“I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book.”
― J.K. Rowling

So true, isn’t it? A good book is indeed like a magic and stories work for me like wonders whenever I have to explain something new or difficult to my little one. Children’s Day is round the corner and when one of my friends who manages a reading club asked me to recommend some books that she can read out to kids during her upcoming Children's Day event, it left me thinking. While I don’t think reading needs any special occasion and a good book can be read any day of the year but its good to notice that many events these days are focussing on building reading habits amongst kids. After some quick thinking, I decided to recommend her some books that are not preachy yet communicate some key values to children in a fun story format. So here goes a list of few of those books that me and my 5.5 year have loved reading together:

1. Moana by Disney: 

A wonderful tale of courage and grit, this is one book that’s surely going to attract the attention of little adventurers at our home. Its an ancient folklore about Princess Moana, a born navigator who sets sail in search of a fabled island. During her journey, she encounters lots of trouble but with her perseverance and courage, she finally ends up finding her destiny. Packed with beautiful graphics and a very entertaining story, this book is good for a read aloud session for below 6 years old as well as self reading by above 6 year ones.
Written by: Samantha Crockford
Illustrated by: Disney Storybook Artists
Rent it out from your nearest library or buy it online from here.

2. Brown Like Dosas, Samosas And Sticky Chikki by Fun Ok Please: 

A much needed book especially for a country like India where bias towards certain skin and complexion type has existed since ages. It’s a beautiful book that talks about diversity and to be always proud of you, the way you are. This book is about young Samaira who in a world biased towards the lighter skin tone, is happy and content with her brown skin and would not exchange it with whiter shade for anything. When I read it for the first time, I was amazed at the way such a sensitive topic has been communicated in such simple and fun story format.
Written by: Rebecca Manari
Illustrated by: Hetal Dattani Joshi
Rent it out from your nearest library or buy it online from here.

3. Dot by RHUK: 

Simple and easy to read, this book is about digital vs real life, about playing outside, observing our environment instead of just being glued on to screens. Dot is a smart and intelligent girl who knows everything about swipe and virtual share but is so stuck with her electronic devices that she forgets what it is like being outdoors. Good for 3-6 years old, this book is full of gorgeous illustrations and revolves around a theme that’s very relevant for today’s time.
Written by: Randi Zuckerberg
Illustrated by: Joe Berger
Rent it out from your nearest library or buy it online from here.

4. Hanuman’s Ramyana by Tulika Publishers: 

In a world that’s obsessed with self, it’s a book that tells you to listen and respect others perspectives too. Same story can be communicated by different people in different ways but what’s more important is that a good story should be told to everyone irrespective of who has written it or how has it been written - that’s what Hanuman’s Ramayana focusses on. Full of gorgeous Madhubani style of illustrations, this is a great read for 5 - 8 year old.
Written by: Devdutt Pattanik 
Illustrated by: Nancy Raj 
Rent it out from your nearest library or buy it online from here.

5. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Penguin: 

A book loved by generations of kids and adults for its fun yet informative values. For me, when my son was younger all I had to do was remind him of the stomach ache that the caterpillar had after eating junk food :-). A picture book with holes (now who hasn’t poked his/her finger in those holes ;)), it’s a book that can be used for multiple purposes - from an entertaining story, to information about stages of a butterfly, from explaining weekdays and numbers to healthy eating habits, I am yet to meet a child who hasn’t liked this book.
Written by: Eric Carle
Illustrated by: Eric Carle
Rent it out from your nearest library or buy it online from here.

So, what are your all time favorite reads that are entertaining and enlightening at the same time? This is such a vast topic that any post with 5 to 10 book recommendations can’t do justice to it. There are hundreds of good books out there and I just wish, may our generation of kids continue the habit of reading regularly.

As I always say, these are some of the books that the mommy me enjoyed reading with her little one. It may happen that your junior won’t like some or all the books from this list and that’s perfectly fine. Every child has his/her own preferences, let’s just respect their choices and read them what they want.

