From a friend of Tulika

A friend of Tulika, Rachna Dhir, shared us her experience at the recent Handmade Collective organised by A Hundred Hands



Tulika At A Hundred Hands
Rachna Dhir

When I moved to Bangalore, many years ago, people told me “Oh, everybody knows everybody, here” and I laughed. Delhi was an old big city and you did bump into familiar faces every now and then. However, I just could not believe that Bangalore was such a small place. Over the years, so many people have moved in while others have moved on. Many old buildings with so much character have been replaced by ugly concrete and glass ones, in the name of development. Yet, I am happy to meet a familiar face, more often than expected.

A Hundred Hands Annual Handmade Collective is one such event, that I look forward to, every November. My children and I love doing stuff with our hands – be it making bead jewelry, playing the table or making old fashioned book marks. And of course, we all love reading books. So, four years ago, I decided to combine my passions for Tulika books and the handmade initiative by putting up a stall at the event and I get to meet some very interesting people as a perk (wrote a blog about that, last year).

This year, the venue shifted and many more people attended the four day event. Of course, the regular ones came multiple times. Furthermore, many schools were located close by and every day, mothers would pick their children and bring them over just to choose books. It was amazing to see the Hindi and bi-lingual books fly off the table, literally, as Hindi speakers in Bangalore rarely get to lay their hands on such books in stores. I was so happy to help grandparents select for their grand children, as I could guess their dilemma – their children obviously had settled overseas and they want to keep the contact with India alive for the little ones.

At the stall at AHundredHands- Handmade Collective

While the latest titles were obviously popular – Little Indians, Rooster Raga, Ranganna, When I Grow Up, The Magical Fish, Let’s Go!, Where did it go?, Catch that Cat, Little Laali, not so old series like Baby Bahadur, Panchatantra  and First Look Science, as well as titles like Mystery of the Blue, Stitching Stories, When Ali Became Bajrangbali and My Grandfather’s Stick were also in great demand.

I met not just hard core Tulika book lovers but also people who came for hand made products but were pleasantly surprised to see such books for the first time that did not exist when they were children.  So many would stop by, pick a book, read it or browse through the illustrations and walk away with a smile. If a smell alone can bring so many childhood memories to my mind, I could only imagine what joy a word or picture might have triggered for some of them.
So, on behalf of Tulika and A Hundred hands, I wish to thank all those who stopped by. 
I hope the children who got those books –wherever they may be – are enjoying them.

To those of you who were not able to get a title of your choice in the language you wanted – please write to Tulika – we still have Cash On Delivery (COD) for Bangalore and will be happy to get you what you want.

Bookaroo Pune 2013

Writer-illustrator Deepa Balsavar all dressed up and performing for the children.

A quick peek at storyteller Jeeva Raghunath telling her oh-so-popular The Talkative Tortoise

                                Children jive to the Rooster Raga with writer Natasha Sharma

In retrospect: Tulika titles 2013

A quick peek at all the Tulika titles that were published in 2013

ROUND AND ROUND BOOKS by Deepa Balsavar

“a thoroughly unique set of books that have neither any words nor any limits on the number of stories a parent or child can come up with…”
Parinita Shetty


LET'S GO! by Anthara Mohan and pictures by Rajiv Eipe

“Let’s Go! works at so many levels – the child learns to identify vehicles (the difference between a scooter and a motorbike, for instance), figure out public/private transport, count, absorb different movement verbs, take in different types of bodies and I’m sure unravel a lot more as we read it again and again.”
Sowmya Rajendran


TSOMO AND THE MOMO by Niveditha Subramaniam

A delightful story about the delectable momo, that flavour-filled savoury that travelled to India from Tibet, Nepal and beyond. Now you too can relish it with Tsomo in a mouthwatering story in which the steaming hot momo comes appetisingly alive! Watercolour pencil illustrations softened with subtle brushstrokes conjure up scenes sure to tickle the tastebuds, satisfy hunger pangs and stir up a song.

MINU AND HER HAIR by Gayatri Bashi

A bird's nest? A cow with two horns? No, it's Minu's hair and she does NOT like it! Pictures give Minu's hair a tactile feel as it spills wildly through the pages.

RAINDROPS by Vaishali Shroff and pictures by Ruchi Mhasane

“The simple, unassuming style of writing instantly caught my attention. Short and crisp lines make reading aloud a pleasure. Soaked in soft watercolours page after page, with pictures depicting rainy day delights… “
Praba Ram

LITTLE LAALI by Alankrita Jain

“A great book to talk to kids about the simpler concepts of big and small, and the more difficult ones like perspectives, real and imagined and positivity.”
Richa Jha


ROOSTER RAGA by Natasha Sharma and pictures by Priya Kuriyan

Every time Ruru rooster opens his mouth he has a new tune but not the kukaroo-kuroo of the other roosters. His friends skip and stretch, stamp and roll and try to teach him. This cheery, foot-tapping story invites big and little readers to move and sing, clap and tap along with Priya Kuriyan’s expressive characters.
Read aloud and sing along with Jeeva Aunty in English and Tamil, make your own rooster plumes and an origami rooster!

