b47;"> today! </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); text-align: -webkit-center;"><span><span style="font-family: Josefin Sans; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"></span></span></span></b></p><blockquote><b style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); text-align: -webkit-center;"><span><span style="font-family: Josefin Sans; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"></span><blockquote><span style="color: #660000;"> Follow us on social media for more updates! </span><span style="color: #222222;">🔔</span></blockquote><span style="color: #222222;"></span></span></span></b></blockquote><b style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); text-align: -webkit-center;"><span><span style="font-family: Josefin Sans; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222;"></span></span></span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 32px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 34.66666793823242px;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span></span></p><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"></span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-85499349962759559802021-06-23T16:30:00.063+05:302021-06-30T16:18:22.175+05:30Nurturing diversity, spreading the wings of love: An excerpt from 'Blue and Other Stories' by Suniti Namjoshi <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;">"<span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Sometimes the quietest affirmation is the most powerful, and nurturing difference, the greatest love of all," writes a reviewer on </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 17.33333396911621px;">Goodbooks.in</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">. As the world grows increasingly diverse, how can we best prepare our teens, pre-teens and children to understand empathy and encourage acceptance? Respecting differences and celebrating inclusion, we </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">believe</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">, can be learnt by infusing diversity into everyday lives and</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"> opening minds for dialogue. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">As part of our ongoing series for Pride month, we earlier focused on sex, gender, attraction and identities. First, we shared a heartwarming review of our popular picture book '</span><a href="http://tulikapublishers.blogspot.com/2021/06/happy-pride-month-three-cheers-to.html" style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Guthli Has Wings</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">' written and illustrated by Kanak Sashi. Then, showcased excerpts from two witty and highly praised young adult non-fiction and fiction books ‘</span><a href="http://tulikapublishers.blogspot.com/2021/06/being-aware-is-first-step-towards.html" style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Big Hero, Size Zero: Gender Talk</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">’ by Anusha Hariharan and Sowmya Rajendran, and ‘</span><a href="http://tulikapublishers.blogspot.com/2021/06/fiercely-fun-madly-morose-and-prone-to.html" style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">This is Me, Mayil</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">’ by Sowmya Rajendran and Niveditha Subramaniam respectively.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">This week, we bring to you an excerpt that highlights diversity, inclusion and acceptance. Read the internationally acclaimed fabulist and poet Suniti Namjoshi’s ‘</span><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/story-collections/blue-and-other-stories-english.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Blue and Other Stories</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;">’, enriched with sensuous colours and ethereal pictures by well known artist </span></span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;">Nilima Sheikh</span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;">. <span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"> </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"> ⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="line-height: 21.466665267944336px;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"></span></span></b></p><blockquote><b><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;">“When you read Blue and Other Stories, read it twice. Once for the stories that unfold in Suniti Namjoshi’s minimalist writings, and then for the stories that unfold through Nilima Sheikh’s ethereal illustrations.” — The Hindu </span></b></blockquote><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.466665267944336px;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"> ⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><blockquote><span style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><span>“Every story in this book is a benediction; there is a blessing planted deep within the words, and the tales evoke a precious kind of joy every time you read them... this book is a precious addition to a child’s imagination, or, more importantly, it examines the autonomous life of such an imagination... If there was only one thing that you wanted to share with your parents or care-givers, let it be this story [Bird Woman]... I wish this book for each and every one of you, and to all those you love.” — Goodbooks.in</span><span> </span></b></span></blockquote><p></p><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><p></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 28px;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p></blockquote><p><b><br /></b></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQuPwCZRBMBbXJ4aXeKLQBv9Wh5Rum-SNkSbm-jzT0yJ9wrOBdQG8eGA3Sa5jLXakfCYOe7GB1IywoOSmisLc-zS13CD4z6kL99f22wwjGrqV_xd7_xr9lFvL9zSDgSDrBzA-10j93oPd/s722/Screenshot+2021-06-23+at+12.02.52+PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="645" height="615" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQuPwCZRBMBbXJ4aXeKLQBv9Wh5Rum-SNkSbm-jzT0yJ9wrOBdQG8eGA3Sa5jLXakfCYOe7GB1IywoOSmisLc-zS13CD4z6kL99f22wwjGrqV_xd7_xr9lFvL9zSDgSDrBzA-10j93oPd/w550-h615/Screenshot+2021-06-23+at+12.02.52+PM.png" width="550" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /></b><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;"></span></b></b></div><p></p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><!--more--></span><b><p style="display: inline;"></p></b><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;"></span></b></div><p style="font-weight: bold;"></p><b><p style="display: inline;"></p></b><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;"></span></b></div><p style="font-weight: bold;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;">Here's a story that can help young people raise questions, while parents find some answers.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;">Playful and gentle, the timeless stories in this collection bring depth, lightness of touch and effortlessly traverse layers of myth to speak to readers of all ages. Nilima’s myriad influences in art, combined with her unique style and delicate textures, match and enhance Suniti’s nuanced writing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"></span></i></b></p><blockquote><b><i><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">‘</span><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/story-collections/blue-and-other-stories-english.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Blue and Other Stories</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;">’ is the coming together of two fine minds to create a contemporary classic. </span></span></i></b></blockquote><b><i><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b><p></p><!--more--><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(230, 145, 56); color: #bf9000; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(230, 145, 56); color: #bf9000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(230, 145, 56); color: #bf9000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: -webkit-center;"> </span> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDecO2haLTNB-PjcgZnxpO3IQAFu5xu_k36zn2VT_2Lbo_HRIarjT1cDkMVAIJRZnZ6vZZvNPNmtTIdbRmcMPuMvF_6I0F13hoUHlHTPOgSSZXA0YD2_R3F68ByCQxIu1u9mTss6IxlMs/s280/Screenshot+2021-06-23+at+12.54.45+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="85" data-original-width="280" height="79" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDecO2haLTNB-PjcgZnxpO3IQAFu5xu_k36zn2VT_2Lbo_HRIarjT1cDkMVAIJRZnZ6vZZvNPNmtTIdbRmcMPuMvF_6I0F13hoUHlHTPOgSSZXA0YD2_R3F68ByCQxIu1u9mTss6IxlMs/w260-h79/Screenshot+2021-06-23+at+12.54.45+PM.png" width="260" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">Once there was a child who sprouted wings. They sprang from her shoulder blades, and at first they were vestigial. But they grew rapidly, and in no time at all she had a sizeable wing span. The neighbours were horrified. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">“You must have them cut,” they said to her parents. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">“Why?” said her parents. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">“Well, it’s obvious,” said the neighbours.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">“No,” said the parents, and this seemed so final that the neighbours left. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">But a few weeks later the neighbours were back. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Karla; font-size: 13pt;">“If you won’t have them cut, at least have them clipped.” </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Karla; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Karla; font-size: 13pt;">“Why?” said the parents.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Karla; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Karla; font-size: 13pt;">“Well, at least it shows that you’re doing something.” </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Karla; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Karla; font-size: 13pt;">“No,” said the parents, and the neighbours left.</span><span style="font-family: Karla; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></div></span><p></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">Then for the third time the neighbours appeared. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">“On at least two occasions you have sent us away,” they informed the parents, “but think of that child. What are you doing to the poor little thing?” </span><span face="MuktaMahee, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKn60GfmSnkAhd4M6P9evjve-a2kvBexdOkNa3jrdR0aXz7fRUjSF8Ddm8hnFdKBpbfhJk7kpLuvPkMJy4KPSazz2M1F-xiClCu7bfHn3fnyITUT8g3JR0XTSGPsi0Mmdtj9bGLIhcaXNI/s787/Screenshot+2021-06-23+at+12.52.05+PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="787" data-original-width="686" height="583" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKn60GfmSnkAhd4M6P9evjve-a2kvBexdOkNa3jrdR0aXz7fRUjSF8Ddm8hnFdKBpbfhJk7kpLuvPkMJy4KPSazz2M1F-xiClCu7bfHn3fnyITUT8g3JR0XTSGPsi0Mmdtj9bGLIhcaXNI/w508-h583/Screenshot+2021-06-23+at+12.52.05+PM.png" width="508" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: #444444;">An image from 'Bird Women' by Suniti Namjoshi | Illustrated by <span style="font-family: rotissansserifstd;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">Nilima Sheikh</span></span></span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Karla;">“We are teaching her to fly,” said the parents quietly. </span></span></p><!--more--><span face="MuktaMahee, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(230, 145, 56); color: #bf9000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(230, 145, 56); color: #bf9000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: bold;"> ***</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61); color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; text-align: left;"> </span></span></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">Dive deeper into the book with a </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6953rWJbROo"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">trailer</span></a><span style="color: #660000;">, exclusively narrated by the author... </span></b></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6953rWJbROo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="419" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIxncLpYRIxB8vqBR3CB2aKo1TOvTKLAnFQSkVkm207glj-HsTeWNbz9Zi7njl5w8VqyJhHTJL0K1hHae99GVdq6lXhfnyADwxx_wQSvNuvMvI3Ta7_P6440iNpnse87MpbvEHEtPOXZHx/w400-h341/Screenshot+2021-06-24+at+7.36.10+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand; text-align: left;"><b>Introduce gender identities, inclusion and diversity to the young people in your life with books. </b></i><i style="font-family: Quicksand; text-align: left;"><b><span><span style="color: #660000;">Visit our website </span><a href="http://www.tulikabooks.com"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">www.tulikabooks.com</span></a><span style="color: #660000;"> to get your copies today!</span></span></b></i></span></div><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><i style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></i></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(230, 145, 56); color: #bf9000; font-weight: bold;"> ***</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61); color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; text-align: left;"> </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Molengo; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 26px;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61);">In the previous two-part series, we highlighted</span></span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61); text-align: start;"> extracts from our award-winning </span></span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #e06666; font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61); text-align: start;">young adult</span></i><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #e06666; font-family: Quicksand; font-style: italic;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61); text-align: start;"> books</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61); text-align: start;"> </span></span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61); font-family: Quicksand; font-style: italic; padding: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">‘</span><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-non-fiction/gender-talk-big-hero-size-zero-english.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Gender Talk — Big Hero, Size Zero’</span></a><span style="color: #e06666;"> </span></span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61); color: #e06666; font-family: Quicksand; font-style: italic; padding: 0cm; text-align: start;">written by Anusha Hariharan and Sowmya Rajendran and</span><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61);"><i><span style="color: #e06666;"> '</span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/chapter-books/this-is-me-mayil-english.html">T<span style="color: #2b00fe;">his is Me, Mayil</span></a>'</span><span style="color: #e06666;">, from the fiction series by </span></i></span></span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61);"><i>Niveditha</i></span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #e06666; font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61);"><i> Subramaniam and Sowmya Rajendran. </i></span></span></span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></i></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;">In the first post for Pride we shared a review of our popular picture book </span></span></i><i style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: medium;">'Guthi Has Wings'. </span></span></span></i><i style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #e06666;">Visit our </span><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/guthli-has-wings-english.html"><span><span style="color: #2b00fe; text-decoration: none;">website</span><span style="color: #e06666;"> </span></span></a><span style="color: #e06666;">to buy the book.</span></span></span></span></i></p><!--more--><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span face="-webkit-standard, serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Molengo; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;"></span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Josefin Sans; font-size: medium;">Follow us on social media for more updates! 🔔</span></span></b></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></span></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Josefin Sans;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><b><o:p></o:p></b><p></p>Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-35164464924516224702021-06-18T14:00:00.003+05:302021-06-24T19:17:47.548+05:30'Fiercely fun, madly morose and prone to spontaneous combustion': An extract from 'This is Me, Mayil' <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">For every moment of clarity, young people are faced with several others filled with anger, confusion and self-doubt. Our Mayil Ganeshan has all the confusion and confidence of adolescence too. She faces the everyday dilemmas of young people to questions on gender stereotyping all around – from Ramayana stories to Rajnikanth movies. But Mayil keeps her chin up and decides that she will never put her pen down. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">This week, in our ongoing series for Pride month, we’re focusing on sex, gender, attraction and identities. In the second part of this <a href="http://tulikapublishers.blogspot.com/2021/06/being-aware-is-first-step-towards.html">two-part series</a>, we bring to you an excerpt from ‘<a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/chapter-books/this-is-me-mayil-english.html">This is Me, Mayil</a>’, the third in our witty and brilliant fiction series written by Sowmya Rajendran and Niveditha Subramaniam.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"> ⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span></p><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt;">“…head and shoulders above the flippant, ha-ha diary publications that are again quite a fad ... Yes, it’s humorous and easy to read, but it deals in a much more authentic way with growing up issues and is unflinching for a pre-YA book.” <span style="text-align: left;">—</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13pt; text-align: left;">Ken Spillman, Writer<span><!--more--></span></span></span></b></blockquote><p></p></blockquote></blockquote><p> </p><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"> ⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt;"></span></b></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt;"></span></b></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt;"></span></b></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt;">“…a book that is going to launch a thousand diaries or convert many a reluctant diary writer into a regular. Niveditha and Sowmya<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt;">have created an absolute cracker of a character and its<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt;">bursts of brilliance stay with you long after you have turned the last page. More power to them.” — The Book Review Literary Trust</span></b></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt;"></span></b></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt;"></span></b></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><blockquote><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt;"></span></b></p></blockquote><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand, serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><blockquote><blockquote><p></p></blockquote></blockquote><p> </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Jw8y2sd8gC_Z4nEGT9gzVRidwPU-soMjZaYzpZU55oC-luB7bCRC3jXQ9PHObv2q7oLV61Pbqw4u1605jEALE01YJqfDor3-51G_yU-DYDcBs_v0K09aELljtFwYnsrXCb2NX94xj4aj/s784/Screenshot+2021-06-18+at+3.03.38+PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="784" height="541" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Jw8y2sd8gC_Z4nEGT9gzVRidwPU-soMjZaYzpZU55oC-luB7bCRC3jXQ9PHObv2q7oLV61Pbqw4u1605jEALE01YJqfDor3-51G_yU-DYDcBs_v0K09aELljtFwYnsrXCb2NX94xj4aj/w580-h541/Screenshot+2021-06-18+at+3.03.38+PM.png" width="580" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i> The Mayil series | </i>Image: <a href="https://niveditha.myportfolio.com">Niveditha Subramaniam</a></td></tr></tbody></table> <p></p><p></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61); color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 17.33333396911621px;">Fiercely fun, madly morose and prone to spontaneous combustion — this is Mayil at Not Yet Sixteen. Edgier. Older and bolder, the unstoppable ‘Mayilwriter’ rants in rhyme, ponders in verse, and doodles in between.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Calisto MT, serif;"><span style="font-size: 17.33333396911621px;">With laugh-out-loud humour, seriousness, sensitivity and honesty of the popular, coming after </span></span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">the award-winning ‘<a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-fiction/mayil-will-not-be-quiet-english.html">Mayil Will Not Be Quiet!</a>’ and ‘<a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-fiction/mostly-madly-mayil-english.html">Mostly Madly Mayil</a>’,</span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Calisto MT, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">this </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61); font-size: 17.33333396911621px;">diary</span><span style="font-size: 13pt;"> is another exceptional, unputdownable, coming of age must-read book for pre-teens, teens and anyone older. </span></span></p><span><!--more--></span><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(230, 145, 56); color: #bf9000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"></span></p><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><span style="color: #ffa400;"> </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">***</span></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobWT740ZHlr5vq11kTtpKm1XfNapm5S8f_0nXdfW9hKr-uNbCI5Zz3OgBlL6jtD-QMnprOJPRGW1vudsxHoZQwzHCVyp7TliOF_e-bJsawVI1T-5egDB-giNkHkNqO_5Ljidt94i3jdeJ/s460/Screenshot+2021-06-17+at+6.39.16+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="167" data-original-width="460" height="73" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobWT740ZHlr5vq11kTtpKm1XfNapm5S8f_0nXdfW9hKr-uNbCI5Zz3OgBlL6jtD-QMnprOJPRGW1vudsxHoZQwzHCVyp7TliOF_e-bJsawVI1T-5egDB-giNkHkNqO_5Ljidt94i3jdeJ/w200-h73/Screenshot+2021-06-17+at+6.39.16+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">I haven’t told anybody about this. But every single time I think<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">about it, I feel sick. It happened last year, when we went on this<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">two-day field trip. There was this girl, Devika, who had moved from<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">Hong Kong. Normally, VB doesn’t take anyone new in the 10th but<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">her father had been transferred suddenly, and she was placed in my<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">section. The teachers told us to help her settle in because school had<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">already begun, and it can be hard if you’re new and everyone<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">already knows each other.