Thank you for reading :-)

Children books · Children Literature · Children's Day · Kids books

Some children books to try out this November

“I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book.”
― J.K. Rowling

So true, isn’t it? A good book is indeed like a magic and stories work for me like wonders whenever I have to explain something new or difficult to my little one. Children’s Day is round the corner and when one of my friends who manages a reading club asked me to recommend some books that she can read out to kids during her upcoming Children's Day event, it left me thinking. While I don’t think reading needs any special occasion and a good book can be read any day of the year but its good to notice that many events these days are focussing on building reading habits amongst kids. After some quick thinking, I decided to recommend her some books that are not preachy yet communicate some key values to children in a fun story format. So here goes a list of few of those books that me and my 5.5 year have loved reading together:

1. Moana by Disney: 

A wonderful tale of courage and grit, this is one book that’s surely going to attract the attention of little adventurers at our home. Its an ancient folklore about Princess Moana, a born navigator who sets sail in search of a fabled island. During her journey, she encounters lots of trouble but with her perseverance and courage, she finally ends up finding her destiny. Packed with beautiful graphics and a very entertaining story, this book is good for a read aloud session for below 6 years old as well as self reading by above 6 year ones.
Written by: Samantha Crockford
Illustrated by: Disney Storybook Artists
Rent it out from your nearest library or buy it online from here.

2. Brown Like Dosas, Samosas And Sticky Chikki by Fun Ok Please: 

A much needed book especially for a country like India where bias towards certain skin and complexion type has existed since ages. It’s a beautiful book that talks about diversity and to be always proud of you, the way you are. This book is about young Samaira who in a world biased towards the lighter skin tone, is happy and content with her brown skin and would not exchange it with whiter shade for anything. When I read it for the first time, I was amazed at the way such a sensitive topic has been communicated in such simple and fun story format.
Written by: Rebecca Manari
Illustrated by: Hetal Dattani Joshi
Rent it out from your nearest library or buy it online from here.

3. Dot by RHUK: 

Simple and easy to read, this book is about digital vs real life, about playing outside, observing our environment instead of just being glued on to screens. Dot is a smart and intelligent girl who knows everything about swipe and virtual share but is so stuck with her electronic devices that she forgets what it is like being outdoors. Good for 3-6 years old, this book is full of gorgeous illustrations and revolves around a theme that’s very relevant for today’s time.
Written by: Randi Zuckerberg
Illustrated by: Joe Berger
Rent it out from your nearest library or buy it online from here.

4. Hanuman’s Ramyana by Tulika Publishers: 

In a world that’s obsessed with self, it’s a book that tells you to listen and respect others perspectives too. Same story can be communicated by different people in different ways but what’s more important is that a good story should be told to everyone irrespective of who has written it or how has it been written - that’s what Hanuman’s Ramayana focusses on. Full of gorgeous Madhubani style of illustrations, this is a great read for 5 - 8 year old.
Written by: Devdutt Pattanik 
Illustrated by: Nancy Raj 
Rent it out from your nearest library or buy it online from here.

5. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Penguin: 

A book loved by generations of kids and adults for its fun yet informative values. For me, when my son was younger all I had to do was remind him of the stomach ache that the caterpillar had after eating junk food :-). A picture book with holes (now who hasn’t poked his/her finger in those holes ;)), it’s a book that can be used for multiple purposes - from an entertaining story, to information about stages of a butterfly, from explaining weekdays and numbers to healthy eating habits, I am yet to meet a child who hasn’t liked this book.
Written by: Eric Carle
Illustrated by: Eric Carle
Rent it out from your nearest library or buy it online from here.

So, what are your all time favorite reads that are entertaining and enlightening at the same time? This is such a vast topic that any post with 5 to 10 book recommendations can’t do justice to it. There are hundreds of good books out there and I just wish, may our generation of kids continue the habit of reading regularly.

As I always say, these are some of the books that the mommy me enjoyed reading with her little one. It may happen that your junior won’t like some or all the books from this list and that’s perfectly fine. Every child has his/her own preferences, let’s just respect their choices and read them what they want.

