Books in Brief
TURTLES ON THE BEACH; TALE OF TWO BIRDS All four written by Shruthi P. Illustrations by Crafting Crimson Aana’s Trunk, , 2026, pp., ₹ 499.00 each
September 2026, volume 50, No 9

Aana’s Trunk is about creating tools for togetherness. The four books for ages 0–4 are designed to innovate with every read. Printed in Bangalore with non-toxic, low-migration inks, these thick board pages are built for grabbing, dropping and drooling—made for the way babies read, with hands and mouths. Smooth, rounded edges of the books are designed to prevent sharp contact and ensure safer everyday use.

On a quiet stretch of sand, a nest of baby turtles wakes and begins the long journey to the water. In the beautifully illustrated Turtles on the Beach, little readers follow the hatchlings as they dig, climb and move together, discovering how instinct and light guide them safely to the sea.

Tale of Two Birds is about two birds who set out for a mountain, one wanting to go straight up and the other looking at the height, afraid. So they go the way a small bird can—to the first tree, then the next, resting on every branch until the mountain is near enough to reach. In this gently illustrated nature board book for children, little readers follow a climb taken one step at a time, and find that going slowly beside someone is its own kind of brave.

Meet the busy ants of Ants and Their Anthill and peek inside their bustling world. In this beautifully illustrated nature board book for children, little readers follow the ants as they dig, build and work together, discovering how teamwork keeps their whole world running.

A story from beneath the sea—where two different creatures learn to share space, trust, and watch over one another in Shrimp and the Goby Fish. Down on the sandy seabed, a sharp-eyed goby fish and a hard-working pistol shrimp look out for each other every single day. In this beautifully illustrated nature board book for children, little readers discover a true ocean friendship and learn how teamwork helps two very different creatures thrive.

The four board books are open-ended stories that spark curiosity about the ocean, animals and cooperation. They make lovely read-aloud bedtime stories and thoughtful gifts for curious, animal-loving kids.