</span><span face="MuktaMahee, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">I just sort of disliked little things about her. The way she ate idlis<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">with a spoon. This hand sanitiser she carried around. How she wore<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">perfume even though it wasn’t allowed in school. It wasn’t strong or<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">anything but I felt like she was just trying to show us that she wasn’t<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">like us. What’s the point of being nice to someone who doesn’t even<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">notice you’re trying? I didn’t feel like it.</span><span face="MuktaMahee, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">She and Sara started hanging out though. And they held hands <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">all the time. Sara would actually feed her sometimes and <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">I thought this was pretty yucky. Anyway, on the trip they <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">sat together on the side berth of the train and drew the curtain.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">That’s when it started. First Aveek (whom we used to called<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">AvYuck when he joined school along with his twin Ashray... AShrek)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">pointed and raised his eyebrow. Then I said, “Do you want to get in<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">there too?” and everyone laughed. I did too.</span><span face="MuktaMahee, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">And then Sara and Devika were pretty much all anyone could<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">talk about. When Sara went to the bathroom, we acted like it was<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">insanely funny and they were snorts and giggles all around, though<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">now it just seems so absurd. Eventually, Devika realised something<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">was going on. She yelled, “Stop it!” Sara just burst into tears.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">Later, each of us walked up to them and apologised. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">Some of </span></span><span style="font-family: Mukta; font-size: 13pt;">the girls were crying and I thought they were </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Mukta; font-size: 13pt;">being fake and </span><span style="font-family: Mukta; font-size: 13pt;">overdramatic. But I think it wasn’t until </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Mukta; font-size: 13pt;">much later that I really </span><span style="font-family: Mukta; font-size: 13pt;">realised what we had done. What I had done. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Mukta; font-size: 13pt;">I always told myself </span><span style="font-family: Mukta; font-size: 13pt;">that everybody did it. That everybody was wrong. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Mukta; font-size: 13pt;">But now I know </span><span style="font-family: Mukta; font-size: 13pt;">exactly how I acted that day. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Mukta; font-size: 13pt;">Her dad was transferred again so she </span><span style="font-family: Mukta; font-size: 13pt;">left school soon after.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">I’ve been thinking about this ever since I sat and read through<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">the responses to my survey and the Spine column. So many people<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">have said they were let down by friends or family members — people<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">they thought were nice. Either they didn’t help or they </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Mukta; font-size: 13pt;">contributed to </span><span style="font-family: Mukta; font-size: 13pt;">the bullying.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">Sometime ago, I found Devika on Facebook and sent her a<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">message. A real apology this time. But she never replied.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">There used to be this boy called Jacob in class, he is in another<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">section now. I once said he smelt like rotten guava and I didn’t really<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">think that people would repeat it for ages after that. I didn’t mean to<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">be nasty or mean. And I just wanted to forget I even said it. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;">But we </span></span><span style="font-family: Mukta; font-size: 13pt;">can’t do that. He was just nice enough not to hold it </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Mukta; font-size: 13pt;">against me, </span><span style="font-family: Mukta; font-size: 13pt;">that’s all.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Mukta; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Mukta; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(230, 145, 56); color: #bf9000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(180, 95, 6); color: #b45f06; text-align: left;">***<span></span></span></p><!--more--><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 26px;"><span><span style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61);">In first part of this two-part series, read </span></span></span></span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61); text-align: start;">an extract from our award-winning </span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Quicksand; font-size: medium;"><i><span><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61); color: #660000; text-align: start;">non-fiction</span></span></i><i><span><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61); text-align: start;"> book</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61); text-align: start;"> </span></span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61); color: #0c343d; padding: 0cm; text-align: start;">‘<a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-non-fiction/gender-talk-big-hero-size-zero-english.html">Gender Talk — Big Hero, Size Zero</a>’ </span><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61); padding: 0cm; text-align: start;">written by Anusha Hariharan and Sowmya Rajendran</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61); text-align: start;">.</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61); text-align: start;"> </span></span></span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61); color: #0c343d; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDlu69BPLKAi2e9avgujurI4tQxPeeAP31GidprF16fLJhXHn0g4cV8jZ35k7wXIA5f78y5Iad8dg1DlGCzSI1mNn94p9Me9fuZAWpRyhyphenhyphenQppbS9VU_z34ffeTWE_wTHaFAhe0G-fqkpe/s1271/IMG_20190515_161543.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1051" data-original-width="1271" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDlu69BPLKAi2e9avgujurI4tQxPeeAP31GidprF16fLJhXHn0g4cV8jZ35k7wXIA5f78y5Iad8dg1DlGCzSI1mNn94p9Me9fuZAWpRyhyphenhyphenQppbS9VU_z34ffeTWE_wTHaFAhe0G-fqkpe/w640-h530/IMG_20190515_161543.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(230, 145, 56); color: #bf9000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></span><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: 13.5pt;">Introduce gender, identities and inclusion to the young people in your life with books, </span></i><span face="-webkit-standard, serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: 13.5pt;">order the Mayil series from our <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-fiction/mayil-will-not-be-quiet-english.html">website</a></span> today!<br /> <br />Our first post for Pride featured a <a href="about://"><span style="color: blue;">heartwarming review</span></a> of our popular picture book </span></i></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: 13.5pt;">'Guthi Has Wings'. Visit our <a href="about://"><span style="color: blue;">website</span></a> to buy the book.</span></i><span face="-webkit-standard, serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span face="-webkit-standard, serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Mukta;"></span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Poppins, serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Follow our social media handles for more updates! 🔔</span></span></b><span face="-webkit-standard, serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><br /><p></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-56250168261621700182021-06-16T13:30:00.014+05:302021-06-24T19:17:06.084+05:30'Being aware is the first step towards gender equality': Excerpts from 'Gender Talk – Big Hero, Size Zero' <p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">With gender issues hitting the news hotspots more and more, there are questions and doubts, and the answers are covered by a smog of stereotype and convention. How do teenagers make sense of all this?</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">As part of our ongoing Pride month series, this week, we’re focusing on sex, gender, attraction and identities. In the first part of this two-part series, we bring to you an extract from our award-winning non-fiction book</span><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; padding: 0cm;">‘<a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-non-fiction/gender-talk-big-hero-size-zero-english.html">Gender Talk — Big Hero, Size Zero</a>’ written by Anusha Hariharan and Sowmya Rajendran</span><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">.</span><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 32, 96); color: #002060; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 17.33333396911621px; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">⭐</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: #741b47;"></span></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-size: 13pt; padding: 0cm;"></span></span><h4><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-size: 13pt; padding: 0cm;"></span></span><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand;">“The everyday examples and references to popular culture and news makes it a book that youngsters ought to be able to relate to easily… </span></span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-size: 13pt; padding: 0cm;">‘Gender Talk: Big Hero, Size Zero’</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13pt;"> is a very important book. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: Quicksand; font-size: 13pt;">It should be made compulsory reading for all teenagers...” — Goodbooks.in </span></div></blockquote></h4></blockquote><p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px; padding: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px; padding: 0cm;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Gf8MinuVFnZDFJ7HiU0wI8J6EBTUVPg9bUt4UbjGFTB-CL2pNqxZVXlS1nWe1UXzpCSXH7tkwcInnD8TaZ7JG5MxDpwmLg-RPKe1zboXcAoc0Zpy5-QEWCPROw6KbwHv4M1HL50aYLGE/s1331/Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1331" data-original-width="970" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Gf8MinuVFnZDFJ7HiU0wI8J6EBTUVPg9bUt4UbjGFTB-CL2pNqxZVXlS1nWe1UXzpCSXH7tkwcInnD8TaZ7JG5MxDpwmLg-RPKe1zboXcAoc0Zpy5-QEWCPROw6KbwHv4M1HL50aYLGE/w291-h400/Cover.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><br /><o:p><br /></o:p><p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px; padding: 0cm;">Uncovering truths, untruths, semi-truths and myths using everyday examples as well as references to popular media, this book ‘talks’ directly to teenagers </span><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;">on all aspects of gender, lifting confusions and creating awareness <span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;">with empathy and in a language they would understand. </span>Alongside is <span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;">Niveditha Subramaniam’s</span> visual commentary that prods and provokes, even as it makes you laugh!</span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;">These exclusive extracts can </span><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">help young people find some answers, <br />and raise more questions with better information.</span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face="-webkit-standard" style="caret-color: rgb(230, 145, 56); font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #bf9000;">***</span></span></p><h4><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Not just a boy-girl thing</span></h4><div><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Mukta, serif; font-size: 13pt;">So, biologically, there are two sexes — male and female, right? Wrong. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Mukta, serif; font-size: 13pt;">There are also those who are born with a combination of organs that are associated with both female and male bodies. They are referred to as intersex persons. Doctors often surgically modify their bodies so that they contain only female or only male organs, not both at the same time. While this allows them to fit into a more socially acceptable sex category, it is still a controversial issue as it is not clear whether the outcomes of surgical modifications are positive.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Mukta, serif; font-size: 13pt;">Men’s and women’s bodies have characteristics of both sexes to different degrees, depending on the levels of testosterone, progesterone and oestrogen present in them. For intersex people, it isn’t just about having both sets of hormones — they actually have both male and female organs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="font-family: Mukta, serif; font-size: 13pt;">There is a growing medical and social consensus that intersex bodies are a perfectly normal form of human biology, even if rare. In nature, there are many species of plants and animals which exhibit this pattern and these are referred to as hermaphrodite organisms. As long as this applies only to plants and animals, no one is uncomfortable. However, when it comes to human beings, it is upsetting not to be able to slot someone in the standard roles. What gender characteristics will the intersex person have? Problem! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Mukta, serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ymTV_O95zNpiK26oXr763Twrl2ESagMvfEND8gqsLkZ8ThR8ljmfr_sTUai-CI7mLq8ZIkUx8bpINo9QoKyhiT1njJAHSVH6lHC7GSMIvN0fwuktWI9sjEyTmknLjFKxjmt06V06f8Np/s405/INTERSEX.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="221" data-original-width="405" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ymTV_O95zNpiK26oXr763Twrl2ESagMvfEND8gqsLkZ8ThR8ljmfr_sTUai-CI7mLq8ZIkUx8bpINo9QoKyhiT1njJAHSVH6lHC7GSMIvN0fwuktWI9sjEyTmknLjFKxjmt06V06f8Np/w400-h219/INTERSEX.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Mukta, serif; font-size: 13pt;"></span></p><blockquote style="text-align: center;">Why does any kind of difference from the majority quickly become a ‘problem’? Should being different from the mainstream make you unequal? Like disability or race? ‘Unusual’ doesn’t mean ‘abnormal’. Just different. </blockquote><p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Mukta, serif; font-size: 13pt;">Sometimes, a person’s gender does not match the sex that was assigned at birth. That is, someone who is born biologically male or female feels very strongly that he or she belongs to another gender, not the one assigned by the sexual organs. This is not simply a question of preference but is much more complex. Such people are known as transgender persons or the third gender or as hijra, aravani, thirunangai, kinnar... <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Mukta, serif; font-size: 13pt;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Once the decision has been taken to make the transition, surgically or emotionally, into another gender, you have to refer to the person by the identity chosen by him/her. This is the story of a transgender person in her own words. She speaks of what it means to be transgendered, with all its battles and victories.</span><span style="font-size: 13pt;"> </span></p><p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1Tv0UY3y4rmI9_8qSDvpNbqh_LYtv0rqxXcHYOYOAc33CfU4Cj2L1HgF2I_bRngYQlP7Z9FNLXtO3sxVmmVBSl-z0ifj5_DKLGgDbynaRx7eOibh2fG6c7OxCRP2oM5SEqjRtxt8OSpQ/s221/IIT+STORY.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="221" data-original-width="115" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1Tv0UY3y4rmI9_8qSDvpNbqh_LYtv0rqxXcHYOYOAc33CfU4Cj2L1HgF2I_bRngYQlP7Z9FNLXtO3sxVmmVBSl-z0ifj5_DKLGgDbynaRx7eOibh2fG6c7OxCRP2oM5SEqjRtxt8OSpQ/w167-h320/IIT+STORY.jpg" width="167" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><i>I joined IIT Bombay in 2007 as a dual degree student. Although I knew I needed (yes, needed) to be a girl, I had decided that ‘too much’ was at stake. The reputation of my parents, their dream of seeing their son graduate from an IIT and continuing the family legacy (my father had done the same in 1985) seemed so valuable that I had decided that I would never let this secret get out. This was partly why I never touched alcohol throughout my five years on campus. But the inner conflict, the constant war going on inside my head, the pressure of being a girl from the inside but a boy from the outside made my life very difficult. Since I had vowed never to touch alcohol, I resorted to eating — and eating heavily. I would get lost in the parantha and chilly chicken from the hostel canteen because it made me forget my plight for a short while. <o:p></o:p></i></span><p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><i>While I wasn’t a student in the CSE department, I was inherently a talented programmer, making me the ‘go-to’ person for any assignment that involved coding. But apart from that, since I was dealing with a lot from inside, little things upset me greatly. </i></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><i style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">This affected my social interactions and some of my batchmates believed that I was reclusive and that something might be wrong. Years later, when I told them, they were shocked but very supportive. </i></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><i style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">The war inside my head became unbearable during December 2011. I had just cracked a job in an IT firm and I loved coding. I should have been on top of the world. But I wasn’t. I was still a girl inside that no one knew. Five years at IITB had greatly changed my priorities. When I had entered the campus, I was just a girl trapped inside a male body trying hard to live up to expectations. But after years of living and interacting with the people here, I knew that I should rather strive to be happy. I knew that I had to make the transition and let people know. </i></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Mukta, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;">In this case, the parents were extremely supportive. They convinced friends and neighbours of the need for the sex-reassignment surgery and accepted that their son would become a daughter. In a society like ours it takes a lot of courage to do this. It also goes to show that our own attitudes become a mirror for those around us. Being accepting and understanding is half the battle won. Her own attitude was also positive — she decided to speak openly about her sex change. Clearly, education and family support gave her the strength of mind to deal with the issue and to resolve it. What she says at the end of the <a href="http://www.insightiitb.org/2014/born-a-he-now-a-she">blog post</a> is a powerful message: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><i><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;"></span></i></p><blockquote><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;">You were born different, but by no means are you inferior.</span></i></div><i><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"> Never, ever even think that you are inferior to any of those who are in the mainstream. </span></i></div><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;">After all, being mainstream is too...mainstream. </span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;">Being different is good. Be proud of it.</span></i></div></span></i></blockquote><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Mukta, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;">If gender biases against males and females run deep in society you can imagine the pressures on intersex or transgender people. In 2008, Tamil Nadu became the first Indian State to allot a box marked ‘T’ for ‘transgender’ in the ration cards distributed by the government. And in 2014, the Supreme Court passed a landmark judgement on transgender rights. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Mukta, serif; font-size: 13pt;">Will laws like these instantly remove the prejudice that transgender persons face in society? Probably not. Changing people’s attitudes is not easy. But recognition by the State in itself is progress and it can help create a more equal society in future, if not immediately.</span><span style="font-family: Mukta, serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span> </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9jQylmFdeCxDO3B213n-JfuX32LZ7EwPcVbdTS1pJL6YY327oM57XIehbhbAT4df-cJYGCuguSUGlLFpqHVq_-dIgn6BePedQYIIUorHfW0uVEJtjdkgsFqw_VVpC8NBA7p34y-Q0WbB/s356/NEWSPSPER+TG+ARTICLE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="148" data-original-width="356" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9jQylmFdeCxDO3B213n-JfuX32LZ7EwPcVbdTS1pJL6YY327oM57XIehbhbAT4df-cJYGCuguSUGlLFpqHVq_-dIgn6BePedQYIIUorHfW0uVEJtjdkgsFqw_VVpC8NBA7p34y-Q0WbB/w400-h166/NEWSPSPER+TG+ARTICLE.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></p><h4><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Can you escape your gender?</span></h4><div><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIbTKU4wxr9_o7utF2zwDzsKS2vUQgdGoQer1g0Qs4wRHLm4PvUdYLtKg9ro5WUd8EzxmSwTXrQo9KzTjRxDoTR3XXJeu6If4X7ViNR95Mm55ItFbkndRngbTu0KRAuS4dUeuPWGT7QUw/s151/Queer+and+proud+frog.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="136" data-original-width="151" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIbTKU4wxr9_o7utF2zwDzsKS2vUQgdGoQer1g0Qs4wRHLm4PvUdYLtKg9ro5WUd8EzxmSwTXrQo9KzTjRxDoTR3XXJeu6If4X7ViNR95Mm55ItFbkndRngbTu0KRAuS4dUeuPWGT7QUw/w207-h186/Queer+and+proud+frog.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Mukta, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;">Since sex is one of the very first identities of a person and gender goes along with it, gender identity becomes very hard to change or escape. It is defined by the people around you, according to the body you have. You may be able to hide other identities by getting rid of markers — changing the way you speak, dress, behave and so on. If you are a Christian but don’t wish to be identified as one, you may remove the crucifix that you wear around your neck, adopt the markers of other religions (like wearing a hijab or a turban), and at a passing glance escape the identity temporarily. However, most people can be identified immediately by their sex and a gender identity is assigned to them at once. Your body has a solid physical presence and is an intrinsic part of your existence. And so your gender identity is almost always constant, influencing the way you experience life and look at things around you even if you are not always conscious of it. </span><p></p></div><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face="-webkit-standard" style="caret-color: rgb(230, 145, 56); font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #bf9000;">***</span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></p><div class="page" title="Page 43"><div class="section"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><h4><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Hot stuff!