Thank you for reading :-)

Raising Little Readers

You love books, you have books all over your house, you always wanted your little one to be fond of books, you have ensured to buy sufficient books for her, you have even taken up a library membership as well as the monthly book box subscription for him but still your little one is not as passionate for reading as you would want him to be? You have to remind her to read and it doesn't come naturally to her. He was actually very fond of books when younger but as he grew up, he lost interest in books?

In this gadget filled world where your little one has option to hop from one screen to another throughout the day, it's difficult to keep their interest alive in printed books. As against earlier, they have multiple options now to entertain themselves and unless reading as a habit has been inculcated in them since very early years, it might get challenging with time to keep their reading interest intact.

Mine is just 5 as of now and even though I have been reading to him since very early days, I can tell you with my practical experience that it's not easy to keep up with this habit always. He loves books but of course there are days when he will insist to watch videos during bedtime as against story books and you have to keep telling him no or make the story time so interesting that he forgets the videos. Like many aspects of parenting, patience and persistence works when it comes to raising little readers too. Sharing few tips here that has worked for me so far as far as junior's reading interest is concerned, not sure if these will continue to work when he grows up, but the mommy-me sincerely hopes that this habit becomes a life long habit for him.

• Start Early: I mean really early. There is no lower age limit as to when a child can get acquainted with books. You know we all give in to the temptation of showing the child videos on mobile or tab while feeding. Instead try colorful board books, give it to the child to play and see. Starting early works, for sure!
• Read Aloud: Grab their attention, help them with their language skills, make them a good listener - reading aloud has many benefits to kids but one of the biggest benefits as per me is it helps them concentrate and focus, skills that are rarity in this screen dominated age.  
• Make It Fun: Get into the character, add a bit of drama, enact the story (come on, we all moms and dads have an actor hidden inside us :)) or plan some fun activities around the books that you are reading. The more fun you will make your reading sessions, the more engaged the child will be.
• Read It Together: Cuddle & snuggle and bond over books. This I tell to many who assume that buying good books will naturally lead to interest generation for reading in their kids. Definitely not possible in today's time when kids have so many other multimedia richer choices available at a click. Make it a habit to read it together and you never know what beautiful reading memories you will be creating for your child.
• Read regularly: Even if it's just for 20 minutes but read daily. Set aside a time for reading to your kids, it could be evening or bedtime but do ensure to follow this regularly. Once you will be regular, you will yourself observe that with time your little one will pick it up as a habit too. Remember, reading is not just a weekend or holiday activity.
• Don't bribe: If you will offer bribes like pizza-if-you-finish-that-book, reading will always end up to be an activity done only for rewards. We all end up doing it for some or other activities (in my case, it's his eating where I had done this mistake of rewarding), just refrain it for reading in case you want it to be a life long habit. Instead try to make it fun and yes, patience pays. Keep at it.
• Read what he /she loves: I know we all avid reader moms & dads have some choices of their own, the books that we think will be good for our kids. But let's not force our choices on them as times have changed and so have preferences of our kids. For almost a month, my son insisted me to read him "Wolverine Vs Sabretooth" story book during bedtime daily. I mean daily! The mommy in me used to wonder why such action packed story at bedtime. But then that's the only book my son was very fond of at that particular time. I gave in to his choices and kept reading him whatever he wanted. Thanks to Wolverine and Avengers, I must say that reading got established as a bedtime ritual on its own quite easily. Do I remember reading anything like Wolverine while I was growing up? Of course nah :D

Hope these suggestions work for you. In case you have any other interesting tip, do drop it in the comment section below.

If you liked this post from a book-loving mommy, feel free to share it and for more succh posts follow my children books page @undertheguavatree

- The Mommy who got all her reading skills by spending her childhood under a guava tree with books :)

bangalore bloggers · book blog · book blogger · Books · Children books · Kids books · raising little readers · reading habit formation

Raising little readers

Raising Little Readers

You love books, you have books all over your house, you always wanted your little one to be fond of books, you have ensured to buy sufficient books for her, you have even taken up a library membership as well as the monthly book box subscription for him but still your little one is not as passionate for reading as you would want him to be? You have to remind her to read and it doesn't come naturally to her. He was actually very fond of books when younger but as he grew up, he lost interest in books?

