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Archive for the ‘good reads’ Category | |||||
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A super-cute adaptation of an old Bengali folktale – about a barber who outwits a ghost and it’s uncle using a mirror. The Ghost Catcher Happy Halloween! | |||||
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Looking for a good children’s book about Diwali? It’s slim pickings out there, but I’ve had the chance to review several. Sadly, most are quite terrible. I really don’t like to write negative reviews, so I won’t name names, but here are my gripes: 1. As a South Indian, my pet peeve is when books try to teach that the Ramayana story is THE story of Diwali. It is not THE story – it is A story. Enough about my gripes about the bad books, here are some decent ones that are worth taking a look at: 1. Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Diwali: With Sweets, Lights, and Fireworks
2. Lights for Gita
3. Lighting a Lamp: A Diwali Story (Festival Time)
4. Rama and the Demon King: An Ancient Tale from India
5. Krishna and Narakasura (Amar Chitra Katha)
6. My favourite – a DIY book idea submitted by one of our readers – Smriti from Kansas City, MO. She used Flashcards from our Organic Bib Sets to create her own “Diwali Book” using a small picture album. She said in her email that she made her own cover and plans to fill the rest of the pages with family Diwali pictures, quotes and momentos. Thanks for the snaps Smriti!
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Books are gold and Barefoot Books is one our favorite publishers of children’s books. Their books are conscientious, cultural, fun and simply beautiful additions to any library. That’s why we were extremely pleased when they agreed to be one of our sponsors for our Navratri Giveaway. Browsing through their site will leave you wanting to add every title to your shopping cart. But alas! Understood - this is not financially possible. To get started on your Barefoot Books journey, ENTER HERE to win 3 books: 2 books handpicked by us (Elephant Dance and The Seven Wise Princesses) and 1 book completely of your choice. Make sure to join their Facebook Page. (or if you don’t have a Facebook account, Email us at blog{at}gnaana{dot}com and tell us: Who is your female role model?) WINNER for this prize will be announced at midnight EST on Monday, October 3rd – so make sure to enter before then! Here are some of our Barefoot Books favorites – all of which we’ve personally read: 1. Indian Tales: A Barefoot Collection: A superb collection of stories for the over-4 set – features tales from different parts of India (Hanuman’s Adventures from Kerala, Bopuluchi from Punjab, Drummer Boy from Gujarat…) and also a 1-page summary about that state. Folksy illustrations and a fun, educational presentation.
2. Elephant Dance: A Journey to India: Ravi and Anjali welcome their Indian Grandfather – who describes India through poetic analogies: the tiger sun, a rainbow of silk sarees, Himalaya mountains capped with ice-cream snow and streets and festivals teeming with flowers and fanfare. A true gem for any Indian family.
3. The Seven Wise Princeses: A Medieval Persian Epic: Sufi poetry for kids! Though recommended for Grades 4 and up, this book is so well written, parents can paraphrase and present in small parts to younger children. Based on on 12th-century Persian poet Nizami’s epic poem Haft Paykar, 7 princesses tell their tales to a Shah, through which we learn about 7 virtues: truth, patience, perseverance, forgiveness, humility, wisdom, and love.
4. The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales: Earth stories from around the world. Folk tales from Bali, Australia, India, Nigeria, the American Southwest, Wales and Kazakhstan relate eco-consciousness and encourage children to respect Planet Earth. This book even goes a step further and includes a craft idea for each story.
5. The Story of Divaali: Not so much about Diwali – but it is a colorful and well-illustrated version of The Ramayana. Suitable for 1st-graders and up. And yes, there is a happy ending!