</span></h4></div></div></div></div><div class="page" title="Page 43"><div class="section"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><div><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJdoIjxVph4LoCV5tquVXxB-oESSietnfouXBjk3qB8xGvgFQ1M7Bo8LxUGX9n41TN7u7374H3h9eX7AAbYU9g3ArFd7Knb7AI2HP92YLrOXCGJ6eFH1o0ItWZ8JZqKsraLziVjQVT9MW/s239/PRAVEEN+New.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="230" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJdoIjxVph4LoCV5tquVXxB-oESSietnfouXBjk3qB8xGvgFQ1M7Bo8LxUGX9n41TN7u7374H3h9eX7AAbYU9g3ArFd7Knb7AI2HP92YLrOXCGJ6eFH1o0ItWZ8JZqKsraLziVjQVT9MW/w207-h195/PRAVEEN+New.jpg" width="207" /></a></p><div style="text-align: right;"></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Mukta, serif; font-size: 13pt;">I don’t know whom to talk to about this... I dare not tell my friends. If they find out, they’ll surely stop talking to me. I know what names they call people like me. Even I feel sick about the kind of thoughts I have sometimes. But the other day, on TV, there was this programme in which a doctor said there’s nothing wrong if a boy is... if a boy is attracted to another boy. When I watch movies, I feel like looking at the hero more than the heroine. Am I some kind of freak</span><i>?</i></p></div></div></div></div><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face="-webkit-standard" style="caret-color: rgb(230, 145, 56); font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face="-webkit-standard" style="caret-color: rgb(230, 145, 56); font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #bf9000;">***</span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></p><div class="page" title="Page 43"><div class="section"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><h4><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></h4><h4><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Boy-boy, girl-girl</span></h4></div></div></div></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Mukta, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;">What if you are attracted to a person of the same sex? You may end up feeling like Praveen — troubled, ashamed, wondering if you’re a ‘freak’. This is probably because same-sex relationships are swept under the carpet in our country, as if they don’t, and shouldn’t, exist. You hardly ever see homosexual relationships being celebrated or even represented in the media. Even if they are, it is mostly in a negative or comic light. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Mukta, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3FFk0NU5RLC_-Z_bCsVS0gp6w7AONVvQbk8eY5bXDDQFM3zv3I2aLNlipx2rcyi9NNvEfRuV57ZF7PzNMV81JkwYbbEVSDSquC56qE3lVSoQ5TXeVgh1wFNsr1RCZQpJ0_wpcUlPcjbyD/s451/Same+Sex+Attraction+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="176" data-original-width="451" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3FFk0NU5RLC_-Z_bCsVS0gp6w7AONVvQbk8eY5bXDDQFM3zv3I2aLNlipx2rcyi9NNvEfRuV57ZF7PzNMV81JkwYbbEVSDSquC56qE3lVSoQ5TXeVgh1wFNsr1RCZQpJ0_wpcUlPcjbyD/s16000/Same+Sex+Attraction+1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"></p><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Mukta, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The general belief is that such attractions are ‘unnatural’ and should therefore not be ‘allowed’. The fact is that same-sex encounters have been recorded across species, not just in human beings. How can something which occurs in nature be considered ‘unnatural’?</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Mukta, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;">Same-sex relationships are also not a result of ‘modernity’. People of different sexualities have always existed, across time and culture. Several ancient texts make references to it. It’s not a disease either. As of 17 May 1990, homosexuality was removed from the WHO’s list of mental illnesseses. The American Psychological Association, too, has declared that both gender identity variation as well as same-sex sexual orientation are perfectly normal. <o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFXYl-o7xchYtCP2LHmsbhUOLiEIeIc9508XRkXRlY4LRG7YH9Xn47wC55g5ik-O-AQ3RJGYblhs00tomhI9Vb0SKlTgmSbsjSW2w1RMNSJsGBf8t_BktdE-fWCC2K6KzdOykGHP9HQS81/s208/Same+Sex+Attraction+2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="138" data-original-width="208" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFXYl-o7xchYtCP2LHmsbhUOLiEIeIc9508XRkXRlY4LRG7YH9Xn47wC55g5ik-O-AQ3RJGYblhs00tomhI9Vb0SKlTgmSbsjSW2w1RMNSJsGBf8t_BktdE-fWCC2K6KzdOykGHP9HQS81/w320-h212/Same+Sex+Attraction+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p></div><o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Mukta, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;">Shakespeare was bisexual and he wrote some of his most romantic love sonnets to a young man. Leonardo Da Vinci who painted the ‘Mona Lisa’ was believed to be gay, as was the writer Oscar Wilde. Talk show host, Ellen DeGeneres, is lesbian. In India, too, </span><span style="font-family: Mukta, serif; font-size: 13pt;">there are many accomplished people who don’t identify as heterosexual but cannot be open about it because it’s a taboo. Can all these people be considered ‘sick’ or unsuitable for society?! </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Mukta, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 24px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Mukta, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 26px;">A large part of the resistance to same sex-relationships comes from the fact that most human beings are heterosexual. As in many situations, the views and beliefs of the majority hold true. Had there been as many books and movies celebrating homosexual relationships as heterosexual ones, there would perhaps not have been so much prejudice. Whatever is less visible seems less normal, and because a lot of homosexual people fear the backlash from an intolerant society, they hide their true selves. A vicious circle. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Mukta, serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;"><br /></span></p></div><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face="-webkit-standard" style="caret-color: rgb(230, 145, 56); font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #bf9000;">***</span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face="-webkit-standard" style="caret-color: rgb(230, 145, 56); font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><br /></span></span></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEjIH6YPWv6W6h7op17jfJMnS-ajomb1kcM7fHBpeoU3QNKdWSvzJcptuj8v9LRjlXEjJWdVdRhUeMGEdqFJHM2Ve7EDl-KFaEVrTzIqTG-no87Km4dTXMii1JjcVe-FDTyMRZW7ONpQI/s76/SLOGAN+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="76" data-original-width="71" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEjIH6YPWv6W6h7op17jfJMnS-ajomb1kcM7fHBpeoU3QNKdWSvzJcptuj8v9LRjlXEjJWdVdRhUeMGEdqFJHM2Ve7EDl-KFaEVrTzIqTG-no87Km4dTXMii1JjcVe-FDTyMRZW7ONpQI/w112-h120/SLOGAN+1.jpg" width="112" /></a></div></div></h3><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></div><blockquote><div><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Introduce gender, identities and pride to the young people in your life with books, </i></span></span></div><div><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif;">order 'Gender Talk — Big Hero, Size Zero' from our <span style="color: #e06666; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/guthli-has-wings-english.html">website</a> </span>today!<br /></span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif;"> <br /></span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif;">The first post in this series featured a</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif;"> <span style="color: #e06666; text-decoration: none;"><a href="about://">heartwarming review</a> </span></span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif;">of our popular picture book 'Guthi Has Wings'. </span></span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: medium;">Visit our <a href="about://">website</a> </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">to buy the book.</span></span></i></div></blockquote><div><i style="color: #e06666; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></i></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 21.466665267944336px;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Poppins;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 21.466665267944336px;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Poppins;"><b>Follow our social media handles for more updates! 🔔</b></span></span></div></div><h4><blockquote style="text-align: left;"><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Work Sans;"></span></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Work Sans;"></span></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Work Sans;"></span></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Work Sans;"></span></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Work Sans;"></span></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Work Sans;"></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;"><o:p></o:p></span><p style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal;"></p></div></h4><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face="-webkit-standard" style="caret-color: rgb(230, 145, 56); font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><br /></span></span></p><h4 style="text-align: center;"><br /></h4>Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-80960510474999534682021-06-09T12:30:00.174+05:302021-06-18T14:03:54.979+05:30Happy Pride Month: Three cheers to diversity, inclusion and love!<div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">This month, a<span style="caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">long with our dear young readers, parents, educators and patrons, </span>we are celebrating diversity, and honouring pride. We'd like to give a huge shout-out to our authors, illustrators, publishing professionals and friends from the community for sharing their incredible journeys with us!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><br />At Tulika, we believe reading can be an essential starting point to learn and unlearn people’s varied experiences. We bring to you a unique showcase of our books that gently, but boldly talks about diversity, gender identities, family dynamics, oppression, inclusion, acceptance, compassion and kindness across age groups. Happy Pride! </span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: Calisto MT, serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 32, 96); font-size: 17.33333396911621px;">---</span></span></p><h4><b><i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></i></b></h4><h4 style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #e06666; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; text-align: left;"></span><blockquote><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #741b47;"></span></span><blockquote><span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; text-align: left;">“Guthli has Wings is an interesting depiction of a rather sensitive yet immensely significant issue in today’s world gender identity. The book does a commendable job with conveying the gravity of the issue being addressed through a simple plot, which spans over 20 pages.” — The Book Review Trust</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; text-align: left;"> </span></span></blockquote><span style="background-color: white; color: #e06666; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; text-align: left;"></span></blockquote><p><span style="color: #e69138;">***</span></p></h4><h4 style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #741b47;"></span></span><blockquote><span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">“The book is a beautifully simple tale of a girl who just needs for everyone else to see her as she sees herself… The hope is that this book and the bold and thoughtfully created Guthli will stand tall as a beacon of hope for the trans community.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(116, 27, 71); color: #741b47; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 17.33333396911621px; text-align: left;">”</span><span style="color: #741b47;"> </span><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">— The Wire</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #e06666;"></span></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #e06666;"></span><span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p></h4><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: Calisto MT, serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 32, 96); font-size: 17.33333396911621px;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTD6B17Etu0ORiFvMNtVRkFmheuMGZM7uq9RNaFKdsY2glNSZaszDbiOZ0mBVZoHKkaB5kmfzhcJUMM37rtwTcxCWS9eG3sKKNU-bQStkVpuqbxYPC51Nxwe6zTQ-Co5DAbE7lVGXFH07z/s800/guthli-has-wings-english.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTD6B17Etu0ORiFvMNtVRkFmheuMGZM7uq9RNaFKdsY2glNSZaszDbiOZ0mBVZoHKkaB5kmfzhcJUMM37rtwTcxCWS9eG3sKKNU-bQStkVpuqbxYPC51Nxwe6zTQ-Co5DAbE7lVGXFH07z/w400-h400/guthli-has-wings-english.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="color: #002060; font-family: Calisto MT, serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 32, 96); font-size: 17.33333396911621px;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #002060; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">Framed by vibrant cut-out illustrations, our highly acclaimed <i><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/guthli-has-wings-english.html" target="_blank">Guthli Has Wings</a></i> written by the author-illustrator Kanak Shashi delicately </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #002060; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">explores the process of acceptance that Guthli and her loving family go through. Sensitive illustrations come alive in this thoughtful picture book suitable for children aged six and above. Spreading her wings globally, Guthli will soon be available for our readers in Italian. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLeHlIZhYaxWPtFiE3s7kvSM_AAT34ZpNzNUXc0McD6NEuU5UTKvxzVw1q1HcFwaST3WIzthTPJoIfGPvE86doXg3QyC7KFfNmFdsjAJs2RcgsUPfInd6zV6AbwzKdkgqGUTdTTd6ArN_/s696/guthli-has-wings-english+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="696" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLeHlIZhYaxWPtFiE3s7kvSM_AAT34ZpNzNUXc0McD6NEuU5UTKvxzVw1q1HcFwaST3WIzthTPJoIfGPvE86doXg3QyC7KFfNmFdsjAJs2RcgsUPfInd6zV6AbwzKdkgqGUTdTTd6ArN_/w640-h360/guthli-has-wings-english+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">“</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #002060; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">A simple book, with vibrant illustrations, the colours taking you through the many emotions that Guthli, a child, like any child with hopes, has!” reads a <a href="https://gaysifamily.com/2019/07/26/book-review-guthli-has-wings-by-kanak-shashi/" target="_blank">moving review</a> in the UAE-based online forum and website Gaysi Family blog. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><i style="color: #002060; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><i style="color: #002060; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">In the reviewer Pooja Nair’s words…</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><i style="color: #002060; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;">"</span><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">As a bony little kid studying in an Islamic country (the UAE, if you must know), I rarely had stories that spoke to me about me. My barbies were all white, their clothes were glittery (something my parents wouldn’t buy me, let alone let me wear), my friends were talking about boys (yes, even in the 2nd grade), but who could blame us? It’s all we saw everywhere around us. In cartoons, advertisements, movies, accidental pornography- everywhere. And so we all boxed up our brains into the roles we were assigned; the things we could do, the people we love. The hopes for our future too were very much like this, gendered.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXFlM5YTvOg0jea2j_S29IZ7z36ggwNwy9zzqHj5kGB1-RPQqQ7DgSj7vlM9yA1suvG_5P4Mbqej2bjNDNQxzeuWAiFEiy1u-Yh4nMspp8J2WdBjvyfLNTFy0oSxfTG70OxYeDb2rRtCjq/s698/guthli-has-wings-english+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="698" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXFlM5YTvOg0jea2j_S29IZ7z36ggwNwy9zzqHj5kGB1-RPQqQ7DgSj7vlM9yA1suvG_5P4Mbqej2bjNDNQxzeuWAiFEiy1u-Yh4nMspp8J2WdBjvyfLNTFy0oSxfTG70OxYeDb2rRtCjq/w640-h362/guthli-has-wings-english+%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;">Although my sexuality was not something I discovered and understood until my twenties, my gender identity was pretty clear to me as a 7-year-old. I liked many things but didn’t understand why those things were boxed up. For me, it was all one huge box that I could play with —all depending on how I felt on that day of that month of that year. Much like Guthli, in the book that I recently received to review. Guthli is a child who has hopes and dreams of being a fairy, and she doesn’t see frocks as girls’ clothes until her mother tells her that they are. The book provides a lesson to parents about socialisation without even using the word. “It’s just the way things are”, Guthli’s mother says just like a thousand other mothers around the world say to their children. Just like my mother said to me. Every action has a ‘like a boy’ or ‘like a girl’ following it, and 7-year-old me just wanted to be happy and comfortable wearing whatever that day, much like 24-year-old me, now that I think of it.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgonu39SgdAY9sK5R88lLCqe-FwHYOVcFEFYtdteKQXGhvfkeEYzBk0tShjvl4rG9-ECCVH7LJ_5SXQZ6bP-tJB5hZw757FbfWQx0lWcqr7Q-FupIuOPnZGLFy1pJYhd2RTiCqPXlAOMtZM/s698/guthli-has-wings-english+%25283%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="698" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgonu39SgdAY9sK5R88lLCqe-FwHYOVcFEFYtdteKQXGhvfkeEYzBk0tShjvl4rG9-ECCVH7LJ_5SXQZ6bP-tJB5hZw757FbfWQx0lWcqr7Q-FupIuOPnZGLFy1pJYhd2RTiCqPXlAOMtZM/w640-h360/guthli-has-wings-english+%25283%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;">That is probably why I was so happy to have received this book to review; <i>Guthli has Wings</i>, written by Kanak Shashi. A simple book, with vibrant illustrations, the colours taking you through the many emotions that Guthli, a child, like any child with hopes, has! Even before I read it, I made my mother read it. She, as a school teacher, and a mother who had struggled to understand her child’s sexuality and gender identity, smiled slightly at the end of the book. We didn’t talk about it, but it’s a book I wish I could have given her when I was little and when she was angrier. Perhaps, it would have helped her understand what I could not make her see.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">Guthli brought back memories of the first time I told my mother that I didn’t feel completely like a girl, or like a boy either, and asked her for an option beyond the two. My mother, who hadn’t thought the daughter she had prayed for so badly, wouldn’t want to be a daughter anymore. She was unprepared and dismissive of my plea. My mother now understands, and even though it took so many years, the Guthli in me has the wings that I’ve always wanted."</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(116, 27, 71); color: #741b47; font-family: georgia;">This piece first appeared on gaysifamily.com under the title </span></span></i><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(116, 27, 71); color: #741b47; font-family: georgia;">‘</span><a href="https://gaysifamily.com/2019/07/26/book-review-guthli-has-wings-by-kanak-shashi/" style="font-family: georgia;">Book Review: ‘Guthli Has Wings’ by Kanak Shashi</a><span style="caret-color: rgb(116, 27, 71); color: #741b47; font-family: georgia;">’. </span></span></i><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(116, 27, 71); color: #741b47; font-family: georgia;">The author is a researcher in </span></span></i><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(116, 27, 71); color: #741b47; font-family: georgia;">Anthropology and Sociology </span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(116, 27, 71); color: #741b47; font-family: georgia;">at </span></span></i><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(116, 27, 71); color: #741b47; font-family: georgia;">SOAS University of London. </span></span></i><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(116, 27, 71); color: #741b47; font-family: georgia;">Follow them on Twitter at </span><a href="https://twitter.com/karmicdev" style="font-family: georgia;">@karmic_dev</a><span style="caret-color: rgb(116, 27, 71); color: #741b47; font-family: georgia;">. </span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 32, 96); color: #002060; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 17.33333396911621px;">---</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 32, 96); color: #002060; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 17.33333396911621px;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; line-height: 21.466665267944336px;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: medium;"> Introduce pride to the young people in your life with books,</span></span></i></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; line-height: 21.466665267944336px;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: medium;">order 'Guthli Has Wings' from our <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/guthli-has-wings-english.html">website</a> today! </span></span></i></div></i></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;"></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.933334350585938px;"> </span></p></div>Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-71629108024134359132021-04-26T16:33:00.004+05:302021-05-07T17:45:00.851+05:30Parthiban's Dream: A review by Shefali Ganesh <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; padding: 0cm;">While some books are pacy and thrilling, some are rich, slow and unputdownable. Very few, not only fall in one of these categories but also act as an escape from reality. Historical fiction trumps that category by </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">making even time travel possible! </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">In these strange times, when most of us are overwhelmed by the present, books like </span><u><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">Parthiban's Dream</span></u><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"> will immerse you in the drama, grace and magic of the past... And how delightful to see Shefali Ganesh, a freelance writer, picking up these key ingredients of the book and stringing them together in this succinct review! </span><span face="-webkit-standard, serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span face="-webkit-standard, serif"> </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"> ---</span><span face="-webkit-standard, serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span face="-webkit-standard, serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; padding: 0cm;">“Father, did you draw these?” asks Prince Vikraman.<br />“Yes, I did. These last twelve years, night and day, asleep or awake, these are the dreams that I have seen… <br />Today, the Cholas are insignificant vassals. Hemmed in by the Cheras, the Pandiyas, and the Pallavas, we have diminished to a fist-sized land. Our ancestors were renowned emperors… To return this glory to the country that I love so much- that is the desire that fills my heart to overflowing. