Ten Must Read Children’s Books by Indian Authors

Writing for children is perhaps more difficult than writing for adults. The past few years have seen a number of Indian authors foray into writing for children. Here are some that I would love for my kid.  

Age 3 to 5 years

1. Dinosaur-Long-As-127-Kids (Geeta Dharmarajan). This is about a dinosaur who loves taking children out for a ride until he bumps into a strange problem. The author is a Padma Shri awardee for her distinguished service in the field of Literature and Education. 

2. The famous smile (Geetha Dharmarajan). A delightful book about Agar Magar, the crocodile as he sets out to make it big. After many unsuccessful tries, he is recognized by the photographer of the town. A good book for parents wanting to teach their little ones the importance of dental hygiene. 

3. Where is amma (Nandini Nayar)? This book is filled with endearing illustrations and follows the quirks of a child’s imagination as a ball of chapati dough turns into almost anything. Follow it up with some chapati art with your little one for a well-spent afternoon!

4. Playtime (Sanjiv Jaiswal). Golu, the elephant and Chotu, the rabbit make a funny pair. The story endears children with their funny antics. 

5. Mouse sees the world (Kuntie Ramdat Balkaran). A delightful book that will teach your kids about different animals, and what they eat.  

6. Too many bananas (Rohini Nilekani (Noni)). A heartwarming and simple story of Sringeri Srinivas., who frows too many bananas on his farm and distributes them generously to everyone. Then people get fed up of the bananas and no longer want them. 

Although Indian authors have been writing books for children for long, it is only now that they are gaining recognition. The advantage of books by Indian writers is that the kid is able to relate to the setting, while also gaining knowledge about the diverse and rich Indian culture. So on your next trip to the book store, try to lay your hands on some of the above picks. I am sure you and your child will love reading them! 

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