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The Harmony of Bees and Other Charms of Creepy Crawlies
Creepy-crawlies are an eternal source of fascination as well as revulsion. In this highly readable book by a seasoned naturalist, everday insects are portrayed with a fresh perspective, revealing bizzare aspects of thier lives. Male spiders woo mates with gifts to avoid being eaten by her. Butterflies don’t just drink nectar, but also blood and alchohol. Read on!
An exceptional book that blends text and illustrations to introduce pioneering woman photographer Homai Vyarawalla. The story moves briskly from one photo to the next on Homai’s limited roll of film, with illustrations that brilliantly capture the photography process. The biographical note and facsimiles of Homai’s images at the end adds valuable context. This book is a model biography, hopefully setting tone for others to come.
The book attempts to bridge the divide between urban and rural children’s lived experiences. Suddenly uprooted because of his parents’ distress migration, Giri finds himself in a situation where he is no longer the smart and popular boy in his class as he once was. Instead, he is a silent stranger, whose language no one understands. How he slowly negotiates this new reality, and takes charge of his life, is an inspiring story, told with a light touch.
This poignant narrative navigates the complexities of young adult life, while philosophically exploring death. Conversations feel authentic, and using ‘Death’ as a character and companion is an interesting device to reflect on the past and present. Pen and ink drawings suit the graphic format effectively. Importantly ending with hope and resolution, the story is insightful and wise, without being preachy. It would resonate with many young readers today.
A pacy, romantic, coming-of-age novel that brings alive the challenges and joys of a girl growing up in contemporary middle-class Muslim family in Bangalore. The protagnist’s quest for agency is skillfully presented, breaking stereotypes in an organic and layered way. Weaving an engaging romace amidst class differences and family/community expectations, this book conveys the complexities of relationships and everyday life with both humour and seriousness.
Two 18-year-old Zainabs, nearly a century apart. Both rather unconventional, gutsy, and not yet fully grown up. This intriguing and exciting book portrays the awakening of love, of political awareness, and of the dilemmas faced by both Zainabs. Both live in times of turmoil: the freedom struggle, and the fight to preserve democracy in the current times. Their lives touch each other through a sari here, a diary there. A totally engrossing and delicate coming-of-age story.
A beautifully produced book, focusing on the Bangla artist Jamini Roy, that explores his growth as an artist and how the art he saw around him shaped his style. The text is written simply and evocatively, and the design of the book, with many cut-throughs, pull-outs and flaps, offers multiple ways of engaging with text and image. The activities at the end of the book are well-designed and encourage ways of understanding his style more practically.
This brilliantly researched collaboration between a graphic artist and archaeologist meticulously presents the story of the Indus Valley Civilization in a comic-book format. Through an unnamed narrator, it presents complex historiographical issues accessibly, not shying away from difficult debates of origin and identity. The imagination of the Indus cities requires fidelity to known objects and structures. The book adheres to this closely.