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; padding: 0cm;">This is the dream I see… night and day, asleep and awake...”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; padding: 0cm;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUivphJoq6pmTeVnhQDMkFhoqozJcKfTmsJNXvNSKVdgETr_uSOPIuDCMGWce4TPBDnJyBW4W9IqNqKvBT7k1oeX_tJ9Jk594f31Y6zf3d6NhN_dg9acfDLJMhlrIZjVwl0nVWDSKTAlCF/s732/Screenshot+2021-05-07+at+4.48.52+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="462" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUivphJoq6pmTeVnhQDMkFhoqozJcKfTmsJNXvNSKVdgETr_uSOPIuDCMGWce4TPBDnJyBW4W9IqNqKvBT7k1oeX_tJ9Jk594f31Y6zf3d6NhN_dg9acfDLJMhlrIZjVwl0nVWDSKTAlCF/w253-h400/Screenshot+2021-05-07+at+4.48.52+PM.png" width="253" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; padding: 0cm;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="color: #783f04;">In the words of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLzTt43B6F-/?igshid=jw21skefr9k5">Shefali Ganesh</a>..</span><span style="color: #4c1130;">.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></p><h4 style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal; padding: 0cm;">I am reading Parthiban’s Dream, an English translation of the Tamil masterpiece by award-winning author Kalki Krishnamurthy (first published in 1934 by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tulikabooks/">@tulikabooks</a>).<br /><br />The book takes us back to between the 6th and 9th century, when the UNESCO site, Mahabalipuram’s famed Shore Temples are being built. These are times when Tamil Nadu is divided in rule between the Pallavas, Pandyas and the Cholas </span><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;">– </span><span style="background-color: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal; padding: 0cm;">the three dynasties that set their mark on India’s history. These were times when the Pallavas were reigning in full glory with Emperor Narasimha Varman on the throne. King of the Cholas, Parthiban rules over a small kingdom, a good king to his subjects, but boxed in on all sides by the Pallavas and the Pandyas.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></span></h4><h4 style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: #660000;">The book is not just about history, but is a racy thriller that starts with King Parthiban who dreams of a most powerful Chola empire. He dies in war with Emperor Narasimha Varman and leaves his son Prince Vikraman the lost heritage of the Cholas and the ancestral sword.<br /><br />There are plots and sub-plots, many a mystery, some history and characters that come alive in a land that is described as lush green, watered by the River Kaveri. Fast plots and simple narratives brought history to the common man in Kalki’s works.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></span></h4><h4 style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal; padding: 0cm;">Parthiban’s Dreams is for the reader (teen upwards) who loves history, culture, fiction but unfortunately can’t read their mother tongue (like yours truly!). I’m hoping my 11-year-old will pick this up soon...<br /><br />A word on the translator, Nirupama Raghavan </span><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;">– </span><span style="background-color: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal; padding: 0cm;">a teenager (then) who has done a brilliant job at capturing a tone into simple yet eloquent words.</span></span><span style="color: #335e6f; font-family: Molengo, serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></h4><div><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal; padding: 0cm;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal; padding: 0cm;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/bookstagram/"><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: blue; font-size: 10.5pt; padding: 0cm;">#bookstagram</span></a></span><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/bookstagramindia/"><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: blue; font-size: 10.5pt; padding: 0cm;">#bookstagramindia</span></a></span><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/tbr/"><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: blue; font-size: 10.5pt; padding: 0cm;">#tbr</span></a></span><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/bookreview/"><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: blue; font-size: 10.5pt; padding: 0cm;">#bookreview</span></a></span><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/tamilfiction/"><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: blue; font-size: 10.5pt; padding: 0cm;">#tamilfiction</span></a></span><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/tulikabooks/"><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: blue; font-size: 10.5pt; padding: 0cm;">#tulikabooks</span></a></span><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/regionallanguagebooks/"><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: blue; font-size: 10.5pt; padding: 0cm;">#regionallanguagebooks</span></a></span><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: blue; font-size: 10.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/readingnow/">#readingnow</a> #indianlangauges #booksintamil</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal; padding: 0cm;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal; padding: 0cm;">---</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal; padding: 0cm;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">Back in October 2019, we found out that our chapter book </span><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-fiction/parthiban-s-dream-english.html" style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">Parthiban's Dream </a><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">was chosen as part of the English 'Non-detail' </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 17.33333396911621px;">syllabus</span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"> for students of class eight at a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tulika.books/posts/parthibans-dream-at-samskaara-academynot-only-did-karuna-murthy-choose-the-book-/10162622429435338/">Samskaara Academy</a> in Coimbatore. What a delight! </span></div><div><p></p></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #783f04; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Calisto MT, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Click </span></span><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-fiction/parthiban-s-dream-english.html" style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;">here</a><span style="font-family: Calisto MT, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"> to get a copy of this thrilling page-turner </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #783f04; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 17.33333396911621px;">for your children or any loved one! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #783f04; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 17.33333396911621px;">If you've already read it and have a review, we'd love to feature it here! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 0, 0); color: #783f04; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 17.33333396911621px;">Send them to reachus@tulikabooks.com. </span></div><span style="color: #783f04;"><div style="text-align: center;"> </div></span></h4><div><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal; padding: 0cm;"><br /></span></span></div><div><br /></div><p></p><figure class="il im in io ip iq fb fc paragraph-image" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: medium-content-sans-serif-font, -apple-system, system-ui, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin: 56px auto 0px; orphans: 2; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2;"></figure>Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-32852163862218900832021-03-30T15:00:00.001+05:302021-04-05T13:45:32.773+05:30Uncle Nehru, Please Send an Elephant!: A review by Myth Aunty <p><span style="background-color: white; color: #360c37; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">Some books are born of serendipity. When we chanced upon an <a href="https://caravanmagazine.in/lede/india-history-elephant-diplomacy">article</a> in The Caravan about Nehru’s unique ‘elephant diplomacy’, we saw sitting in it a charming story for children. We’d been wanting to get a picture book out of Devika Cariapa, a natural storyteller and one of our star non-fiction authors. So we sent her the piece, she gracefully took the challenge, and did what she does with everything she writes – turned it into a masterpiece! Satwik Gade was so enthused about this story that he magically sent us the absolutely delightful illustrations in absolute record time! So it all happened... And what joy it is when a discerning reader picks up all the little but big things that make it a most unusual and interesting picture book, as Library Consultant and Trainer JoAnne Saldanha does in this Facebook post!</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxh6yHC-1GX15LGlTTsBQHQ8DXfUi815AYi81ZVXHa5O7gJqzd8loHCfjzRBeTqD2ph3SieIwgYMpvjwjhpRUV6hqzdRw-fumned5A354ppKqxDDiNUbOlggEl5A2DimlOtCYoAYq-pvB_/s737/Screenshot+2021-03-30+at+6.45.43+PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="737" data-original-width="722" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxh6yHC-1GX15LGlTTsBQHQ8DXfUi815AYi81ZVXHa5O7gJqzd8loHCfjzRBeTqD2ph3SieIwgYMpvjwjhpRUV6hqzdRw-fumned5A354ppKqxDDiNUbOlggEl5A2DimlOtCYoAYq-pvB_/w363-h371/Screenshot+2021-03-30+at+6.45.43+PM.png" width="363" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/picture-books/uncle-nehru-please-send-an-elephant-english.html">here</a> to buy this picture book!</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #360c37; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #360c37; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/mythaunty">Myth </a></span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/mythaunty">Aunty</a> writes… <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #360c37; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #360c37; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">In a time that seems like a lifetime before this one, in which most of us communicate through email, Whatsapp messages and SMS, people wrote and received letters...snail mail, as we call it today, named so because it took quite a while for a letter to reach, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru spent a portion of his day reading and writing letters.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #360c37; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqXZny9mblq4ev7a3auEaTgNFzQ96L3yWLJ0jyseiYhyphenhyphen2OzmPMWGmht2cyAmxqXF4RYCFf6mpWcj2lvCZYD6vEBT9f0l9-i3v4yfUdUgFDjyOl2LLwQrcz1HPypehcYRa_PZIZ3wTcLqh/s1368/English+layout+-+Elephant-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1368" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqXZny9mblq4ev7a3auEaTgNFzQ96L3yWLJ0jyseiYhyphenhyphen2OzmPMWGmht2cyAmxqXF4RYCFf6mpWcj2lvCZYD6vEBT9f0l9-i3v4yfUdUgFDjyOl2LLwQrcz1HPypehcYRa_PZIZ3wTcLqh/w640-h354/English+layout+-+Elephant-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A look inside from <i><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/picture-books/uncle-nehru-please-send-an-elephant-english.html">Uncle Nehru, Please Send an Elephant</a></i></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #360c37; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #360c37; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">On one such day, he opened his mail bag to find a whole lot of letters from Japan, a country quite far away. What was surprising was not that the letters were written by children but rather the request that these letters held. The children of Tokyo, Japan had written requesting that he send them an elephant!! ‘Could you send us an elephant, a real live one...we’ve never seen a live elephant.’...the letters read.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #360c37; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #360c37; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/pmnehru/"><span style="color: #360c37; text-decoration: none;">Pandit </span>Nehru</a> was very busy with a newly independent country to run and develop. However he knew that Japan had also been through some very hard times, through the second world war. So he sat down with his advisors and decided to send an elephant to Japan. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #360c37; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #360c37; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">A masterful diplomat, he saw this as a way to build ties with Japan, sending a warm letter to the children of Japan, along with Indira, the elephant... named after his own daughter “... a gift not from me but from the children of India to the children of Japan. The elephant is a noble animal much loved in India and typical of India. It is wise, patient, strong yet gentle. I hope all of us will also develop these qualities.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #360c37; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /><span style="color: #360c37; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/devikacariapa/">#DevikaCariapa</a> </span>takes true incidents from history to tell us about Nehru’s ‘elephant diplomacy’. She weaves Nehru’s efforts at building a nation together with amusing anecdotes and his efforts as ensuring that other countries looked on the newly formed nation of India as one that is generous, gentle and noble... much like their gifts that travelled around the world. <span style="color: #360c37; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/satwikgade/">#SatwikGade</a></span>‘s illustrations add charm and humour to this interesting read. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #360c37; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFV5ALk-vpDxa6GlW1X9vEJfATe-7Z2_6NrEM0Je7wwlDwWlFJVmUJ4iW_-yZCeJt2LgYXbUNOEFOU8qdocISUKBNTeYr3P07SauGAswhPxGHDsznPB57d0J2DmJ8f-o7wZ5Q5cYimPJxA/s1368/English+layout+-+Elephant-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1368" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFV5ALk-vpDxa6GlW1X9vEJfATe-7Z2_6NrEM0Je7wwlDwWlFJVmUJ4iW_-yZCeJt2LgYXbUNOEFOU8qdocISUKBNTeYr3P07SauGAswhPxGHDsznPB57d0J2DmJ8f-o7wZ5Q5cYimPJxA/w640-h354/English+layout+-+Elephant-12.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A spread from the picture book</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #360c37; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br />I love books which I can use across the grades. Devika Cariapa’s writing prompts many ways to explore this book. While my primary children will love the story of the elephants, and be amused by the range of requests, like the one to ‘dig up’ an elephant for their city, letters addressed to ‘Uncle Nehru’, an elephant being given English lessons, to the anecdote about a child who on being told that elephants were vegetarian, wondering if the elephant will know that he is not a vegetable!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #360c37; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">For my older students, I can see this book prompting discussions on diplomacy and the various efforts being taken to build the country, along with animal rights and whether it would be ethical to transport elephants, a creature with close family ties, alone and far away to countries with different weather conditions and vegetation, to what Indira - Nehru's daughter thought about her name being given to an elephant. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #360c37; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #360c37; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">I’m a huge Devika Cariapa fan, her writing, the research that she puts into her work, and her interactions with both children and adults that I’ve witnessed at a few of her sessions I’ve attended...I hold it all and Devika in high esteem. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #360c37; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #360c37; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">When it comes to history <span style="color: #360c37; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/devikacariapa/">#devikacariapa</a> </span>(in the words of my students) is ‘da bomb’ <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #360c37; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">Love this one and looking forward to using it with my students. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #360c37; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /><span style="color: #360c37; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/elephantdiplomacy/">#elephantdiplomacy</a> </span><span style="color: #360c37; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/mythaunty/">#mythaunty</a> </span><span style="color: #360c37; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/tulikabooks/">#tulikabooks</a> </span><span style="color: #360c37; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/indianhistorybooksforchildren/">#indianhistorybooksforchildren</a> </span><span style="color: #360c37; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/indianpicturebooks/">#indianpicturebooks</a> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #360c37; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #360c37; text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: rotissansserifstd; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Get your copy of this book <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/picture-books/uncle-nehru-please-send-an-elephant-english.html">now</a> to introduce India’s first Prime Minister to children </span></span></div><span style="caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: rotissansserifstd; font-size: 16px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75;">through his unique elephant diplomacy!</span></div></span></h4><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #360c37;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-41414378294730895892021-03-29T21:00:00.002+05:302021-03-30T19:23:56.830+05:30A Book is a Bee: Review by Myth Aunty <div style="text-align: left;"><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">Every once in a happy while we come across something that elevates one of our books (and our hearts) to unexpected heights. We always loved the possibilities that <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/in-verse/a-book-is-a-bee-english.html">A Book is a Bee</a> held out, but just look at these responses of children in this Facebook post by Library Consultant and Trainer JoAnne Saldanha! And what a wonderful learning for other parents, teachers and educators in how to evoke and encourage creativity – the sky is no limit at all!</span></h4><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYzTDMdEzVW-qfOAlrcP3CLEoYW-unucH5CnzzRDxGQLuId_dCtQckOpRFhy-M3dlY0UjYO7mpJCbWmGxofZUm7g_zjHhZHfCaACgRWLqnoquNmKGZXS6K-LWgembsaMQCwx28QYiITi-d/s393/Bee+final.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="372" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYzTDMdEzVW-qfOAlrcP3CLEoYW-unucH5CnzzRDxGQLuId_dCtQckOpRFhy-M3dlY0UjYO7mpJCbWmGxofZUm7g_zjHhZHfCaACgRWLqnoquNmKGZXS6K-LWgembsaMQCwx28QYiITi-d/w303-h320/Bee+final.png" width="303" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/in-verse/a-book-is-a-bee-english.html">here</a> to get your copy!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: 15pt; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/mythaunty">In Myth Aunty’s words…<o:p></o:p></a> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">One of my favourite books to read to children is ‘A Book is a Bee’ by <span style="color: #4c1130; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/_lavanyakarthik_/">@_lavanyakarthik_</a> </span>illustrated by Ruchi Shah published by <span style="color: #4c1130; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tulikabooks/">@tulikabooks</a>.</span><br /><br />It’s a wonderful way for my students to reflect about what books mean to them. (A side effect is that it serves as a great way to help them practice metaphors and reinforce the difference between simile and metaphors and bring in reasons for the role ‘figures of speech’ play in writing.) </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(76, 17, 48); color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 17.33333396911621px;">I use this book often...this time with Grades 2-6, as we continued our celebrations for World Book Day on March 4th!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(76, 17, 48); color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 17.33333396911621px;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQc6NBQAO22Tk3aTVvyYMhZHAeYMSn4NvwX3zZeZhJv191hrsi_sMn7IpVrcTAWb6gh5PjM4IDDr2h-q1jCRgp5Hnes5F57us05LsuEDkIKjlxt0HemuA4DemnMbDd2PFXHx57jkIjCzJ/s718/Bee+spread.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="718" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQc6NBQAO22Tk3aTVvyYMhZHAeYMSn4NvwX3zZeZhJv191hrsi_sMn7IpVrcTAWb6gh5PjM4IDDr2h-q1jCRgp5Hnes5F57us05LsuEDkIKjlxt0HemuA4DemnMbDd2PFXHx57jkIjCzJ/w640-h381/Bee+spread.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A spread from the picture book <i>A Book is a Bee</i></td></tr></tbody></table></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Here are a few the wonderful responses by my students. </span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">The emphasis is on them expressing themselves and being able to make the connections. In the library they have the freedom to do so, without bothering about their spellings or grammar. <br />They were free to draw and express or only share their ideas during our online class. A few needed guidance with framing the sentence into a metaphor. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Calisto MT, serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(76, 17, 48); font-size: 17.33333396911621px;"><br /></span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VCmn3lP3EmGhpOAiJI8T9oN4HrFQzDzAijP5cyJtBbWqCpFm6F3DOBgV9T7VXNSBVE1M1FECiW47ctrshm75645Wt2iAVgtG4JB8OfvrqhsDJlec-RwUgHwa1Ef_UeF4kmM0pcpdjqb-/s478/163798973_3784280568324475_1366882691753066547_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="393" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VCmn3lP3EmGhpOAiJI8T9oN4HrFQzDzAijP5cyJtBbWqCpFm6F3DOBgV9T7VXNSBVE1M1FECiW47ctrshm75645Wt2iAVgtG4JB8OfvrqhsDJlec-RwUgHwa1Ef_UeF4kmM0pcpdjqb-/w355-h400/163798973_3784280568324475_1366882691753066547_n.jpg" width="355" /></a></div><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">* A book is a forest, enter and it’s an adventure.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "MS Mincho"; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br />* A book is like glue, it sticks to you with ideas. (doesn’t it just?!!??)</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "MS Mincho"; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br />* A book is a bee, I fly when I read one. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "MS Mincho"; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br />* A book is a rocket that takes me to another world.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "MS Mincho"; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br />* A book is like a cage, when I start reading I’m trapped. (literally!! literally!!)</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "MS Mincho"; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br />* A book is a bottle of water that quenches my thirst. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "MS Mincho"; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br />* A book is a whale, it is so big and long. (This child obviously had a heavy tome in mind!!)</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "MS Mincho"; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br />* A book is Lego, it gives me imagination, makes me smart and playful. I like it.