In this gadget filled world where your little one has option to hop from one screen to another throughout the day, it's difficult to keep their interest alive in printed books. As against earlier, they have multiple options now to entertain themselves and unless reading as a habit has been inculcated in them since very early years, it might get challenging with time to keep their reading interest intact.

Mine is just 5 as of now and even though I have been reading to him since very early days, I can tell you with my practical experience that it's not easy to keep up with this habit always. He loves books but of course there are days when he will insist to watch videos during bedtime as against story books and you have to keep telling him no or make the story time so interesting that he forgets the videos. Like many aspects of parenting, patience and persistence works when it comes to raising little readers too. Sharing few tips here that has worked for me so far as far as junior's reading interest is concerned, not sure if these will continue to work when he grows up, but the mommy-me sincerely hopes that this habit becomes a life long habit for him.

• Start Early: I mean really early. There is no lower age limit as to when a child can get acquainted with books. You know we all give in to the temptation of showing the child videos on mobile or tab while feeding. Instead try colorful board books, give it to the child to play and see. Starting early works, for sure!
• Read Aloud: Grab their attention, help them with their language skills, make them a good listener - reading aloud has many benefits to kids but one of the biggest benefits as per me is it helps them concentrate and focus, skills that are rarity in this screen dominated age.  
• Make It Fun: Get into the character, add a bit of drama, enact the story (come on, we all moms and dads have an actor hidden inside us :)) or plan some fun activities around the books that you are reading. The more fun you will make your reading sessions, the more engaged the child will be.
• Read It Together: Cuddle & snuggle and bond over books. This I tell to many who assume that buying good books will naturally lead to interest generation for reading in their kids. Definitely not possible in today's time when kids have so many other multimedia richer choices available at a click. Make it a habit to read it together and you never know what beautiful reading memories you will be creating for your child.
• Read regularly: Even if it's just for 20 minutes but read daily. Set aside a time for reading to your kids, it could be evening or bedtime but do ensure to follow this regularly. Once you will be regular, you will yourself observe that with time your little one will pick it up as a habit too. Remember, reading is not just a weekend or holiday activity.
• Don't bribe: If you will offer bribes like pizza-if-you-finish-that-book, reading will always end up to be an activity done only for rewards. We all end up doing it for some or other activities (in my case, it's his eating where I had done this mistake of rewarding), just refrain it for reading in case you want it to be a life long habit. Instead try to make it fun and yes, patience pays. Keep at it.
• Read what he /she loves: I know we all avid reader moms & dads have some choices of their own, the books that we think will be good for our kids. But let's not force our choices on them as times have changed and so have preferences of our kids. For almost a month, my son insisted me to read him "Wolverine Vs Sabretooth" story book during bedtime daily. I mean daily! The mommy in me used to wonder why such action packed story at bedtime. But then that's the only book my son was very fond of at that particular time. I gave in to his choices and kept reading him whatever he wanted. Thanks to Wolverine and Avengers, I must say that reading got established as a bedtime ritual on its own quite easily. Do I remember reading anything like Wolverine while I was growing up? Of course nah :D

Hope these suggestions work for you. In case you have any other interesting tip, do drop it in the comment section below.

If you liked this post from a book-loving mommy, feel free to share it and for more succh posts follow my children books page @undertheguavatree

- The Mommy who got all her reading skills by spending her childhood under a guava tree with books :)

Ok, I’m late in doing this post about “Alphabet Dress-Up” book by FunOkPlease. Got it few weeks back by the publishers but got the time to check it only last weekend. And man, was I really impressed? Yes and a big YES! I immediately thought to jot down my feedback on this book as its one fantastic piece that deserves more and more mentions all across. I can’t tell you how impressed I’m with this “FunOkPlease” group. Every book that they come out with is actually better than the previous one. Simply put, to me this is one publishing house that just outperforms its own creativity with its each new launch. 

