The title Nani Nayi Purani and its watercolour illustrations capture, with striking accuracy, the affection every nani in the world holds for her grandchildren. This storybook draws you in instantly. Written with great tenderness, the story gives voice to a child’s feelings about her grandmother, carrying you down a nostalgic lane that unlocks a thousand memories of your own time with your nani.
At its core, the story explores a sensitive yet important theme—changes in people as they grow old. Children share a special bond with their grandmothers; they count down the days to summer holidays just to visit Nani’s home. Here, we see that same bond through a child’s eyes as she watches her Nani slowly change—noticing, day by day, the small shifts in her every gesture and movement. It’s a phase most of us have lived through in some way.
The story holds up a mirror to the complex, quiet ache of watching someone we love grow old. It has the power to touch children and adults alike, as it follows a young boy who misses the Nani he once knew, only to slowly discover something far more valuable in who his Nani has become.
This gentle piece stirs up a range of tender emotions that children will find themselves deeply connected to, and the watercolour illustrations bring those warm feelings to life beautifully.