<br />*A book is a journey that takes you to places you imagine.<br />* A book is a sausage, I want to gobble it up. (a child after my own heart!!) </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "MS Mincho"; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br />* A book makes you go in a car over an adventurous mountain of words.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "MS Mincho"; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br />* A book is life and logic, it teaches you in many ways. (may I grow up to be this kid!!!)</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "MS Mincho"; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br />*A book is a superhero that saves me from boredom. (Ah!! The Marvel/ DC fan, never fails to make his/her presence felt!)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(76, 17, 48); color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 17.33333396911621px;">Just a few of the interesting and wonderful responses that made my heart leap with joy. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsvlsII9kYf6CzaddcrHfM2yUZYKomLX3RCenWmiToKVhc_FtNYkQ-c9Ut4Mn3wz-Sy3VJzSv0xnKdEN5cX1RU5K0YSROCsBY-pbHXyWi_nXWRbWurd_71bhsgV3hDgN1H3cy1HsDA42bM/s2048/164180007_3784277944991404_495905955921835997_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1384" data-original-width="2048" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsvlsII9kYf6CzaddcrHfM2yUZYKomLX3RCenWmiToKVhc_FtNYkQ-c9Ut4Mn3wz-Sy3VJzSv0xnKdEN5cX1RU5K0YSROCsBY-pbHXyWi_nXWRbWurd_71bhsgV3hDgN1H3cy1HsDA42bM/w285-h191/164180007_3784277944991404_495905955921835997_n.jpg" width="285" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LmgaANvyr4ZQLMPnTDIZPcTjImA7KF9QVehy0mdn_VZL8Qsy_rLpppx9ja49UcGJdDR8bAiVaOQk3hw8rLlOFIiUkkj5rs1ExUuIy_D5ySjOJ0LWOMEc3aGFvTjhC4lxEa40ZmE8dDha/s640/163248514_3784280474991151_3891124515092897458_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="640" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LmgaANvyr4ZQLMPnTDIZPcTjImA7KF9QVehy0mdn_VZL8Qsy_rLpppx9ja49UcGJdDR8bAiVaOQk3hw8rLlOFIiUkkj5rs1ExUuIy_D5ySjOJ0LWOMEc3aGFvTjhC4lxEa40ZmE8dDha/w314-h188/163248514_3784280474991151_3891124515092897458_n.jpg" width="314" /></a></div></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">I prefer to let my sessions flow with the children’s responses, the next session picking up from the previous one. This allows for the ebbing and flowing of the children’s thoughts and ideas, and we always have so much to learn from them. The library offers this space.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: #4c1130; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/libraryeducation/">#libraryeducation</a> </span><span style="color: #4c1130; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/schoollibrary/">#schoollibrary</a> </span><span style="color: #4c1130; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/abookisabee?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWri7rhYGx2u2RhYF1wAeXNcSWfe8i3AqPCxucFKDm7zsUpjaxugRkk1T7XQNlGlpFKaVAKsQCYjWce_pYfurYLVckrHzFPrf8ZW20yYcAQa6e-w5At75vtjj1x8eAz_t10Qn78pXJHbGFnL0qy2_vg&__tn__=*NK-R">#abookisabee</a> </span><span style="color: #4c1130; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/tulikabooks?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWri7rhYGx2u2RhYF1wAeXNcSWfe8i3AqPCxucFKDm7zsUpjaxugRkk1T7XQNlGlpFKaVAKsQCYjWce_pYfurYLVckrHzFPrf8ZW20yYcAQa6e-w5At75vtjj1x8eAz_t10Qn78pXJHbGFnL0qy2_vg&__tn__=*NK-R">#tulikabooks</a> </span></span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/lavanyakarthik?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWri7rhYGx2u2RhYF1wAeXNcSWfe8i3AqPCxucFKDm7zsUpjaxugRkk1T7XQNlGlpFKaVAKsQCYjWce_pYfurYLVckrHzFPrf8ZW20yYcAQa6e-w5At75vtjj1x8eAz_t10Qn78pXJHbGFnL0qy2_vg&__tn__=*NK-R">#Lavanyakarthik</a> </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/ruchishah?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWri7rhYGx2u2RhYF1wAeXNcSWfe8i3AqPCxucFKDm7zsUpjaxugRkk1T7XQNlGlpFKaVAKsQCYjWce_pYfurYLVckrHzFPrf8ZW20yYcAQa6e-w5At75vtjj1x8eAz_t10Qn78pXJHbGFnL0qy2_vg&__tn__=*NK-R">#Ruchishah</a> </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/schoollibraryindia?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWri7rhYGx2u2RhYF1wAeXNcSWfe8i3AqPCxucFKDm7zsUpjaxugRkk1T7XQNlGlpFKaVAKsQCYjWce_pYfurYLVckrHzFPrf8ZW20yYcAQa6e-w5At75vtjj1x8eAz_t10Qn78pXJHbGFnL0qy2_vg&__tn__=*NK-R" style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">#schoollibraryindia</a> </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/playingwithbooks?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWri7rhYGx2u2RhYF1wAeXNcSWfe8i3AqPCxucFKDm7zsUpjaxugRkk1T7XQNlGlpFKaVAKsQCYjWce_pYfurYLVckrHzFPrf8ZW20yYcAQa6e-w5At75vtjj1x8eAz_t10Qn78pXJHbGFnL0qy2_vg&__tn__=*NK-R" style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">#playingwithbooks</a> </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/mythaunty?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWri7rhYGx2u2RhYF1wAeXNcSWfe8i3AqPCxucFKDm7zsUpjaxugRkk1T7XQNlGlpFKaVAKsQCYjWce_pYfurYLVckrHzFPrf8ZW20yYcAQa6e-w5At75vtjj1x8eAz_t10Qn78pXJHbGFnL0qy2_vg&__tn__=*NK-R" style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">#mythaunty</a> </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/libraryconsultant?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWri7rhYGx2u2RhYF1wAeXNcSWfe8i3AqPCxucFKDm7zsUpjaxugRkk1T7XQNlGlpFKaVAKsQCYjWce_pYfurYLVckrHzFPrf8ZW20yYcAQa6e-w5At75vtjj1x8eAz_t10Qn78pXJHbGFnL0qy2_vg&__tn__=*NK-R" style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">#libraryconsultant</a> </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/libraryeducator?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWri7rhYGx2u2RhYF1wAeXNcSWfe8i3AqPCxucFKDm7zsUpjaxugRkk1T7XQNlGlpFKaVAKsQCYjWce_pYfurYLVckrHzFPrf8ZW20yYcAQa6e-w5At75vtjj1x8eAz_t10Qn78pXJHbGFnL0qy2_vg&__tn__=*NK-R" style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 13pt;">#libraryeducator</a> </span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); color: #660000; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: 16px;"><b>To feel and find, climb and plunge, sail and savour and soar… all from your favourite spot, </b></span></div><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(85, 85, 85); color: #660000; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: 16px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>get your copy of 'A Book is a Bee'<i style="background-color: transparent;"> </i>from <a href="http://www.tulikabooks.com" style="background-color: transparent;">www.tulikabooks.com</a> today! </b></div></span><p></p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span lang="EN-US" style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-79857888037369741012020-03-09T12:10:00.000+05:302020-03-09T12:47:11.555+05:30"I'd like children to feel the joy, because that’s what Zakir Hussain is about"<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">Our hot off the press picture book </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/zakir-and-his-tabla-dha-dhin-na-hardcoverenglish.html">Zakir and His Tabla - Dha Dhin Na</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"> by award-winning author and illustrator, Sandhya Rao and Priya Kuriyan, introduces children to a musical maestro, whose busy fingers and flying curls make him the inimitable Zakir Hussain<span style="background: white;">. </span></span><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;">In the first of this two-part series, we spoke to Sandhya Rao, who gives us a closer look into what went on behind the scenes. </span><br />
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<b style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "calisto mt", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">How
did you start conceiving of the thread of the narrative?</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br />To
be honest, I don’t remember. All I know is I grew more and more fascinated as I
gathered more and more information about his growing years. I don’t think
there’s anyone on earth who doesn’t love Zakir Hussain. I’m a big fan, always
have been. Of his father, too. I guess there was so much information I just
decided to do the simple thing and start at somewhere in the beginning since
that’s what we know less about.</span><br />
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<b style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt", serif; font-size: 13pt;">This
book follows the journey of a tabla virtuoso through interesting events from
his life. How did you go about researching this book?</b><br />
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">First
of all, I spent a great deal of time listening to his music. Thanks to the
internet and thanks to music connoisseurs and fans, so much is available on
YouTube. Old and new concerts. With masters and contemporary musicians. You
watch him and you are watching joy as it's unravelling. Then I watched or read
interviews, this film made by Sumantra Ghosh is brilliant, as also the book
based on Nasreen Munni Kabir’s interviews with Zakir. Plus I read and watched
whatever I could lay my hands on. Then, I returned to the feelings I had
experienced listening to him with his Shakti group way back when I was young. I
kept researching, but didn’t really keep notes. I let the things that left an
impression on my mind remain with me, and that’s what guided the approach and
tone of the book.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><b>You
have captured personal moments through conversation. Was it a challenge to put
those words in quotes, drawing from ‘information’? How much liberty did you
feel you could take in dialogue?</b></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><b><br /></b><br />Actually
the conversations are based on actual comments made by himself or others and
are attributed as such, even though they are not exactly what they said. I
imagined how they might have said it, depending upon who was speaking and the
age of the speaker. All the people in the book are real. But since I didn’t
know them personally, I had to imagine them. Reading, researching, I had formed
some impressions of what kind of personalities they might have been. So, even
though the various dialogues are not verbatim, they reflect the reality (I hope
that comes through) as I understood it.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: "calisto mt", serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">What
would you like children to see in this book? A different childhood? A different
environment… All of this and anything more?</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Firstly,
I would like children to feel the joy, because that’s what Zakir Hussain is
about, joy. And joy comes from love: love of music, love of family, love of
explorations, love of sharing, love of learning, love of people, love of
teachers… And that’s the other thing I’d like children to feel when they see
this book: Love. It’s so tangible in his personality and in his music. Music in
itself transcends all differences and I feel that has been part of Zakir
Hussain’s music from the very beginning, because that’s what he inherited from
his father, the amazing Allarakha. That’s what he received from Ali Akbar Khan
Sahib, and Ravi Shankar Sahib, from his mother, his sisters… even the Pathani
band he played with as a child. No, it’s not about showing sameness in
differences. It’s about finding joy, finding love, sharing.</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">I would also like children to see that though Zakir Hussain was a prodigy, a genius, he's had to
work very hard indeed to achieve the heights he has. Practice, practice,
practice: that is the mantra, the same mantra that applies to everybody. That's
what made Ravishankar who he was, Allarakha who he became, Ali Akbar Khan...
every single person will endorse the importance of practising regularly and
hard. You cannot take talent for granted.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><b>Working
on each book can be very different, but can you tell us what was most defining
in this experience.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Listening
to the music without feeling guilty!!! Reading without feeling guilty! Watching
without feeling guilty! Watching some amazing footage, like Alauddin Khan Sahib
teasing his wife as he played for her, a young Zakir being appreciated by a
smiling Allarakha… So many moving moments. Zakir Hussain himself listening to
little boys playing for him, beautifully and seriously. These are such moving
moments that you wonder why we cannot all appreciate and enjoy the beautiful
experiences we are lucky to have instead of spewing hate upon each other.</span><br />
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<b style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt", serif; font-size: 13pt;">How
easy or difficult is it writing narrative non-fiction for children in relation
to fiction, and what should one keep an eye out for when attempting narrative
non-fiction?</b></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">It
would be presumptuous of me to try and give instructions, so I won’t. But there
is one thing about narrative non-fiction and that’s sticking to the truth. Of
course, we know that each one’s understanding of truth is different: look what
we’re doing with our history textbooks for instance. I’m not talking about
that. I’m talking about the truth that emanates from inside and that has to do
with emotions, feelings, relationships, engagements, interactions, apart from
events.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><b>Tell
us about your writing process.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Most
of the time, it’s hard, and hard work. It takes a long time to get to what you
think is right and then you read what you’ve written by light of day and you
know it’s all rubbish. Being honest is what I strive for and it’s not easy
because very often you end up showing off, and when you realise that’s what
you’re doing, there’s so much baggage to deal with!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Starting
trouble: now, that’s a major roadblock. But like my friend Jinoy says, just put
it down, you can always delete it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">It’s
hard to take criticism, so I try not to take it personally. I value the
opinions of a couple of people, and then take the final call myself. In the
end, I am responsible for what I write, right or wrong, good or bad. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><b>Anyone
else you would enjoy bringing to life for children? And why?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">The
world is full of amazing people with amazing stories. Talk to the person
sitting next to you on the bus and you will unearth a treasure. That’s what
I’ve found. I can’t think of any one person or persons, really. Gandhiji has
been the subject of my interest for a long long time and I continue to dig up
material concerning him. But, to answer your question, it could be anybody: I
read an amazing book on Aurangzeb, for instance, by Audrey Truschke. Equally, I
have enjoyed reading Ramesh Menon’s <i>Ramayana</i> because he simply tells the story.
So it’s a vast spectrum. The important thing is to understand a person from the
inside, not the outside.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arno pro smtext" , serif; font-size: 16.6667px; font-weight: 700; text-align: center;"> Grab your copy of the book <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/zakir-and-his-tabla-dha-dhin-na-hardcoverenglish.html">Zakir and His Tabla — Dha Dhin Na</a></span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Arno Pro SmText", serif; font-size: 16.6667px; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arno pro smtext" , serif;">!</span></b></span><br />
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Arno Pro SmText", serif; font-size: 16.6667px; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arno pro smtext" , serif;"><br /></span></b></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWuzTH2Ldnvfnz7UiJVB6HDPX8PGsUGgwjZSNUppnNaQ8H65OyAblqMxWO0NHNq42VuPazwVTzCwqDRpyKucB760r9gjmSadhFrFY8793MODZd_rUYcZtk5srvPtQ8XaLCGqo6RXa9kFz/s1600/Sandhya+Rao+-+photo+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="846" data-original-width="708" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWuzTH2Ldnvfnz7UiJVB6HDPX8PGsUGgwjZSNUppnNaQ8H65OyAblqMxWO0NHNq42VuPazwVTzCwqDRpyKucB760r9gjmSadhFrFY8793MODZd_rUYcZtk5srvPtQ8XaLCGqo6RXa9kFz/s200/Sandhya+Rao+-+photo+%25282%2529.jpg" width="166" /></a></div>
<b><i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/search?search_query=Sandhya+Rao">Sandhya Rao</a> is an award-winning children’s author,
whose rich and unexpected experiences with people, places and ideas led to
writing for children. She has written over 25 books for Tulika. They range from
picture books, exuberant folktales and playful verse to quietly reflective
stories. Among her bestselling titles are Ekki Dokki, Picture Gandhi, My
Mother’s Sari (chosen Outstanding International Book by USBBY), and My Friend, </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">the Sea (winner Berliner Kinder and Jugendbuchpreis.)</span></i></b>Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-64241591529636619992020-02-14T14:10:00.001+05:302020-03-09T11:34:20.502+05:30 "I often sit and wonder why I was drawn towards Ramanujan’s story"<h4>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Our hot
off the press picture book <i><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/picture-books/srinivasa-ramanujan-friend-of-numbers-english.html"><span style="color: blue;">Srinivasa Ramanujan: Friend of Numbers</span></a> </i></span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">written
by Priya Narayanan and illustrated by Satwik Gade, follows the singular
fascination of a mathematical <span style="background: white;">genius. </span></span><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">In the
second of this two-part series, we bring to you a compelling guest post by
author Priya Narayanan, who gives us</span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"> a closer look into
her exciting journey of discovering and exploring the life of her mathematical
muse. </span></span><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">In the <a href="http://tulikapublishers.blogspot.com/">first part</a>, we chatted with
illustrator Satwik Gade on his art, books and interests. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</h4>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Three years
back, in 2016, hubby dear bought the book The Man Who Knew Infinity, by
Robert Kanigel. It was supposedly a well-researched biography of the
mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan. Not a fan of biographies then, I let
the book rest on my shelf for a whole six months before I started reading it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">Until then, I had only heard passing mentions
of Ramanujan, never read about him — surprisingly, not even an anecdote or
snippet from his life. So, Kanigel’s book came as a surprise. It immediately
drew me into its pages, taking me back to an era (Ramanujan was born on 22nd
Dec, 1887) that was hitherto unknown to me except in the context of India’s
freedom struggle.<o:p></o:p></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">For reasons unknown, the book had a profound
effect on me. No sooner than I had finished reading it, I got an opportunity to
go to Chennai. I immediately made up my mind to visit Kumbakonam, where
Ramanujan had spent the better part of his short life. From Chennai, I took an
overnight train to the small, dusty town on the banks of the Kaveri — the
journey in itself was rather amusing, with my second class compartment being
populated by men wearing white lungis and white shirts and women wearing gold
jewelry that offset their lips and tongues that had turned red with chewing
betel leaf.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">Once in Kumbakonam, I spent half a day at
Sarangapani Sannidhi Street that was, at one time, witness to the many
eccentricities of my newfound muse. Ramanujan’s house -recently renovated after
escaping demolition, thanks to our late President APJ Abdul Kalam’s
intervention — sat sandwiched between two other houses that had been converted
into shops. A set of steps invited me into this narrow house that stretched
backwards in length. The blue columns weren’t blue during Ramanujan’s time; I’m
sure they weren’t even painted then. The well laid Mangalore tiles weren’t
there during his time either — the house had a thatch roof then.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">But the columns and roof
didn’t matter to me. What mattered was the high plinth on which Ramanujan sat
as a child with a slate and chalk and worked on his mathematical ideas. What
mattered was the window behind which was the tiny room with a single wooden bed
under which Ramanujan hid to solve equations as a child because his father
would get angry if he saw him do something so useless! Further inside was a
small living room (that’s now a memorial of sorts), kitchen and the backyard
with a well.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgreLnq1m9CaBgbK43nMAU15WajXw-nNvuP7M2Ft2OeuPir17U08J6YFhbGJbW-pboK8c-_w0JslL5R0azm4z5B5qyj0BwaTi7bvjpimiBlji7f83FeX-Idx3DBEwLL8tcW0Bff9OFRLpve/s1600/rama-main.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="656" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgreLnq1m9CaBgbK43nMAU15WajXw-nNvuP7M2Ft2OeuPir17U08J6YFhbGJbW-pboK8c-_w0JslL5R0azm4z5B5qyj0BwaTi7bvjpimiBlji7f83FeX-Idx3DBEwLL8tcW0Bff9OFRLpve/s400/rama-main.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Srinivasa Ramanujan's house in Kumbakonam</b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">It was indeed a humbling
experience to stand inside that house, on that street, in that dusty town from
where Ramanujan had started a mathematical journey that took him all the way to
England and back. But, as Kanigel’s book informed me, Ramanujan wasn’t just
about mathematics. His short life (he was 32 when he passed away) was a
tapestry woven from numerous strands, each as interesting as the other. He was
a staunch Vaishnavite Brahmin, who not only knew his scriptures but dissected
and discussed them even as he brooded on the concepts of ‘shunya’ and
‘infinity’. He was highly superstitious, with an interest in astrology as well
as the occult. He was a quintessential ‘mama’s boy’ who fell back upon his
mother for everything in his life. Be it narrating stories from the Ramayana,
Mahabharatha and the Puranas, or imparting knowledge about their traditions or
teaching him to pray and become a devotee of the Goddess Namagiri of Namakkal
or playing with him, his favorite board game — the Aadu Puli Aatam (Goats and
Tigers), or giving that vital push towards achieving his mathematical goal,
Komalatammal was instrumental in nurturing her son’s love for math and standing
up for him when it mattered. Finally, there was also a strange dichotomy about
Ramanujan — while he was confident about his mathematical prowess, he was
extremely insecure about everything he did, yearned for recognition of his
genius, and took offense at the tiniest of alleged faux pas by friends or peers.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">Sitting on the steps in the backyard of his
house, I recollected excerpts from Kanigel’s book and found myself drawn to
this complex, intriguing character from the past. Soon, I was trying to imagine
Ramanujan’s childhood, figuring out how his surroundings could have contributed
to his love for mathematics. As I did so, quite unknown to me, a seed was sown
into my thoughts — a seed of an idea for a book for children based on
Ramanujan’s life story. Researching for the book, I ended up reading many more
papers and books that talked about his life and works — most importantly, S R.