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Want to give your kids a global advantace? Homa Sabet Tavanger has ideas for you. She’s been interviewed on BBC World Service and on NBC News Education Nation on the important topic of instilling a global perspective in children. Her book Growing Up Global Whether at home, the grocery store or at a playdate, Homa presents, simple ideas and exercises to expose your children to cultures around the world – without having to hop on a plane. Growing Up Global is an essential book for parents who seek to broaden their kids’ perspective and to increase their tolerance of others. Growing Up Global is giving away a copy of the book, personally signed by the author, as part of our Navratri Giveaway. Winner will also receive the World Sings Goodnight (Volume 1) CD – a wonderful collection of lullabies from all over the world, sung in native languages (see our World Lullabies Blog Post). ENTER HERE for your chance to win. (or if you don’t have a Facebook account, Email us at blog{at}gnaana{dot}com and tell us: Who is your female role model?) WINNER for this prize will be announced at midnight EST on Thursday, September 29th – so make sure to enter before then! | |||||
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The idea for this post was submitted by my dear friend (and faithful Gnaana reader) Madhuri. She pointed me to the book Monsoon Afternoon I haven’t read it, but it’s a story about a little boy who is bored on an Indian monsoon afternoon and starts folding paper boats with his Dadaji (grandfather). They float the boats in a washtub and then take a walk together along the post-monsoon streets, chatting about seasons and change. The book inspired her and her kids to make paper boats together (following this simple video tutorial) – which they sailed in makeshift puddles. Sounds like a wonderful afternoon! With all the hurricanes, floods and rains these past few weeks – I’d love to have this book on hand for a rainy day. Thanks Madhuri! | |||||
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It all started with a children’s book – Going to School in India You can purchase the book My son’s favourite is about Anita the Beekeeper (part of their Girl Stars series) in which a young girl Anita fights her parents to let her stay in school and gets creative to earn tuition money – first by tutoring other kids in her village and later by farming bees and selling their honey.
If your kids are having any back-to-school jitters read them the book or spend some time on the Going to School website with them – they are sure to be thankful for being blessed with easy access to education! Check out this amazing organization! | |||||
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We received quite a few emails about my post a few weeks ago recommending Brahma’s Butterfly. It seems that many had not heard of Tulika Books! Tulika Books is a Chennai-based publishing house which puts out terrific Indian-themed books for kids. You’ll find books about Indian history, folktales and also original stories which present cultural concepts to kids. And – best of all – they publish simple, bilingual books in several Indian languages (not transliterated, but then again, you get to practice reading your language…) You’ll find a dizzying array of books on the Tulika website – all of which sound like fantastic reads. But many of you wanted recommendations for a few good ones. So here are my picks: 1. Grandma’s Eyes. I have the Telugu version and my kids never get bored of the simple text and pictures. The loveable Ammama or Pati wears a sari and a bun in her hair, tells stories and pats her grandson to sleep.
2. What Shall I Make? Chapati-making has never been the same in our since since we started reading this book. Neeraj’s mom gives him some chapati dough to play with, and he shapes it into all sorts of animals. Of course he gets to eat his tasty chapatis at the end. This book is so adorable, I even read it in my son’s Montessori class – after which we all did some “chapati art” and had a chapati snack!
3. Ekki Dokki. Based on a folktale from Maharashtra, Ekki has one hair on her head and her sister Dokki has two hairs. Dokki is vain and bullies her sister, who is a generous and kind little girl. However, good deeds are rewarded and bad ones are punished – Hindu karma for kids? My kids love the triangle-shaped characters.
4. Up Down. Another book we have in Telugu. We’ve read this so many times, my son surprised me the other day when he recited the whole book by heart – in Telugu! I was so proud of him! It’s a simple story about a little boy who wants to play on a see-saw, but all his animal playmates are either too light or heavy for him – until a little girl comes along.
5. The Rooster and the Sun. Another folktale – this one is from the Ao tribe in Nagaland. A farmer gets angry with the Sun for being too hot – so the Sun pouts and goes away. A clever rooster tricks it back into place.
And another gem – for the older math buffs - All About Nothing – about India’s contribution of “zero” to the principles of mathematics.
Of course, Tulika consistently publishes new books. On my wishlist are: Dosa, the Panchatantra series, Picture Gandhi, The Veena Player and Out of the Way! Out of the Way! Thank you, Tulika, for your wonderful contribution to children’s literature! | |||||
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We were in a Target the other day when my daughter spied a pair of fairy wings – which she immediately HAD to put on. “Me butterfly,” she declared as she fluttered about the store, eliciting many “aaawww’s” from other shoppers and many secret smiles on her part. So when we came back home, I had the chance to capture the moment as she continued the role-playing in our backyard. She has butterfly everything: butterfly rainboots, butterfly umbrella, a butterfly hoodie, butterfly pajamas and (most recently) butterfly bedsheets, which are worth their weight in gold for keeping her in her bed. But, sadly, we don’t use the Telugu word for butterfly – an unfairly complicated 7-syllable behemoth of a word: seeta-koka-chilaka. So I find myself cheating a little and borrowing the Hindi word for butterfly – titlee (which is short and fun to say) when reading books and such. Sorry, Telugu, but I draw the line at 5 syllables. Is this wrong of me? It’s not the first time I’ve borrowed – many Hindi words are shorter and easier to say. Besides, it’s a Hyderabad thing (where you can’t survive in some parts unless you speak Hindi/Urdu). “Butterfly” is still the reining word, but at least we have a less onerous alternative during our no-English hours. So this month, “ta” is for “titlee.”
