6 Beautifully Illustrated Children’s Books From India

Though as adults the highlight of most days is the opportunity to snuggle into the warm confines of your bed, as children however it was a moment of abject horror. How dare our parents suggest that we sacrifice all those hours to something as futile as sleep? There was only one thing that allayed theses fears and made this whole daily procedure seem a little bit more tolerable, storytime.

As adults we can fully appreciate the true worth of those moments before the lights went out. They shaped our lives and their content becomes the foundation of our thoughts. But ask any child what part of those memories shine most clearly and they will all tell you the same thing - the pictures. When you still haven’t learned to read, the importance of visual cues become paramount. Though it’s important to entertain, this is also an opportunity to teach children about

I. Disaibon Hul - Ruby Hembrom

Many elements of Indian history been conveniently left out, purposefully removed, or just simply forgotten. Out of many, is that of the Santal rebellion of 1855-56 in present day Jharkhand, then Bengal Presidency. The insurrection was against both the British colonisers and the oppressive zamindari system. In 2015, Ruby Hembrom, author, editor and founder of Adivaani, published Disaibon Hul a revolutionary children’s book that traces the Santal rebellion along with incredible illustrations by Santal artist Saheb Ram Tudu. Books like Disaibon Hul are much-needed and important for a number of reasons, one being the representation of India’s tribal communities; the real story being told by the people themselves to the younger generations in a mission to educate and inform in a realistic manner while keeping in mind the age of their readers.

II. Gond Creation Tales - Bhajju Shyam

Theories around creation have always been shrouded in mystery, and in the revelation of the ancient depictions of our universe, the fog clears to shed light on a third space that is possibly the most important to accept. Bhajju Shyam, a famous Gond artist, celebrates this viewpoint through his breath-taking illustrations. Teaming with symbolism and allusions, each of his illustrations has a different story to tell as long as you are willing to lend them a ear. Hardbound and silkscreened in handmade paper with traditional Indian dye, this book is a limited edition treasure.

III. Gobble You Up! - Sunita and Gita Wolf

Gobble You Up! is an adaptation of an oral trickster tale from Rajasthan that subtly throws in the themes of greediness and the perils of being idle. It is a story of a wily jackal that is too lazy to hunt for his own food. He then tricks his fellow forest animals and gobbles them up all, starting with his friend the crane.
This book is a beautiful work of art; it is illustrated with finger painting by Sunita from Rajhastan’s Meena tribe. She adapts a traditional Meena art form called Mandana which is usually painted by women onto the walls and floors of their village homes.

IV. Waterlife - Rambharos Jha

A book that is a complete illustrative delight, Waterlife is an exquisite colleciton of a wonderful representation of the marine life by artist Rambharos Jha using the ancient art form of Mithila, which is a form of folk painting that comes from Bihar. The book represents visual brilliance in every way, with the vibrant colours that throw you back to the tether ends of marine life, with the shapes and colours coming together to help the visuals come to life. Counted as one of the best books to come out of the Tara house!

V. Following My Paint Brush - Dulari Devi and Gita Wolf

Following My Paint Brush is a real life autobiography of an artist, Dulari Devi, who was born in a very poor family and works as a domestic help to make ends meet. Then comes a turning point in her life when she starts working in an artist’s house and discovers her interest in painting. She perseveres and realizes her passion of creating art, adapting the conventional artistic rules to her expressions and goes on to become an artist in the Mithila style of folk painting. This book promises a healthy dose of optimism and delivers the importance of having a dream, holding on to it and working hard to make it a reality.

VI. I Saw a Peacock with a Fiery Tale – Illustrated by Ramsingh Urveti

The illustrations in the book are typical of the Gond style tribal art form and the literal setting of the words are the key to subjective nature of the book.
The meaning of the lines varies depending on where the line breaks. This book takes advantage of this duality and through the use of die-cuts, intricate design and the clever layout, it gives the text a whole new dimension. Each page of the book is a awe-inspiring surprise.