Ranganathan’s Ramanujan: The Man and the Mathematician. Today, that idea
is on its way to becoming a reality. My picture book biography on the life of
Srinivasa Ramanujan has charted its own journey.<o:p></o:p></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">But that is
only half my story.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">Being an interior architect, my first connect
with people is through the spaces they inhabit. So, after visiting his
Kumbakonam house, I wanted to now visit all other places he’d been to or stayed
in. This wasn’t easy, given that my city of residence isn’t anywhere near these
places and that I have a home, office and my kids to tend to. However, they
don’t say — if you wish for something with all your heart it does become a
reality, for nothing. So intense was my wish of understanding the enigma that
was Ramanujan that serendipity offered me a few chances to catch up with my
muse. Earlier this year, I got another opportunity to visit Chennai. I made the
most of it by visiting the house he’d briefly stayed in, in Triplicane, thanks
to a dear friend. I then hunted down the site of the house he’d breathed his
last in — unfortunately, the house is no longer in existence and another house
that he’d briefly lived in after his return from England.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Then, as luck would have it,
I got an opportunity for an academic visit to London. After my professional
commitments, I stayed back for a few days to visit places in London and
Cambridge that my muse had been to. And so, with the help of Richard Chapling,
a young mathematician and Trinity alumnus, who started off as a total stranger
but ended up being a dear friend, I traced Ramanujan and his mentor Godfrey
Harold Hardy across London and Cambridge. Together, Richard and I walked the
walk that Hardy once described as being the ‘most distinguished walk’* – from
his home at St. George’s Square, along the Grosvenor Road and across the
Vauxhall Bridge to the Oval. We visited the house in Putney that is famed for
being the place where Ramanujan had the legendary conversation with Hardy about
the number 1729, we traveled to Cambridge to visit the Trinity College where he
had spent five precious years, the Wren Library where his original letter to
Hardy has been preserved, the Centre for Mathematical Sciences where his bust
sits in splendor. We paused at the houses he’d stayed in at different points of
time, we walked down the streets he would have once walked… back in London, I
hunted down the house on Cromwell Road that Ramanujan had stayed in when he
first arrived in London — the building is now home to the French Embassy.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Visiting all
these places was a strangely emotional journey for me – strange, because here I
was, getting affected by places that I had no immediate connect to. I often sit
and wonder why I was drawn towards Ramanujan’s story. A friend recently tried
to impress upon me the idea of ‘past connections’ and ‘karma’. I’d be lying if
I said I’m not tempted to agree with him in this context.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p></o:p><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">There are some more places with a Ramanujan connect in India
that await me, and there is a more detailed story of his inside of me that
needs to be told (perhaps, for older children). I guess I’ll get that sense of
closure only when both these journeys are completed… and I hope it happens
sometime soon enough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Today, though,
I’m going to celebrate Ramanujan’s birthday by sharing the Magic Square he’d
worked out based on the date of his birth: 22-12-1887 (exploring possibilities
with these squares was one of Ramanujan’s earliest mathematical preoccupations).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">For those who do not know, a Magic Square is
square grid in which a given set of unique positive integers are arranged such
that each cell has a different integer and the sum of integers in every row,
column and diagonal is equal. In the above case, the sum in each case is 139.
It is a happy coincidence (I’m sure Ramanujan would’ve been pleased as a punch
when he realized this) that 139 is a prime number and the sum of five
consecutive prime numbers: 19 + 23 + 29 + 31 + 37!!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifrgim6UI2vdgYY9D2LR2SIFzAGwJmQgTIViR64rpXYxqXmYXUZFOBeOwdd0C_hd0p1hwYtlfDFsMdWmBB_qfLoOpjVdv7vz0BF7qS1e9LJbMg8PwLSvwb9-KF3n6CGmamTgNDIu2hHPWe/s1600/cambridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="656" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifrgim6UI2vdgYY9D2LR2SIFzAGwJmQgTIViR64rpXYxqXmYXUZFOBeOwdd0C_hd0p1hwYtlfDFsMdWmBB_qfLoOpjVdv7vz0BF7qS1e9LJbMg8PwLSvwb9-KF3n6CGmamTgNDIu2hHPWe/s400/cambridge.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "roboto slab" , "georgia" , "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.625px;">File photo of Ramanujan (centre) at the time of being conferred a Bachelor’s Degree at Trinity College.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">*The original quote by G H Hardy (thanks to
Richard) goes thus:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">‘The half-mile from St. George’s Square to the
Oval is my old brandy nomination for the most distinguished walk in the world.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">Richard tells me that Old Brandy came to mean a
taste that was eccentric, esoteric, but just within the confines of reason.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">This piece appeared first on the author's blog. Read
the complete version </span><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="https://thecrookedpencil.wordpress.com/2019/12/22/my-mathematical-muse-a-journey-into-the-life-of-srinivasa-ramanujan/"><span style="color: #0070c0; text-decoration-line: none;">here</span></a></span></i><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><i>.</i> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "rotissansserifstd"; font-size: 16px;"><i><b>A poet and children’s author, <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/search?search_query=Priya+Narayanan">Priya Narayanan</a> loves to conjure stories for her forever-at-war brats over many cups of coffee and chocolate chip ice cream. When not practising and teaching design, she likes to travel solo and read everything that comes her way.</b></i></span></div>
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Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-66693118360714883732020-02-14T13:56:00.000+05:302020-03-09T11:34:09.446+05:30Following the Friend of Numbers: Q and A with Satwik Gade<h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ6kvHP41kApD-DoWYXadNDCmyB8FQkpEyOEal51TqqanDc5a2GcFvXs1sLDfcXT2VyDALfYtn4bE56stEPpobti0Vk53KRmBonSxw4NPU9VnQrpym8qvqIEbirMVO7xHoCFFT7RCDNOBu/s1600/satwik+header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="277" data-original-width="710" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ6kvHP41kApD-DoWYXadNDCmyB8FQkpEyOEal51TqqanDc5a2GcFvXs1sLDfcXT2VyDALfYtn4bE56stEPpobti0Vk53KRmBonSxw4NPU9VnQrpym8qvqIEbirMVO7xHoCFFT7RCDNOBu/s640/satwik+header.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Our hot
off the press picture book <i><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/picture-books/srinivasa-ramanujan-friend-of-numbers-english.html"><span style="color: blue;">Srinivasa Ramanujan: Friend of Numbers</span></a> </i></span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">written
by Priya Narayanan and illustrated by Satwik Gade, follows the singular
fascination of a mathematical <span style="background: white;">genius. </span></span><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;">In the
first of this two-part series, we spoke to the illustrator to get a
glimpse of what went on behind the scenes. </span><b><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">What
appeals to you about illustrating a children’s book?<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;">I grew
up reading some beautifully illustrated children's books. I vividly remember
the joy it brought me and the way it shaped my imagination. In my teens, I
became very sure that I wanted to do the same for other children when I grew
up. I used to think that telling a story was all about narration, but working
on children's books taught me that storytelling is really about expression.
While making narrative drawings is about skill and representation, expressive
drawings are just pure fun, where you can play fast and loose with all the
rules. In a sense, it’s about taking the joy inside me and putting it on
display with the hope that the joy is infectious. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">Does
your creative process involve research for illustrating books like Bhimrao
Ambedkar: The Boy Who Asked Why and most recently, Srinivasa
Ramanujan: Friend of Numbers?<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;">The bulk
of the research is done by the writer and editors. And they just share all that
research with me. And I can ask them questions and clarify things without
making the effort to do the research myself. That said, with both Ambedkar and
Ramanujan, I had happened to read, several years earlier, source materials that
the writers based their work on. It was a happy coincidence and really helped
me free my style because the content was already in my head. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">But
clothing, landscape, hairstyles and other little details that add to the big
picture only come through painstaking research. In that regard, thanks to the
internet, illustrators today have it really easy! Research that could take days
for artists that I grew up reading, I can just do in minutes. Earlier artists
would have to base their drawings on written descriptions found in archival
material and encyclopedias. But today we can see the actual images and get the
details just right. </span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">Mathematical
genius Ramanujan’s story is your third book with Tulika. How do you like
mathematics as a subject, do you get his fascination with numbers?</span></h4>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"> <span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h4>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; font-weight: normal;">As a student I was interested in maths but the interest would vary with
each teacher and their teaching style. In my high school, coaching for
competitive exams ruined any enthusiasm I had for mathematics. Only one tuition
teacher managed to keep me interested mathematics by trying to bring some joy
into the subject. And then in my 20s I rediscovered my love for the subject
when I read a book called Alex's Adventures in Numberland. That is the
kind of book that makes enthusiasm for a subject infectious. </span></h4>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">The vibrant pictures in this book are intelligently
themed around the numbers and patterns discussed in the story. What went behind
while portraying these things?<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h4>
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<h4>
<span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; font-weight: normal;">The magic squares (kite page), number sequences and other elements that
come out in the drawings which can't be found in the text were my additions to
the book made possible because of <i>Alex's Adventures in Numberland</i>. All
young adults should read this book and if the kids are really young, parents
should read it and tell them stories from this book. Another adult writer who
finds mathematics in art and art in mathematics is Dan Brown. His stories are
thrillers but embedded in the narrative is a wealth of mathematical and
artistic curios and antiquities. That also rekindled my interest in mathematics
and kept me ready for a book like <i>Srinivasa Ramanujan: Friend of Numbers</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbyAhHzER8eiCd1oUnEtjZoNCkrFgUQNYYYq27aSHbEiEnoznd0sNa406gnOK-au1p8E6AkQijZU4UZ1qUVZFFRAxzTvH7zu6liTaQ6_0joEpUcAVATcj4rjSYx4u8fitm2pfiL-ZjYOx/s1600/satwik+spread+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbyAhHzER8eiCd1oUnEtjZoNCkrFgUQNYYYq27aSHbEiEnoznd0sNa406gnOK-au1p8E6AkQijZU4UZ1qUVZFFRAxzTvH7zu6liTaQ6_0joEpUcAVATcj4rjSYx4u8fitm2pfiL-ZjYOx/s640/satwik+spread+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; font-weight: normal;">I had also read <i>The Man Who Knew Infinity</i>, a biography of
Ramanujan that the writer Priya Narayanan, used as source material. An uncle
who had read it bought the book for us to read when it was originally
published. This book doesn't talk so much about mathematics as it does about
the life and times that Srinivasa Ramanujan lived in. It has vivid descriptions
of Cambridge and the culture of mathematics that people like Godfrey Hardy
propagated in Cambridge. Also it focuses on the work and sacrifices that go
behind the making of a genius. <o:p></o:p></span></h4>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;">How
do you overcome creative blocks, if you have any?<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">If
someone knows the answer to this question, please tell me! </span>Creative blocks
are the worst.<span style="font-weight: normal;"> As my long suffering editors are well aware, my creative
blocks last months sometimes and there is nothing I can do except sit and wait.
I feel that, maybe, just putting pen to paper and forcing yourself to just draw
something can break a block and create something beautiful. But this doesn't
always happen. Sometimes seeing someone else's inspiring work can help
overcome a block. But it might just make me too dejected also! But one advice
that I read in a book called <i>Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance</i> resonates
with me: if you are not able to make a whole drawing, then zoom into
the task. Just take one small element and focus all your energy on that little
element. It might trigger a release!</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Can
you name two of your favourite children’s book illustrators and tell us why?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt; font-weight: normal;">I have a
ton of favorite artists I grew up reading. But I want to give a
shout-out to two contemporary artists who really inspire me everyday: <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/search?search_query=Sandhya+Prabhat">SandhyaPrabhat</a> and <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/search?search_query=Prabha+Mallya">Prabha Mallaya</a>. Sandhya's colours and textures are just
eye-popping. She uses all bright colors and manages to contrast them,
which is the very essence of Indian crafts. Prabha Mallaya is more in the
mould of western artists with illustrations that are uber-real or
magical-real. Her animal drawings are just something else. Both of their
artworks are incredibly expressive.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Any
upcoming projects, we’d like to know. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #4c1130; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
haven't taken on a new project to focus on my MFA which I am doing a decade
after my Bachelors. So I want to do it right. Also I want to write and illustrate
a book by myself. So I am hoping that will be my next project. Maybe my
experience studying in the US will provide fodder for the book. Fingers
Crossed.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arno pro smtext" , serif; font-size: 16.6667px; text-align: center;">Grab your copy of the book </span><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/picture-books/srinivasa-ramanujan-friend-of-numbers-english.html?search_query=Satwik+Gade&results=5" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Arno Pro SmText", serif; font-size: 16.6667px; text-align: center;">Srinivasa Ramanujan: Friend of Numbers</a><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arno pro smtext" , serif; font-size: 16.6667px;"> to trace the inspiring </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arno pro smtext" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 16.6667px;">mathematician's</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arno pro smtext" , serif; font-size: 16.6667px;"> trail</span></span></span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Arno Pro SmText", serif; font-size: 16.6667px; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arno pro smtext" , serif;">!</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuyljHcbf9f_2Q80C4AMTL7jRAT77nHALehTkcvp-xig4kGSG0ixWcAxWdd_k6V10bKeXc_r1TFPYQ6ynbhQIdRP9gVzPqNSPyZGEHEm7vgw_a4yUIXeWlmRT2-IskY9eluxCTZa0F7-1o/s1600/satwik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="241" data-original-width="217" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuyljHcbf9f_2Q80C4AMTL7jRAT77nHALehTkcvp-xig4kGSG0ixWcAxWdd_k6V10bKeXc_r1TFPYQ6ynbhQIdRP9gVzPqNSPyZGEHEm7vgw_a4yUIXeWlmRT2-IskY9eluxCTZa0F7-1o/s200/satwik.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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</h4>
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<i><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"> </span></span><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/search?search_query=Satwik+Gade">Satwik Gade</a> is an artist and designer with a special interest in illustration and typography. He enjoys reading books and is inspired by Indian mythology, comics and Impressionist art. Illustrating children's books is his biggest fear and he is enjoying facing it!</i></h4>
Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-52525140170546751712019-08-29T15:25:00.002+05:302019-08-29T15:27:01.091+05:30Growing with Picture Books – Notes so far<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWtgIhAs4rWtsWlsqCagCjA_K51OD1Og4z6qXtp_KSwzIaLerSWtrSMhCMWUp1S9vbNgRWSn3xesQxglOz7o_WosvIl0IrcLifTzALiZNmYkzAtYPcruQtiP8B-LL8VioOWYQqsir-eXo/s1600/nivi+blog+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="1065" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWtgIhAs4rWtsWlsqCagCjA_K51OD1Og4z6qXtp_KSwzIaLerSWtrSMhCMWUp1S9vbNgRWSn3xesQxglOz7o_WosvIl0IrcLifTzALiZNmYkzAtYPcruQtiP8B-LL8VioOWYQqsir-eXo/s640/nivi+blog+books.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><b>Author-illustrator <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/search?search_query=Niveditha+Subramaniam">Niveditha Subramaniam</a> shares interesting experiences from her journey with Tulika in this delightfully-written guest post.</b></span></i><br />
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #073763;">Children often ask for the same book to be read again and
again, but their reading itself is never quite the same. I’ve often wondered if
this is really any different for adults. And as a reader of pictures and a
visual thinker, I have certainly come to think of a cyclical reading process as
being intuitive and essential to enjoying, unravelling and creating
narrative. </span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #073763;">Thinking Round: <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-bilingual-picture-books/jalebi-curlsghunghraali-jalebi-english-hindi.html">Jalebi Curls</a></span><span style="color: #20124d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Sy6YWkVOadp-8fULy8rDAsWgiaRTtz5l53Ak1wwZGCvKQKI9fx2wl09NnRBs1imxNe0zL8ApUaF0aDxl6CweajKGZpNPHqVXo-SdPnmbEO5zdyjhM9TtdoCxODws6X24ICv-X0WBEZDw/s1600/Jalebi06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1318" data-original-width="1600" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Sy6YWkVOadp-8fULy8rDAsWgiaRTtz5l53Ak1wwZGCvKQKI9fx2wl09NnRBs1imxNe0zL8ApUaF0aDxl6CweajKGZpNPHqVXo-SdPnmbEO5zdyjhM9TtdoCxODws6X24ICv-X0WBEZDw/s320/Jalebi06.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #073763; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I did my first book
with Tulika as an intern. The seed for the idea had been planted many moons before
I wrote it. One night, I had gone for a walk with a friend who had pointed to
orange swirls on the moon. “Doesn’t it look like a jalebi?” she said. The
moment and the description lingered in my memory. But I didn’t have a story.