The book written by “Nalini Sorensen” and illustrated by “Shraddha Pimputkar” is a brilliant visual treat for kids! The whole alphabet series is presented in the form of dress-up options with a puzzle on each page to find another word with that same alphabet that’s there on the page. Total fun, isn’t it? But that’s not all. There are many other things that I loved about this book as a Mom. Here goes the list of few of them:

• Interesting yet engaging! Not only the bright, colorful illustrations draw attention to the pages, those puzzles actually keep you glued on to the book for long. A good fun exercise for kids!
• Unique! When I say unique, it’s actually unique. Trust me on that! These days, since I often browse books for the little one, I have actually got a chance to see many other alphabet books including the ones from international brands but this one is indeed different. 
• Attention to details! 13 characters are girls in that book and 13 boys. Now how cool is that! Isn’t it? And the professions have been depicted in a way that breaks the gender stereotypes. For e.g., the astronaut in the book is a girl and the teacher is a boy.
• Stimulates imagination! It’s not only about bright colors and cute characters, it actually lets you imagine and opens up possibilities to think of other professions as dress up options from things around you. In this age of fancy digital screens & high-tech apps, anything that lets kids imagine of possibilities with day-to-day regular things is such a welcome change. The book also comes with a flash card game at the end and all of this at Rs. 199/-!

Overall, a book that I totally recommend as a Mom. My toddler has yet not reached the stage of understanding different professions shown in this book but I have added this book in my ‘read-out-loud’ list to teach him alphabets and different words that’s possible with each alphabet. In case you’ve a kid at home who is at alphabet or word learning stage, then do check out this book. I’m actually quite confident that you will love it! 

To know more FunOkPlease, click here and to buy this book online at Flipkart, click here. 

Alphabet Dress-Up · book · Book Review · Children's Book · Kids books · Kids Books India

Alphabet Dress-Up: Children’s Book

Ok, I’m late in doing this post about “Alphabet Dress-Up” book by FunOkPlease. Got it few weeks back by the publishers but got the time to check it only last weekend. And man, was I really impressed? Yes and a big YES! I immediately thought to jot down my feedback on this book as its one fantastic piece that deserves more and more mentions all across. I can’t tell you how impressed I’m with this “FunOkPlease” group. Every book that they come out with is actually better than the previous one. Simply put, to me this is one publishing house that just outperforms its own creativity with its each new launch. 

The book written by “Nalini Sorensen” and illustrated by “Shraddha Pimputkar” is a brilliant visual treat for kids! The whole alphabet series is presented in the form of dress-up options with a puzzle on each page to find another word with that same alphabet that’s there on the page. Total fun, isn’t it? But that’s not all. There are many other things that I loved about this book as a Mom. Here goes the list of few of them:

• Interesting yet engaging! Not only the bright, colorful illustrations draw attention to the pages, those puzzles actually keep you glued on to the book for long. A good fun exercise for kids!
• Unique! When I say unique, it’s actually unique. Trust me on that! These days, since I often browse books for the little one, I have actually got a chance to see many other alphabet books including the ones from international brands but this one is indeed different. 
• Attention to details! 13 characters are girls in that book and 13 boys. Now how cool is that! Isn’t it? And the professions have been depicted in a way that breaks the gender stereotypes. For e.g., the astronaut in the book is a girl and the teacher is a boy.
• Stimulates imagination! It’s not only about bright colors and cute characters, it actually lets you imagine and opens up possibilities to think of other professions as dress up options from things around you. In this age of fancy digital screens & high-tech apps, anything that lets kids imagine of possibilities with day-to-day regular things is such a welcome change. The book also comes with a flash card game at the end and all of this at Rs. 199/-!

Overall, a book that I totally recommend as a Mom. My toddler has yet not reached the stage of understanding different professions shown in this book but I have added this book in my ‘read-out-loud’ list to teach him alphabets and different words that’s possible with each alphabet. In case you’ve a kid at home who is at alphabet or word learning stage, then do check out this book. I’m actually quite confident that you will love it! 

To know more FunOkPlease, click here and to buy this book online at Flipkart, click here. 

