Across the Literary


Grade - 1st Genre - Picture Book 
Theme - Family Written - Kanchan Bannerjee Illustrated - Kavya Singh Published - Pratham Books About the author   Jyoshika, an NGO that works to improve young children's learning, was founded by Kanchan Bannerjee. She likes to write for young readers. She created graded readers in Hindi for kids in Chattisgarh and Kannada for kids in Karnataka as part of a UNICEF project. She creates strategy and educational materials as the managing trustee of the Akshara Foundation.  Synopsis  The little girl loves visiting her grandparents because of the mango tree. She loves hiding behind the tree. Her parents try to find her but can't find her behind the tree. At the last the dog finds her on the tree where a lot of birds come. Reading-writing strategies Pre-reading If mango could talk, what conversation would the children have with mango?  Discuss why children like to go to their grandparents home and what is so special about their grandp...

  
Grade - 4th  Genre - Fiction 
Theme - Finding Water Written - Shalini Srinivasan Illustrated - Upamanyu Bhattacharyya Published - Pratham Books About the Author Shalini Srinivasan is a comic book writer, and an occasional research writer.She has worked with and written several comics for Amar Chitra Katha. Comics are also among her research interests – she did a PhD thesis on graphic journalism at the University of Hyderabad. Shalini writes fiction, often for children. Her most recent work is the Manasa series of picture books with Pratham Books. Synopsis Ranj’s village is dry and everyone in the village is moving to the city due to insufficiency of water. Ranj has solved a lot of mysteries at home and she takes this as an opportunity to add to her mystery cases. She travels the village and goes on asking the people around whether they know where the water has gone. She continues solving the mystery with her classmate Sapna and locates all the tanks of the village. They soo...


Grade - 1st Genre - Fiction 
Theme - Saving Trees 
Author - Kiran Kasturia Illustrator - Zenab Tambawalla Published - Pratham Books About the author   Kiran Kasturia, a former lecturer, earned an M.Sc. with a focus on child development. She has won the National Children's Book Award and numerous CBT competition prizes. She has written for the NCERT and CSE as well as contributed to magazines like Children's World and Grihalakshmi.    Synopsis   Manu’s parents got him a raincoat, which he adores and eagerly waits for rain. He asks his mother if he can wear the raincoat, but his mother asks him to wait until it rains. The whole week goes dry, but on Friday, Manu sees some dark clouds drifting over. On Sunday, it finally rains, but Manu is so overwhelmed that he forgets his raincoat.   Reading Writing Strategies Pre-reading  A raincoat themed dance party can be held before starting off with the book.  A circle time can be organized where c...

Grade - 3rd Genre - Indian Mythology 
Theme - Culture 
Author - Subba Rao 
Illustrator - Dilip Kadam 
Publisher, Year: Kids Katha, 2010 
Biography of the author  Talukina Ramaswamayya Subba Rao (1920–1984), popularly known as TaRaSu, was an Indian novelist and a scholar in the Kannada-language. TaRaSu was initially influenced by the Pragatisheela writings of the Kannada scholar A. N. Krishna Rao. He is considered as a harbinger of the Navya movement of Kannada literature. He is well known for his novels like Durgashtamana, which won him the Sahitya Akademi award posthumously in 1985. Synopsis The story is about two cousins, devas who ruled the world above the earth and asuras, who ruled below the earth. When the sun sets, the power of asuras is more but when the sun rises devas become more powerful. It was very difficult for the devas to find asuras once the sun sets, therefore they went to seek the help of Sage Agasthya. Agasthya helps the Devas in finding Asuras and there is a v...


Grade - 4th Genre - Realistic Fiction 
Theme - Saving Trees 
Author - Jeyanthi Manokaran Illustrator - Jeyanthi Manokaran Publisher - Pratham Books About the author Jeyanthi Manokaran, a Bengaluru-based author, enjoys telling children's stories from an original perspective. Her books often explore themes such as justice, equality, and understanding. She has written several books that have been praised by readers and critics alike. She hopes to continue to bring her unique perspective to stories for young readers. She has been published by Orient Longman, Scholastic, the National Book Trust, Highlights Magazine, and both fiction and nonfiction publishers. Jeyanthi is passionate about giving children the opportunity to explore their own imagination and creativity. She believes that stories can help children understand the world around them and develop a sense of empathy. She is committed to using her writing to encourage children to think critically and to make a positive difference...

                                                
Grade - 4th Genre - Fiction 
Theme - Dealing with depression  
Author - Sanjana Kapur 
Illustrator - Sunaina Coelho   
Publisher - Pratham Books 
Biography of the author- Sanjana Kapur writes books for children. She deals in tall tales, lively anecdotes and big pictures. She loves discovering new places and the stories behind them. She has written a couple of picture books and comics for Amar Chitra Katha. She also co-authored Ruckus on the Road, her first full-length novel. Synopsis- "Who Stole Bhaiya's Smile" by Sanjana Kapur is a children's book that is about two siblings, Chiru and her elder brother referred to as “bhaiya” in the story who has lost his smile. Bhaiya, who is usually full of joy and happiness, suddenly becomes sad and withdrawn, much to the concern of his family and friends. The story fo...


 Grade - 4th  Genre - Folklore 
 Theme - Culture  
Author - Olivia Fraser 
 Illustrator - Olivia Fraser 
Publisher, Year: Pratham, 2006 
Biography of the author- Olivia Fraser was born in 1965 and after graduating with a MA in Modern Languages from Oxford, she spent a year at Wimbledon Art College before moving to India in 1989. Following in the footsteps of her relative, James Baillie Fraser, who painted the monuments and landscapes of India in the early 1800’s, Olivia set out to continue where he had left off, painting the architecture of Delhi and its people. Olivia Fraser has travelled around India painting for the last ten years. “Handmade in India” has arisen from her observations of the vast colourful array of people she has come across during her travels.  Synopsis The author shares her experience of travelling across the country. She makes the children visit states such as Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Goa, etc. Beautiful illustrations are used in t...