When I finally wrote the first draft, it was based on a series of images that
tumbled into my head. And it was having the time and space to read and pore
over pictures during the course of my internship that finally led me to find
the right words to coax them out and connect them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1318" data-original-width="1600" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL69ZqdLacE71kkHXJ4SJ7_jf8qa_GwzbubJbTjWAsRGBP-hBDe61Z6fcptWkOD2fPqDFSX9D1rLR73vLga7OUP65NRCn7gYmqi7RqAfCIfBecTLi0Qt26BZukavrdvDJlUCYys2E-OhPg/s320/Jalebi07.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: small;"><i><b>Jalebi Curls</b></i></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL69ZqdLacE71kkHXJ4SJ7_jf8qa_GwzbubJbTjWAsRGBP-hBDe61Z6fcptWkOD2fPqDFSX9D1rLR73vLga7OUP65NRCn7gYmqi7RqAfCIfBecTLi0Qt26BZukavrdvDJlUCYys2E-OhPg/s1600/Jalebi07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #073763;"></span></a><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #073763; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Picture books have
few words and editors will often tell you to make every word count. But what
are the ‘right’ words? <br />For me, there are a few simple measures that are useful
in evaluating this. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #073763;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Do the words allow pictures
to take the lead?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #073763;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Can I ‘hear’ the story? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #073763;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #073763;">Does the removal or addition
of a word say something that the pictures do not or complement it in a way that
enriches the reading experience as a whole?</span><span style="color: #20124d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #073763; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Working with Dilemmas: <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/panchatantra-books/the-musical-donkey-sureeka-gadga-hindi.html">The Musical Donkey</a></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #073763; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In 2010, I was commissioned by Tulika to retell a
Panchantantra story. I chose the fable of <i>The Musical Donkey</i>. In the original
(or perhaps it’s more accurate to call it the most popular version), a donkey
who likes to sing does so against the advice of his friend, the fox. He ends up
being badly beaten up by a sleepy farmer whose cucumber field he wanders into
at night. The moral is that there is a time and place for every action. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCJdtrQlu-Ed1F-V9MuqWhGbjct0aXmqm03-EyUtzSw6EGVT3RUKlYh50Lypw4oBaHmKObTFnDLqhAAWeZDqTeb01Ux7_P6uC8M36ZE-SO0v2nX2JH87slkVBSW7ixa1BxF3u-9Hk7ODVG/s1600/9final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #073763;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1331" data-original-width="1600" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCJdtrQlu-Ed1F-V9MuqWhGbjct0aXmqm03-EyUtzSw6EGVT3RUKlYh50Lypw4oBaHmKObTFnDLqhAAWeZDqTeb01Ux7_P6uC8M36ZE-SO0v2nX2JH87slkVBSW7ixa1BxF3u-9Hk7ODVG/s320/9final.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #073763;">The juxtaposition between the humanised animal and the
inhuman treatment meted out to him had always bothered me. Even if the animal
did not stand in for the child, how could the violence be justified? The
discrepancy between an adult’s understanding of this transposition and the
assumptions about a child’s ability to somehow infer all this bothered me.
These questions filled my head as I wondered how to rework it to suit the
contemporary reader.</span><span style="color: #20124d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #073763; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In my retelling, the farmer does not stir from his sleep
because he’s dreaming that he has a thousand cucumbers in his field. I
anthropomorphised the cucumbers who flee the scene unable to bear the donkey’s
cacophony. At the end, the farmer wakes up to find bleary-eyed cucumbers all
around him. Meanwhile, the donkey is fast asleep in the field. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #073763; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Each of the books in the collection feature folk art
styles from different parts of India and the bilingual collection was
particularly sought after in schools. An educator at an international school,
who also reviewed the book, was grateful that I had done away with a violent
ending (illustrations accompanying the text often featured a very bloody
donkey). But there were some parents and teachers who were sceptical about the
twist. What was point I was trying to make?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #073763;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #073763;">When I was working on the retelling, a picture of the
cucumbers dashing out of the field appeared in my head. The image that followed
was that of the farmer lying in bed, surrounded by cucumbers. When I reflect on
my own writing process, it strikes me how images always precede words. My
approach to character and plot rely on visual integrity. But this does not
answer the question.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-c19Acz_amtKcexVB2CuWP7wHgiwBmPgdzdeTb_5t6QsK5dsqCTN7-_rq-i79OPuJj8tj8mSGxfgTYUvzC4ujso8PzaioKTr6zVPnByNGVz-fRvW2oyFLjs0YvM7AReOWRq9tiMhNU6v/s1600/8final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1331" data-original-width="1600" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-c19Acz_amtKcexVB2CuWP7wHgiwBmPgdzdeTb_5t6QsK5dsqCTN7-_rq-i79OPuJj8tj8mSGxfgTYUvzC4ujso8PzaioKTr6zVPnByNGVz-fRvW2oyFLjs0YvM7AReOWRq9tiMhNU6v/s400/8final.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-size: small;"><i><b>The Musical Donkey</b></i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #073763;">A storyteller, who used the book in a workshop, told me
that children identified both with the donkey who slept peacefully in the field
and the cucumbers running to the farmer for help. Although, I hadn’t been
conscious of this while writing the story, this response has always stayed with
me as a reminder that young readers are far more at ease with multiple points
of view than they are given credit for. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #073763; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Thought Clouds: <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/the-sky-monkey-s-beard-english.html">The Sky Monkey’s Beard</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #073763;">The first picture book I wrote
for older children, <i>The Sky Monkey’s Beard</i>, was inspired by the levitations of
a hairy seed – in Tamil, Thathapoochi. For a long time, the spiralling
movements of the seed played out in my head like an animated sequence. One day
I ‘saw’ bubble eyed sky monkeys flocking together. And then, a silver monkey
from whose long beard the seed drifted away. The third image was that of a
little monkey who spied through the clouds and saw a river which looked like a
shiny tail. </span><span style="color: #20124d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #20124d; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="1600" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-UIZ7CD39Oz2m9xFCOygJiOcBtOom19wFGX9zZwiM_PEA8kqYf8PgMb1PSQOTb95W3Kj7aeFq9fmifTYEzs3z0otv_9IADEttE1nJrPXPVwhcHxTp_aBwWkgVBqO5gocmS9xXgr2ugvY/s640/07.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: small;">The Sky Monkey's Beard</span></b></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-UIZ7CD39Oz2m9xFCOygJiOcBtOom19wFGX9zZwiM_PEA8kqYf8PgMb1PSQOTb95W3Kj7aeFq9fmifTYEzs3z0otv_9IADEttE1nJrPXPVwhcHxTp_aBwWkgVBqO5gocmS9xXgr2ugvY/s1600/07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #20124d;"></span></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #20124d; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #073763;">In its final shape, the book
imagines how the first monkey on earth came to be. A little sky monkey grows
weary of being a creature of the clouds. Her family is alarmed at this
demonstration of ‘unskymonkeyness’ but her grandfather understands that her
place is on earth. Because the story evolved from the triptych I saw in my
head, these remain the strongest images; the roots from which the narrative
grew. As a writer and illustrator, I have now come to believe that the theme of
a book can be made legible entirely through pictures – my love for and exploration
of wordless picture books comes from this conviction. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #20124d; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">But what makes a picture book truly
compelling? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #20124d;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Is it the
way in which pictures and words take cues from each other and fill each other’s
gaps?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #20124d;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Can pictures
and text also leave space for readers to work out ways of meaning-making that doesn’t
depend on a single definition of ‘the whole’? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #20124d;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Can details
in pictures and words become trampolines that give us room to step outside the
story and think creatively about the world we live in? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #20124d; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">These are questions I constantly
ask, in relation to my own work and otherwise. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #20124d; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Purple like Karimuga: <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/the-pleasant-rakshasa-english.html">The Pleasant Rakshasa </a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #20124d; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">While belonging and identity
surfaced at the end of writing <i>The Sky Monkey’s Beard</i>, identity was a strong
underlying theme in the first picture book I illustrated, <i>The Pleasant
Rakshasa</i>. Through depicting a rakshasa who likes his pot belly, hairy legs and
dark skin, Sowmya Rajendran gently inverts notions of beauty and happiness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #20124d; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="1600" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhziPM8U5sTb0JRo34jOPO-m5jsZY3PFOmOwkwKy4Z_cva6FM64sWz2SWfwJd-NShy1pp3r-TFdlKshEvM6i2l8jpvGMS1eQVOHBM_-jxZ4_TH_iRpC1VTYhng1C0eWbNAbfqN_yg53RxPk/s640/8-9.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #073763; font-size: small;">The Pleasant Rakshasa</span></i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhziPM8U5sTb0JRo34jOPO-m5jsZY3PFOmOwkwKy4Z_cva6FM64sWz2SWfwJd-NShy1pp3r-TFdlKshEvM6i2l8jpvGMS1eQVOHBM_-jxZ4_TH_iRpC1VTYhng1C0eWbNAbfqN_yg53RxPk/s1600/8-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #20124d;"></span></a></div>
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #073763;">I had grown up with friends, some
of whose grandparents or parents told them not to play in the sun for too long
for fear that they would become dark. As a baby, I was much darker-skinned than
my brother. When my skin tone lightened as I grew up, our neighbour assumed
that my grandmother, who then lived with us, had worked some “magic” on my skin
and wanted to know what it was! </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgulo_GZlYiifN0ahwBUs1Nmktlgr8k2Uv3IyDQbwGDwqaHuV38-o2Uvzdk4bc_JbsEYbVJXjD8fkZpqVhOj84falmJEDuk2ihXSyfH8OkWfFe3_dqeNAmghhE-mYuDE2S62PU4MzwNSYr4/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1432" data-original-width="1600" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgulo_GZlYiifN0ahwBUs1Nmktlgr8k2Uv3IyDQbwGDwqaHuV38-o2Uvzdk4bc_JbsEYbVJXjD8fkZpqVhOj84falmJEDuk2ihXSyfH8OkWfFe3_dqeNAmghhE-mYuDE2S62PU4MzwNSYr4/s320/6.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #073763;">Sowmya once met a parent whose
daughter loved the book and whose anecdote moved us both very much. Her
four-year-old came back home after playing in the park and told her that her
friends were constantly saying she was dark. The mother was perturbed but her
daughter didn’t seem very upset. The mother held a hand mirror to her face and asked
her what she thought she looked like. The girl thought for a minute, giggled,
and said, “I think I am purple like Karimuga in The Pleasant Rakshasa!” </span><span style="color: #20124d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #073763; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 150%;">This exchange really brought home
that picture books</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #073763;"> help
readers grapple with difficult situations on independent terms. It also made me
revisit the familiar notion of why ‘less is more’ with fresh eyes. </span><span style="color: #20124d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #20124d; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Drawing as thinking: <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/soda-and-bonda-english.html">Soda and Bonda</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #20124d; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><i>Soda and Bonda</i> was first developed for my Diploma project
– the penultimate module in the Masters Programme in Children’s Book
Illustration I did in Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. The book is about a
cat who <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">looks</i> like a cat, but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">feels</i> like a dog. The dog is unable to
understand this but eventually accepts the cat for who she is. The idea was
inspired by the dog-like behaviour exhibited by a relative’s cat, something
that I had witnessed a long time ago but never quite forgotten. It was
initially called Bad Cat – a phrase used in the text. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #20124d; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The process of observational drawing was crucial to the
development of the book. I spent a lot of time drawing a specific dog and then
transferring this body language and range of gestures to the cat in my book. Two
developments took place: as I sketched and ‘thought’ with my pencil. First, I
actively began to question the boundaries between seeing and feeling. Second, I
began to mull over animal-human encounters themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #20124d; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2aw6VMBy1akh_jWxuldbhmX0Q72zccndUVE1kXj-bzrcZrIlLaSpiPntA-r4Jw9xiV6eCqJfQ5hJTU2MZIXUusBVzwQfop6_Z5LZE4cpGeqDjZOUERhKuy743HriO6F6d_SYOBqLJzGbu/s1600/nivi+blog+doggo+cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="1065" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2aw6VMBy1akh_jWxuldbhmX0Q72zccndUVE1kXj-bzrcZrIlLaSpiPntA-r4Jw9xiV6eCqJfQ5hJTU2MZIXUusBVzwQfop6_Z5LZE4cpGeqDjZOUERhKuy743HriO6F6d_SYOBqLJzGbu/s640/nivi+blog+doggo+cat.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #20124d; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #073763;">Along the way, the title changed from being Bad Cat to
<i>Soda and Bonda</i>. In the way the characters have shaped, both human and animal
traits are explored through the characters (I hope). <i>Soda and Bonda</i> was also
one of the books I went on to further develop in my Masters Project. However,
because the title didn’t work for the UK audience, I had to change it to Mudpie
and Mooncake. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #20124d; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When Tulika decided to publish it, I was relieved to go
back to <i>Soda and Bonda</i> – titles which were really expressive of these
characters – a dog who thought he was too cool and a lump of a cat with
boundless energy. I also did the pictures all over again – I wanted to really
nail the gestures and body language and I had only achieved this partially
earlier. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="1600" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgyqhWqZn9jUiySF_LwLmnuyj-RnoYVfNW6YZ2NBthRxuLRFgmqJrGyqjRqhgXkczu84gO8jMc0R-VWpsjUwSOO3ED6O3UJKRCmRE46ssR4WMJpxdCfRYOzyBWNi6zXzgD320vpKSGELl/s640/26-27.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: small;"><b><i>Soda and Bonda</i></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgyqhWqZn9jUiySF_LwLmnuyj-RnoYVfNW6YZ2NBthRxuLRFgmqJrGyqjRqhgXkczu84gO8jMc0R-VWpsjUwSOO3ED6O3UJKRCmRE46ssR4WMJpxdCfRYOzyBWNi6zXzgD320vpKSGELl/s1600/26-27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #20124d;"></span></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #073763;">I was excited about how the story would take shape in
other languages. However, the concerns that cropped up in translation was
something I didn’t anticipate at all. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #073763;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In more than one language, a line that read
so easily in English – ‘Soda looks like a cat but feels like a dog’ became
complicated and messy in translation. In Tamil, for instance, ‘unarvu’ (the
word for feeling) was too high-flown and didn’t have the lightness that the
context demanded. The next best option was to go with ‘thinks’ like a dog which
altered the meaning. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #073763;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">At a point in the book, Soda gets annoyed
with Bonda and says, “Go away, you bad cat!” In Hindi, for instance, the translation
for this – ‘gundhibilli’ – took on a very negative tone and connotation. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #073763;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Soda the dog is male and Bonda the cat is
female. While the animality of the characters was something I as the
writer-illustrator had been clear about, one of the translators saw it from an
entirely human-centric perspective and read it as a story where ‘a man was
telling a woman what to do’. While this seemed far-fetched to me, I couldn’t be
dismissive of the implications in a story that was about self-perception,
acceptance and friendship. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #073763; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">My own editorial experience in Tulika has sensitised me
to what it means to ‘think in different languages’. And I have never ceased to
be fascinated by the wonderful crossing-over that happens from one language
into the other (the writer and activist Rinchin’s work is filled with the most
evocative examples of this). But <i>Soda and Bonda</i> was an eye-opener in drawing my
attention to how the links between gender, language, cultural codes and usage
can make the simplest of texts a minefield. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Speaking without Words: <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/wordless-picture-books/flutterfly-english.html">Flutterfly</a> and <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/wordless-picture-books/ammamas-sari-wordless.html">Ammama’s Sari</a></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #073763; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Those who work closely with picture books in any capacity
can easily imagine that the incubation periods can be long and the challenges
unprecedented. Last year, I wrote about finding my visual voice in <span id="goog_1407793373"></span>this <a href="http://tulikapublishers.blogspot.com/2017/11/guest-post-by-niveditha-subramaniam.html">guest post</a><span id="goog_1407793374"></span> on the Tulika blog. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL39e8qwLOtmgjZkYg3ykGx-sE96eBsAzsovkNlf6sAAlrMmG7qnExp7o2IjGutaUSHm2kHSxvw7Lp-zWEb1u0Q4a5NZNLmHlRd8sU00iudKgwKpX3Tw_q2GYJmKbEAk7E5krenEipXMn3/s1600/Flutterfly+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #073763;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL39e8qwLOtmgjZkYg3ykGx-sE96eBsAzsovkNlf6sAAlrMmG7qnExp7o2IjGutaUSHm2kHSxvw7Lp-zWEb1u0Q4a5NZNLmHlRd8sU00iudKgwKpX3Tw_q2GYJmKbEAk7E5krenEipXMn3/s320/Flutterfly+9.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #073763; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It feels counter-intuitive to write or speak about
wordless picture books. Theirs is a rich and varied silence in them and the
suspension of verbal language alters the nature of the exchange between readers
and books. I have seen wordless picture books like Manjula Padmanabhan’s <i>A
Visit to the Market</i> and Suzy Lee’s <i>Wave</i> countless times and marvelled at the
way in which the genre trains the eye in reading visuals in multiple ways but
also disrupts the tendency to assign a set of fixed meanings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #073763;">In my first wordless picture book, <i>Flutterfly</i>, a little
butterfly flies out of a child’s pillow and flits from page to page, from one
room and person in the house to another. Each character has his or her own
response but are united in the wonder they all feel as they watch it move. The
palette uses two colours – the butterfly is orange and the characters and the
environment are rendered in black and white. While this had been a considered
decision, I was thrilled when a parent told me that in addition to following
the butterfly her 18-month-old also enjoyed looking at the characters and what
they were doing.</span><span style="color: #20124d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: small;">Flutterfly</span></b></i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCttmEtDw98VVyGRcgFNixoOx0hXTYv2B8BBAlp2O2lNOljSvfz2ZcBXBC1-CgH7C5_LI-cqcaGEhqT8Xi9YT9eGCLRyRa65qm4UVKVvalp8M5nziImLkXGBKhA1QoyoXdyR3wb7b4_OzO/s1600/Flutterfly+17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #20124d;"></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 150%;"><i>Ammama’s Sari</i>, my latest wordless book, is inspired by
vivid memories of my grandmother. </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 150%;">Repurposing and reusing things were natural to her; she took
pride in creating something new but found more fulfilment in extending its
lifespan; in giving it a second and a third and a fourth life. Bits and bobs
and scraps were carefully saved and eventually made their way into some
endeavour or the other. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #073763;">I made the first draft of this book in 2015 but wasn’t happy
with the outcome – it didn’t have the tactility, the sense of touch that was at
the core of the memory or the childhood experiences of watching her work. It
took me awhile to get back to it and in 2019, I started work again. This time, I
decided to work with fabric and paper. While the sari itself was made using a
single piece of fabric, I used leftover scraps to make lots of small elements
in the book (to keep to the spirit of repurposing my grandmother believed in) and
combined that with illustration. Collage is something that I have never taken
to naturally or used in work but I discovered that thinking about what the
project called for made me work through blocks and issues that surfaced. </span><span style="color: #20124d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="838" data-original-width="1600" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WPgx_xPyKwf672FeWOQodJXXrKWmM_yu5R471r3Fx3srSdk_4MlBmHChz4rT5q9t3XDdgpJEFGTM6-jrwNBKcmELy00_g7jqjAr3Bqfk1RTFCoDnGu9V2cgpzGA_GPhocWq2u0e1uNLm/s640/10-11.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: small;">Ammama's Sari</span></b></i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WPgx_xPyKwf672FeWOQodJXXrKWmM_yu5R471r3Fx3srSdk_4MlBmHChz4rT5q9t3XDdgpJEFGTM6-jrwNBKcmELy00_g7jqjAr3Bqfk1RTFCoDnGu9V2cgpzGA_GPhocWq2u0e1uNLm/s1600/10-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #20124d;"></span></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #073763;">At Tulika, the
editorial team works closely with both pictures and text and their approach integrates
an understanding of writing and art. During the course of working on my own
books, editorial intervention has strengthened my understanding in many ways:</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #20124d;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Identifying conceptual
weakness.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #20124d; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
first thumbprint book I worked on featured animals piling on top of each other.