Few days back I had written about Toto Series by this new age Indian publisher FunOkPlease. I got to read yet another gem by them – “366 words in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi & Kolkata” and once again I am compelled to write my feedback about them. These guys definitely deserve a big shout out for their effort! Absolutely laudable and worth a mention! Undoubtedly their content is different and when I say different it’s actually different. Practical, innovative and engaging to the core! I can’t tell you how impressed I’m by this 366 words series.

 ‘366 words’ showcases the vibrant cities of Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi & Kolkata to its readers in a very creative and interesting way. Each book revolves around one city and presents the history, culture, food, festivals and important landmarks through beautiful illustrations. This book is meant for kids of any age group. For younger kids (< 5 years), it can be used as picture talk book to learn one new word each day. For bit older kids (6-8 years), it can be used to help them learn and identify places and interesting facts about their city. For older kids (> 8 years), it can be used as an informative and comprehensive guide of their city and surroundings.

Loaded with information, presented in style, these books have enough activities to keep your little ones engaged - be it the ones like 'find-the-objects-in-each-picture' or 'identify-the-images' at the end of  books, each page has been designed keeping kids of different age groups in mind.

A sample page from "366 words in Bengaluru"

Though the book does not mention it but I must say that this book is not only meant for kids rather even grown ups can benefit from it easily. The first two pages on history and background of city are so informative. Things like “how did Bengaluru get its name” or “how payasa combines all flavors of life in one single recipe” from ‘366 words in Bengaluru’ are some of the knowledge nuggets which I definitely loved to read.

In nutshell, this series is a must if you’re looking to enrich your kid’s knowledge about your city. In fact as per me, it would be interesting if schools in their curriculums can include such books. I read all four in their series and I think I can safely say that I have not come across any similar Indian book that presents such important insights in such a fun way. Loved it and strongly recommend it to parents in my network. It’s one of those must-have books for your junior’s library.

Do check out more about their new collection here.

366 words in Bengaluru · Book Review · Books · Children book review · children books india · Delhi · fun ok please · Kids books · Kolkata · Mumbai

“366 words” series by FUNOKPLEASE

Few days back I had written about Toto Series by this new age Indian publisher FunOkPlease. I got to read yet another gem by them – “366 words in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi & Kolkata” and once again I am compelled to write my feedback about them. These guys definitely deserve a big shout out for their effort! Absolutely laudable and worth a mention! Undoubtedly their content is different and when I say different it’s actually different. Practical, innovative and engaging to the core! I can’t tell you how impressed I’m by this 366 words series.

 ‘366 words’ showcases the vibrant cities of Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi & Kolkata to its readers in a very creative and interesting way. Each book revolves around one city and presents the history, culture, food, festivals and important landmarks through beautiful illustrations. This book is meant for kids of any age group. For younger kids (< 5 years), it can be used as picture talk book to learn one new word each day. For bit older kids (6-8 years), it can be used to help them learn and identify places and interesting facts about their city. For older kids (> 8 years), it can be used as an informative and comprehensive guide of their city and surroundings.

Loaded with information, presented in style, these books have enough activities to keep your little ones engaged - be it the ones like 'find-the-objects-in-each-picture' or 'identify-the-images' at the end of  books, each page has been designed keeping kids of different age groups in mind.

A sample page from "366 words in Bengaluru"

Though the book does not mention it but I must say that this book is not only meant for kids rather even grown ups can benefit from it easily. The first two pages on history and background of city are so informative. Things like “how did Bengaluru get its name” or “how payasa combines all flavors of life in one single recipe” from ‘366 words in Bengaluru’ are some of the knowledge nuggets which I definitely loved to read.

In nutshell, this series is a must if you’re looking to enrich your kid’s knowledge about your city. In fact as per me, it would be interesting if schools in their curriculums can include such books. I read all four in their series and I think I can safely say that I have not come across any similar Indian book that presents such important insights in such a fun way. Loved it and strongly recommend it to parents in my network. It’s one of those must-have books for your junior’s library.

Do check out more about their new collection here.