Board books take children on a sensory adventure, playfully introducing them to new words and sounds and helping them to identify colours. These are the kind of books that children flip through again and again. Board books are the beginning of a child’s lifelong friendship with books.
1, 2, 3: Idlis in a Sambar Sea is one such board book that uses Indian food to teach numbers to toddlers while taking them on a journey across India’s cities. The book features fun activities and introduces children to the diverse culinary culture of India through vibrant illustrations and text. Each page includes a seek-and-find activity, making the reading experience more engaging for young readers. If the page says ‘4 bowls of egg curry’, then the reader has to find four bowls of egg curry that will be scattered and hidden in the illustrations.
The book is not just a culinary treat; it takes us on a journey across the country. Through kebabs and fish, biryani and chaas, we visit Amritsar, Chennai, Kolkata, Jaipur—a new place on every page. Of course, when learning is as sweet as a swirly jalebi from Varanasi, or as spicy as biryani from Hyderabad, can the little reader resist coming back to the book? 1, 2, 3—Idlis in a Sambar Sea is not a picture story, rather a numerical representation of famous foods across our country. Kudos to the author for coming up with such a creative way to introduce them.
The book needs no words to rely on. The illustrations by Tanya Sharma bring to life the sights, sounds and smells of all the cities we visit. The cities are threaded not just with food, but also with their essence—for example, Hyderabad’s Charminar, Gujarat’s Dandiya, Jaipur’s Hawa Mahal, and Kerala’s boats. There is ample diversity and inclusivity in the choice of locations.
The last two pages contain special details about the culinary items used throughout the book. For instance, idlis have been part of our cuisine for a thousand years; jalebi is eaten with potato fry or kachori for breakfast in Varanasi; and if the Portuguese hadn’t arrived in India, then there may have been no potatoes in aloo paratha. This information makes the book even more special. Given a political moment that elevates certain foods and regards others as exclusionary, this book provides solace by giving voice to diverse food cultures.
The book is designed for toddlers, appealing to a young age group with its engaging themes of food and travel. The goal of publishing a children’s book is to make it accessible to every child, therefore, the pricing becomes very important here. Even though it’s a great book, ₹ 499 may be too high a price for children to hold the book.