While visually, this idea was fun, I couldn’t really develop this into a story.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #20124d; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I
was given freedom to try and work it out in terms of pictures before getting to
this understanding. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #20124d;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Defining the main focus of
the story. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #20124d; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
first draft of <i>The Sky Monkey’s Beard</i> had a sub plot of sorts, inspired by
frame stories I had loved listening to while growing up. However, it was taking
away rather than adding to the story. This was one of the first instances where
I learnt that story had to be adapted to suit the format as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #20124d;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Paying attention to the flow
of narrative and details keeping in mind the audience.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #20124d; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I
was one of the contributors to an anthology called <i>Water Stories</i>. In the story
I worked on, <i>The Dragon’s Pearl</i>, a young child turns into a dragon. Among the
many suggestions I received, an important one was to include the mother’s
response to this transformation at the end of the story, something I hadn’t
originally done. The inclusion of this moment made it substantially better. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #20124d; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">With respect to
visuals, the guidance received at every stage is something that has ushered in
clarity about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">how</i> to look at pictures
in picture books. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #20124d;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">What is clear to me but not
obvious to the reader.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #20124d; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">One’s
intimacy with a story one writes or characters one invents sometimes comes in
the way of being able to see the larger picture or think about what cues there
are in the pictures that will enable readers to make connections. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #20124d;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The lack of flow between one
image to another.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #20124d; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">At
the rough sketch stage, feedback has often helped me take a step back and not
just look at a particular page but think over its connection to the next. Over
time, this back and forth has become more intuitive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #20124d;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">To keep a balance between
the literal and the imaginative.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #20124d; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">There
are different kinds of relationships between text and images and no way one way
is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. However, editorial intervention makes one aware of this
balancing act and helps illustrators ask a number of questions: Where do I need
to show something in an obvious way? Which detail or part of illustration can I
be more subtle? Does the scope of the project allow for more or less of the
literal or the fantastical? Is there a match between the tone of the text and
the tone of the visuals? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Dr. Seuss was at a cocktail party where he met a brain
surgeon.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">"Oh, you're that man who writes those
children's books," the doctor said. "Some Saturday, when I have a
little extra time, I am going to write one of those."</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">Dr. Seuss replied, "Ah, yes. And someday
when I have a little free time, I'll do brain surgery."</span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">There are many misconceptions about children’s books and
writing for children. Children’s books are playgrounds where every child has
the right to imagine happiness. But </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">well-crafted
children’s books can also be shelters to young readers grappling with complex
concerns. Picture books, in particular, are their first windows to exploring
the world. </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">And every
children’s book that I look at, fall in love with or create always reminds of
the</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> unique responsibility that rests on the shoulders of
children’s book makers: to nurture, cherish and defend the creative freedom of
children.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"> ***</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Niveditha Subramaniam</span></span></b><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">
cherishes every opportunity to celebrate her abiding love for visuals, which
almost always inspires her work — particularly picture books, and wordless and
graphic narratives. Her books with Tulika display her enormous versatility as
writer and illustrator, ranging from the wordless <i>Flutterfly</i>, to the
whimsical <i>Soda and Bonda</i> and <i><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-picture-books/tsomo-and-the-momo-english.html">Tsomo and the Momo</a></i>, and the
bestselling <i><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/general-fiction/mayil-will-not-be-quiet-english.html">Mayil</a></i> diaries.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 150%;">Click</span><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 150%;"> <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/">here</a> </span><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 150%;">to get your copies of her books!</span></span></div>
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<br />Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-8431704330837131232019-08-13T15:59:00.002+05:302019-08-13T17:03:25.302+05:30Journeys that shaped a nation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbjKMK2_VBI2NJLQk-3HZ8YdNxMvbkf3QGmJrGT1uQ7hEEvIXdjyB1GXsBEah0kBgSUAHEhRMiKU75wGosgOGTeXLNxLwR0xvZo_LnKWnHZF5DWJj5LOZy9boG9wu2qON6VO9kklHuXaO/s1600/gamechangers+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="1065" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbjKMK2_VBI2NJLQk-3HZ8YdNxMvbkf3QGmJrGT1uQ7hEEvIXdjyB1GXsBEah0kBgSUAHEhRMiKU75wGosgOGTeXLNxLwR0xvZo_LnKWnHZF5DWJj5LOZy9boG9wu2qON6VO9kklHuXaO/s640/gamechangers+blog.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "andalus" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Foreward from Devika Cariapa's <i><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/non-fiction/india-through-people-25-game-changers.html">India
Through People: 25 Game Changers</a></i></span></b> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "andalus" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: "andalus" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">ndia as a country is
something of a wonder. Think about it. So many ethnic groups, religions and
cultures, and hundreds of languages. One-sixth of humanity squeezed into an
area best described as a subcontinent! In recent history, this vast nation has
been buffeted by revolutionary change – shaking off 200 years of colonial rule,
examining and shedding age-old social customs, absorbing influences from a fast
changing and more connected world, to emerge as an independent, modern nation.
Shaping all of this have been some extraordinary people.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnLTz9otMI6pG5KCdtGUpZJOsQbgzBupPDB9tWmTmsvGmcVGD8xUznccpzv9Ea6j3c_yN9L2OqBJXAhPj4Z7JufGdJfqOSplhP_p2EGqlqQgoXcYNhZyBPbFoW4TOZnomZDriARuLCXoGD/s1600/gamechangers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="612" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnLTz9otMI6pG5KCdtGUpZJOsQbgzBupPDB9tWmTmsvGmcVGD8xUznccpzv9Ea6j3c_yN9L2OqBJXAhPj4Z7JufGdJfqOSplhP_p2EGqlqQgoXcYNhZyBPbFoW4TOZnomZDriARuLCXoGD/s320/gamechangers.jpg" width="283" /></a><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "andalus" , serif; font-size: 12.5pt;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "andalus" , serif; font-size: 12.5pt;"><span style="font-size: 12.5pt;">We call them the gamechangers.
Men and women who, with their ideas and actions, left a radical imprint on
the course of the country. They broke taboos, set trends and forged new paths,
often </span></span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "andalus" , serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">at personal cost and against impossible odds. Any time of transformation
typically brings to the fore outstanding achievers, and to pick some over
others is naturally difficult. Twenty-five of them are in this book. They
were all born after 1850, and represent diverse fields and parts of the
country. You will recognise some of them at once, some </span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: andalus, serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">may be unfamiliar. Names
of other great contemporaries appear along the way, giving </span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: andalus, serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">a wider picture </span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: andalus, serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">of
the age.</span></div>
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</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "andalus" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">It is useful to remember
that many of these people lived in very different times, with different kinds
of issues to deal with. They should be seen through that viewpoint, and not
from our present outlook. For their time, they were bold and visionary. They
were iconic achievers, not perfect human beings as we often expect our idols to
be. They made mistakes and changed their minds. Some are criticised today
for things they said or did, their ideas challenged – but we can thank them for
creating the space that makes it possible for us to do that!</span></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Click</span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> <a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/non-fiction/india-through-people-25-game-changers.html">here</a> to buy your copy of the book!</span></div>
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<i style="font-size: 12.5pt;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 11.0pt;">Devika Cariapa</span></i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 11pt;"> is a Delhi based author with a lifelong
passion for archaeology, travel </span><span style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 11pt;">and unearthing stories from the past. She graduated from the Deccan College,
Pune, and was a research fellow studying prehistoric art at IGNCA, Delhi. Her
earlier book with Tulika, </span><i style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 11pt;">India Through Archaeology: Excavating History</i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 11pt;">
has been awarded The Hindu Young World–Goodbooks Award 2018 and the Sahitya
Akademi’s Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2019.</span></div>
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Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-78976218549760517922019-08-13T15:13:00.000+05:302019-08-13T15:13:00.307+05:30 Authors of 'The Tenth Son' interact with young readers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b> "What is fiction?"</b></div>
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The fourth graders had insisted on joining
the conversation meant for the fifth and sixth graders at Redwood Montessori
School. As Ashish tried to explain the word fiction to a child, Ayan shrugged
his shoulders and said, “It's make believe. It did not actually happen, except
in my head.” The curious child had understood it perfectly. His fellow fourth
graders nodded their heads too.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FhIFdUt-XKsEHJ223aZE5hYq7KKGUPnfix-gfG6YncmxzWVcXUqW7Qi66zuGsFDjU4yF0-CDCxyDA4rLfwKzKRdl7Rwl2xkRCSYPR3jtY18fawwAFk7S_4bDyqJv1a0TfjC8JsScR-ZV/s1600/tenth+son+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="1065" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FhIFdUt-XKsEHJ223aZE5hYq7KKGUPnfix-gfG6YncmxzWVcXUqW7Qi66zuGsFDjU4yF0-CDCxyDA4rLfwKzKRdl7Rwl2xkRCSYPR3jtY18fawwAFk7S_4bDyqJv1a0TfjC8JsScR-ZV/s640/tenth+son+blog.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN">“So you made up this story with demons from
the Mahabharata with imaginary fights and they printed it?” another fourth
grader asked as the older kids groaned. They knew how books were made and thought
it was not cool to ask such obvious questions. “Yes,” Ayan responded. As the
implications of this hit the fourth graders collectively, you could almost feel
the possibilities pinging around their heads. The jaded fifth and sixth graders
also took notice. They had encountered yet another genre of books and got a glimpse
into the multitudes that good stories carry.</span></div>
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<i><i><span lang="EN-IN"><a href="https://www.tulikabooks.com/fiction/the-tenth-son-english.html">The Tenth Son</a> </span>written by </i></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><i>eleven-year-old Ayan and his
father Ashish Malpani is filled with adventures, asuras and enough thrills to
satisfy any ten-year-old’s heart. The middle grade fiction was introduced to
the fifth and sixth graders at two schools namely Abacus Montessori and Redwood
Montessori in Chennai.</i></i></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">From experiences of watching peeing cows on
the Indian streets to discussing their writing styles, Ashish and Ayan thrilled
the tiny tots with their stories at the launch. A writing exercise conducted by
the authors was the major attraction at this interaction. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN">In this high-speed chase <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Tenth Son</i>, the protagonist Advik lives
in the USA. He comes to India on a vacation and encounters a thrilling adventure
through three worlds, in which myth and reality come together. Many experiences
were sourced from Ayan's visits to India during his summer breaks and his
exposure to mythological tales.</span></div>
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<b>'Not all Transformers. Only Optimus Prime!'</b></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN">During one of the writing exercises post
the reading, when asked about their favourite characters, children listed out
everything from the usual Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Magnus Chase to the
unusual 'Mr. Shark' (From <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bad Boys Series</i>
by Aaron Blabey). The list also included Superman, Spiderman and Wonder Woman.
In an admirable instance in the course of the three part writing exercise that
Ashish conducted – an actual, live one legged crow that has become the class's
de facto pet was also nominated for the list! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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As the next step, children were asked to
throw these characters into terrifying situations that would put many an
experienced adventure writer to shame. A few snippets from this were crocodiles
in Thailand, terror on the Burj Khalifa, and even a fracas in a local mall that
was so hair-raising that we were told could not be read aloud! (A peek revealed
some pretty good potty humour though.)</div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span lang="EN-IN"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN">Ayan, an avid fan of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Percy Jackson</i> series, wanted a similar pacy
adventure story rooted in his culture. Not finding many, he went ahead to wrote
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Tenth Son</i> with his father. Similarly,
these nuggets of information from the writing exercises held at both schools revealed
that little writers are confident and clear about what they like to read and write.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN">Experiencing the ease with which imagination
runs wild among children and their positive reassurance towards books are the highlights
of our author interactions. Such sessions makes us expect great things – both
from the eleven-year-old Ayan and his audience. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN">A big thanks to Joanne Saldanhas
(@mythaunty) for arranging these special author interactions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1100652288491935305.post-60877201059445048332019-06-14T13:09:00.001+05:302019-08-13T15:13:19.170+05:30Guthli Has Wings: Q & A with author-illustrator Kanak Shashi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #1d1b11; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“Why do you keep saying I’m a boy
when I’m a girl?” Guthli asks her mother. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #1d1b11; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Tulika's latest picture book, <i>Guthli
Has Wings</i> by Kanak Shashi, is a </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">compelling<span style="color: red;"> </span><span style="color: #1d1b11;">story about gender identity. Framed by vibrant cut-out
illustrations it</span></span><span style="color: #1d1b11; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> explores, simply but boldly, the confusion and
acceptance that Guthli and her loving family go through. We spoke to the author
about her book, the process and the challenges that she faced. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</h4>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><br /></i></span></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>What
prompted you to write Guthli?</i></span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have always been interested
in gender. In how the world seems too neatly divided into two genders – almost
like a black and white strip, where grey spaces are taken into account
reluctantly, if at all, while violently ‘othered’ most of the time. I have been
exploring these themes for a long time. One thing that has always drawn my
attention particularly is the performative aspect of gender – the way we are,
our whole existence is, gendered. And that is not only about the ‘choice’ of clothes.
It’s a long, long list of </span></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">dos</span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and don’ts
of acceptable roles.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So, when I was working for FICA (Foundation for Indian
Contemporary Art) on a magazine project with a group of children in Delhi,
I </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">observed that sometimes they used to
tease each other – “Ye ladki ke jaise mehndi lagake aaya hai... ye ladkon ki tarah
football khelti hai... (He’s come wearing mehendi like a girl… She’s playing
football like a boy…) etc. So we discussed what they understood about gender,
what the differences were between boys and girls, and we did a fun activity
where we changed gender roles. Some of them were shy, but most of them copied
all the available stereotypes. The point is that those children actually
enacted the performance of gender, and in that way also thought about the whole
process. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">This exercise was a learning experience for me. And it gave me the idea
for another Guthli story. Guthli was not a new character at that time. I
had already written a couple of stories with Guthli as a girl. But that
activity with children added a new dimension – it opened for me the
possibilities to explore the fluidity of gender through this character.</span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>When was the story first published? </i></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In 2015, in <i>Being Boys</i> (Tulika).</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I had written <i>Guthali
Toh Pari Hai </i>in Hindi – yes, I write in Hindi! –</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> in 2010, which my friend Rinchin translated into English as <i>Guthli
Has Wings,</i> and this was suggested as a story for the anthology <i>Being
Boys</i>. Recently, a Bhopal-based NGO Muskaan published it as part of their
English reader set. And now this picture book!</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Why did you decide to write a picture book addressing very young
children in the 5 to 7 age group? Aren't they too young to understand issues of
gender identity?</i></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As seen in the children’s
activity I just spoke about, </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I think the sooner you start
talking to children the better it is. I have seen children aged 3-6 years
trying on each other’s clothes – girls wearing boys’ clothes and vice-versa.
Boys speak like girls (<i>main nahi jaoongi-aaoongi</i>)<i> </i>and girls
like boys (<i>khaoonga-pioonga</i>). This is all before the standard gender
roles are firmly cemented in their minds. For them it’s a fun thing, they can
be anything they want... a girl, a boy, or something entirely different.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Children are intelligent
beings incessantly exploring the world around them and getting amazed by it.
Biases and prejudices are not in their nature – they learn these at a very
young stage from us, the adult world. The point is that we are teaching these to them
from a very, very early stage. Now, if we want to cultivate a different
sensibility about gender, the time to start that too is at a much younger stage
than we usually concede.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What
were the challenges when writing a picture book on a theme that is seen widely
as a ‘taboo’ in children's books?</span></i></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There was nothing especially
challenging about writing the book! Of course, every work is challenging, as in
you try to explore new ways and perspectives of seeing, creating and
experiencing things. In that way, given the ‘taboo’, that is, talking about
gender, the challenge is now for the readers – teachers, parents, etc. Somehow,
I have a feeling that it won’t be as confusing for the children as it might be
for the adults</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Interestingly, many
contemporary writers are exploring so-called ‘taboo’ subjects – death, poverty,
human rights struggles etc. – in children’s books. For example, Rinchin. </span><br />
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<b style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Have you
interacted with this age group using the story?</i></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Not with this story in
particular, but I have interacted with children on these themes.</span></span></div>
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<b style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></i></span></b></div>
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<b style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Would
you agree that such books are needed to sensitise adults more than children as
it is their attitudes that influence children the most?</span></i></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Lots of material is already
available for adults, but do they read it? Maybe they don’t feel the need to
read, and even if they do, how many of them talk about gender with their
children? I think discussions – asking questions – are important, and children
are better at that. What parents need to do is to be honest if they don’t know
the answers to the questions raised by children. Then they should find out
about them, rather than brushing aside the children’s questions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>You have also illustrated the book. Was there any reason to choose this
particular style of art using paper cut-outs?</i></span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">In art practice, you
always try to experiment and explore things. That is the fun of doing art. And
since I was also the writer in this case, it gave me more freedom to play
around with the medium.</span></div>
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<i><b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Kanak
Shashi</span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> loves walking
amidst nature collecting twigs, leaves, seeds and feathers, and wondering what
stories they may hold within. An artist, she has studied painting at MS
University, Vadodara, and been illustrating, writing and designing children’s
books for over a decade.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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Tulika Publishershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03698951517977816023noreply@blogger.com3