 WHEN I GROW UP by Annie Besant and pictures by Anushree Bhat

"Each time Appu cooks up a cherished vocation, his best friend Lola is there to knock him off his flight of fancy with some sound reasoning to boot! It makes you smile, the way the two argue, fight, and then come back together to the one comforting constant that gives them happiness… each other.”
Richa Jha

RANGANNA by Arthi Anand Navaneeth and pictures by Kavita Singh Kale

“Arthi’s tale, ably enhanced by Kavita Singh Kale’s multi colored brush strokes, brings the tale to a warm and fulfilling finish. From beginning to end, Ranganna maintains the comforting lilt and tone of a bed time tale.”
Anusha

CATCH THAT CAT! by Tharini Viswanath and pictures by Nancy Raj

“Yes, Dip Dip needs help — she is no super-kid — but that should not take anything away from what she wants to or how she wants to do it. She is another naughty, tousled-haired kid. She is the kid you chide for teasing friends, breaking a window pane, and well, going after a cat. Tharini Viswanath picks the right words to tell you that, and Nancy Raj captures the exuberance of the story in her expressive illustrations.”
Geeta Padmanabhan

THE 13TH RIDDLE by Nadine D'Souza and illustrations by Ajanta Guhathakurta

“This subtle positive reference to a number, that is in general considered unlucky by so many people around the world, impressed me.”
Ranjani Satish

CAVE ART: THE FIRST PAINTINGS by Vishakha Chanchani

"The best part is that the question and answer format has a very encouraging, collaborative tone throughout the book. Never does the author pretend to be an expert and that makes the script so much more credible… The coloured visuals, some effectively spanning two pages, beautifully complement the text - which is free of jargon and not burdened by information."
Rachna Maneesh-Dhir


NABIYA by Chatura Rao and illustrated by Ruchi Mhasane

A sensitively told story about a spirited young girl, who likes football as much as she likes storybooks, is based on the author’s own experience. Using a collage of colours, textures and drawings, the illustrations evoke Nabiya’s everyday world and her journey into the world of words.   

THE MAGICAL FISH by Chandrakala Jagat and pictures by Gond artist Shankunlata Kushram

"The fear that accompanies a move, the imminent threat of the unknown and the need for survival are highlighted by the fish’s concerns at being asked to move out of the lake… The art is in typical Gond style and very colourful with some unexpected touches."
Arthi Anand Navaneeth

JAGADISH AND THE TALKING PLANT by Swati Shome and pictures Anushree Bhat

In this first-of-its-kind comic book, the maverick scientist’s journey is imagined through the eyes of Mimosa Pudica — the ‘touch-me-not’ plant he used extensively in his research. Extracts from a well-known speech and an entry from Bose’s own journal offer a direct glimpse into a fascinating mind. A crisp timeline gives an overview of his life, while humorous asides and quick facts pack in a punch.

BIJOY AND THE BIG RIVER by Meera Sriram and Praba Ram

"a welcome addition by Tulika books, as this part of our country is vastly under-represented in children's literature.”
Sandhya Renukamba

LITTLE INDIANS: STORIES FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY by Pika Nani

“…marked by adventure and unpredictable endings… The book also comes with nuggets of interesting facts.”
Sravasti Datta

MOSTLY MADLY MAYIL by Niveditha Subramaniam and Sowmya Rajendran

“…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.”
Ken Spillman on Mayil Will Not Be Quiet!" I loved the fact that the book doesn’t make a heroine out of Mayil. She has her faults, and yet she writes in such an endearing manner."
R's mom-blogger

WATCH OUT! by Shamim Padamsee and pictures by Ajanta Guhathakurta

"...the text contains action words like, “Let’s play”, “Let’s pounce”, “Let’s drink” or “Let’s roll" making children instantly connect with the histrionics of these playful cubs."
Rituparna Ghosh

BALU'S BASKET by Chitra Soundar and pictures by Uttara Sivadas

One day Balu finds a basket. What does he do with it? Bright, clean pictures create a cheerful backdrop for this fruit-filled book.

THE RED UMBRELLA by Nandini Nayar and pictures by Soumya Menon

Drip, drip, drip! It’s raining. What happens when seven animals have to share one small umbrella? Cheery pictures liven up this old folktale about sharing retold with a twist.

WHERE DID IT GO? by Nandini Nayar and pictures by Sreeja Basu

What did Kabir find and where did it go? Will he find it again? The simple text is accompanied by graphic pictures lending an interactive dimension to this lost-and-found story. Pictures match clues in the text offering many everyday objects for children to identify as they wander with Kabir through the pages.