Two’s Company Silhouettes Jute Bags ($40.80) and Butterfly Pillows ($89.00), available at Madison Ave Gifts.
Brahma’s Butterfly, a delightful tale from Tulika Books – think of it as The Very Hungry Caterpillar meets Indian folktale. Rs. 120
Outdoor whimsy: DIY Butterfly Straws by Good Housekeeping and a dreamy Butterfly Bench. $2,500
Cheerful Butterfly Pendant Light ($80.00) and Delight Table Light by The French Bedroom Company (£145)
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If anyone has been around my kids lately, they’d know that tsunamis have been a big topic of discussion since December. I just happened to mention to my 4-year-old one day that tsunamis were really big waves where the ocean comes onto the land, and somehow unleashed a series of questions that had to be answered (and re-answered) on a daily basis. And so we have all the prime tsunami YouTube videos bookmarked on our television and the kids roll around the house pretending to be ocean water that “crushes everything” (though I have to broker peace when big brother tries to roll over and “crush” his little sister). No wonder then that my son, who normally tries to distract us with all his might from the NBC Nightly News, has been sitting through entire broadcasts of the events in Japan. If your child is interested in tsunamis and the current events, I highly recommend Tsunami! by Kimiko Kajikawa. It’s a remarkable Japanese story of a wealthy farmer (Ojiisan) who gives up everything to save his fellow villagers from a tsunami – admirable societal values that kids from all cultures should ponder. There is a beautiful spread in the middle of the book that depicts an impending tsunami wave (no words) that I would love to have framed – a work of art that reminds you that nature is supreme. | |||||
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If you’re committed to teaching your kids your native language, reading to them in that language is oh-so-important. Too bad that the number of engaging Telugu picture books for kids is so limited. It seems that for every good Telugu book out there, there are 200 English ones ready to lure the kids away. I really do lament the lack of resources. Yes, there are some quality publishers out there, but not enough if you have voracious readers like I do. So I do whatever bilingual parent eventually resorts to – reading English books in Telugu by substituting the words (although, as my son is now learning to read, I may have to start taping Telugu text over the English counterparts). Not all English books are suitable for switching – especially those that rely on rhymes or have a decidedly Western theme and vocabulary (e.g. Halloween or Valentines books). Here are 5 of my kids’ favourite books they love to hear in Telugu (and amenable to substitutions in other languages I’m sure): 1. Listen, Listen!: Simple nouns and verbs, mixed in with fun sounds. A great vocabulary builder. 2. The Little Engine That Could: The repetition in the scenes makes for easy substitution – and the story line keeps the reading interesting. Kids learn about feelings and emotions.
3. God, Dog. Go!: Perhaps our all-time favourite – terrific for learning opposites and colours.
4. Clip-Clop: A fun romp about a horse who gives rides to farm animals. Good for learning about questions and commands.
5. Harold and the Purple Crayon: A creative masterpiece in any lanugage.
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has great text, great illustrations (the barber is a perfect rendition of a Bengali intellectual) and a great message (in problem-solving) – the trifecta of a great book. 
. This one is published by National Geographic, so it instantly has credibility. It’s text-heavy, but this allows children to grow into it. The pictures are really nice. 
. Not so much an instructional manual on Diwali, but a real story with a wonderful message. Kind of sad, but the ending makes up for it.
. If you’re looking for a basic for the preschool set, this one is very simple. Some of my gripes (see above) apply here, but this is one of the better I’ve seen geared towards the youngest kids.
. I’ve recommended this before – it is just too cute. The text is so well done that I don’t have to substitute my own version (like I do with some books I get from India). A terrific summary of the Ramayana for kids.
. Really the only option to illustrate the “other” Diwali story.
has received rave reviews from newspapers across the country, was named “Best New Parenting Book” by Scholastic Parent & Child Magazine and was chosen as one of the “20 Best Education Books of the Decade” by Jacksonville Public Education Examiner.
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– for which authors Lisa Heydlauff and Nitin Upadhye traveled for a year collecting 25 inspirational stories of children going to school in India: how they get there, what motivates them to stay and study and how they learn. Going to School now has over 10 members on its team and has produced mini-books in regional languages and mini-movies – all with a message of 
, but if you have some time I strongly recommend checking out 
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