COMING SOON

WE ARE DIFFERENT! by Manjula Padhmanabhan

There are many chickens, ants, pots, snails... that are different. The smart verse says how many- but which, and how? Spotting odd ones out goes to the next merry level where it's fun to find what's different.

READ ALOUD STORIES edited by Priya Krishnan and Deeya Nayar

Fifteen stories and poems especially for reading aloud, by some of India's more talented writers. Sounds, repetition and drama add fun to the interactive experience of storytelling, reading and listening, and develop language skills in young children.

JUNIOR KUMBAKARNA by Arundhati Venkatesh and pictures by Shreya Sen

  

Kukku falls asleep to his favourite story about the giant Kumbhakarna who sleeps non-stop for six months. A lively retelling of an episode from the Ramayana with rib-tickling pictures.

 

Mayil Will Not Be Quiet! - an experience

Writer Sowmya Rajendran shares her experience with the boys at Bishops School, Pune, after discussing

with them the popular Mayil Will Not Be Quiet!

Mostly Madly Paranoid
Sowmya Rajendran

As part of the National Library Week celebrations organized by Hippocampus, I went to Bishops School,
 
Pune, to talk to a 6th standard class about Mayil Will Not Be Quiet (co-authored with Niveditha

Subramaniam). We were launching the sequel Mostly Madly Mayil a few days later at the Bookaroo

festival, Pune, and I  was looking forward to interacting with the children on Mayil and what it is that

makes her tick.

It’s only when I got to the school that it dawned on me that this was a boys’ school. Apprehension set in.

The extracts from the book that I had chosen for discussion touched on issues like standards of beauty

and gender stereotyping among other things. Typically, when we discuss these issues with a mixed

group, the girls tend to pick a side and the boys feel impelled to pick the opposite side of the debate!

Arguments and counter-arguments flow and the session becomes a very interactive and lively one. I

was worried that in an all-boys atmosphere, there might not be as much discussion. Would they be

interested in reading a girl’s diary to begin with?

I also wondered if the boys would speak up openly about these issues without the fear of being

ragged by their classmates later on. So before we began, I told them to promise me that whatever we

talked about in the classroom today would remain an honest discussion and that they were not to use

these ‘confessions’ to tease anyone later on. They were quite willing to make this promise though I had

to remind them of it now and then during the session when they showed signs of bullying someone who

was talking!

When I asked them how many of them were into reading, hands shot up all over the classroom. They

said they loved reading Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, Wimpy Kid, Greek mythology, Enid Blyton, Roald

Dahl and many more. Many of them said they wrote, too, and a few said they’d been keeping diaries

for years now! None of them was willing to show their diaries to anyone else because they’d get into

trouble if they did so…this was a good lead into Mayil’s diary as she begins with a warning message to

anyone attempting to read it.

The introduction to the characters done, I asked the boys to imagine that they were film directors and

to tell me what their heroes and heroines would look like. I put up the adjectives on the board as they

shouted them out. I asked them why they didn’t think short/dark/differently-abled people could be

heroes/heroines and one of them said it’s probably because all the films he’d seen showed only people

who were tall and fair. I moved on to read an extract from the book that deals with Mayil wondering if

all the boys in class thought her friend, Jyothy, looked the best because she was so fair. Should she use

the Fair and Lovely sachet that had been gifted to her so very generously by Jyothy? Dilemma, dilemma.

We spoke about adolescence as a phase when we become conscious about our looks, wondering if

others think we look good or bad. We talked about beauty as something that changes with time and

place – none of the heroes and heroines in old films had six pack abs or size zero bodies!

After this, I read out an extract from the book that has Thamarai, Mayil’s brother, wanting to play with

her doll and the conflict that happens at home because of this. One of the boys confessed that he’d

played with his doll till he was about six years old…his mum took it away from him after that! We spoke

about the times when they have been asked to change their behaviour because it doesn’t suit a ‘boy’s’

behaviour – one boy said he talks a lot and his parents tell him not to do that because only girls talk a

lot! We also discussed clothes and they were surprised to know that Scottish men wear ‘skirts’ (kilts).

Wouldn’t they laugh if they saw a man in India dressed in a skirt? Why was that? Why is it okay to do

certain things as a man or a woman in certain countries but not others?

Finally, I read out an extract from the book that has Mayil and her friends plotting to go for a movie

by themselves, without an adult accompanying them. The boys enjoyed this ‘exploit’ and told me with

great enthusiasm about the number of times they’ve lied to their parents and had gone on similar

adventures! I shall keep their secrets safe with me and not reveal them here.


They were keen to read more from the diary and were disappointed that I wasn’t going to talk about

Mostly Madly Mayil. Overall, I discovered that my fears about their responses had been completely

unfounded. If it’s a good enough book, children will be interested. Whether they are boys or girls.