Both by Chitwan Mittal. Illustrated by Asuma Noor

Adi & Arya Visit Kolkata is just as lively. The city’s trams share the street with autos, yellow cabs, and jhalmuri vendors, all captured in a single, crowded, cheerful spread. The children admire St Paul’s Cathedral, take a horse-drawn carriage past Victoria Memorial, and visit Mullick Ghat, one of the largest flower markets, where garlands and gajras take shape before their eyes. A mangrove safari brings a glimpse of the Bengal tiger, while a sunset boat ride on the Hooghly passes under Howrah Bridge.


Reviewed by: Neena Jaisingh
Written and illustrated by Ashok Rajagopalan

Growling bat, Batappa, disturbed in his sleep, scowls as both slide down a rock, slide through a windy tunnel confronting Gyanesh Goat, the quizmaster. Moving into another tunnel the twins face more creatures as they search for Sangeeta sheep to convey Batappa’s message—a song for his beauty sleep. It works and gets for them the magic to reach their bed. All inside the blanket.


Reviewed by: Ira Saxena
By Sarita Saraf. Illustrations by Priyanka Pachpande

This is yet another of the delightful books by AdiDev Press meant for very small children, those who need to grasp their books with their tiny fingers and perhaps even test their tiny teeth upon them. If reading has a primordial stage, it is to that stage this book caters. The concept by Chitwan Mittal…


Reviewed by: Dipavali Sen Debroy
Illustrated by Neha Rawat

Three sparrows hop and chirrup on one page; six girls play together on another. Numbers emerge naturally from these familiar scenes rather than sitting apart as abstract symbols.
The book also incorporates subtle visual search elements that turn counting into a hunt for detail. The page for number 8, for instance, features eight different sports balls, including a cricket ball,


Reviewed by: Bhavna Jaisingh
Both by Geeta Dharmarajan. Art by Sreeja Basu

At the end, the book provides an opportunity for children to engage in an activity, reflecting an effort to inspire them to write stories themselves. You read the story, and then you write one too. Thus, the wave’s voyage concludes with a journey of reading and writing combined. The narrative has a strong foundation, but it could have been made more engaging by tightening the storyline and streamlining some of the details. A more concise narrative would have helped maintain momentum and make the key moments and themes stand out more effectively. Nevertheless, this adventurous book is available in both Hindi and English.


Reviewed by: Shiv Narayan Gour
By Gulsen Arslan Akca

The author has written this story with great sensitivity, and the illustrations in the story bring out Bunty’s mood and emotions just as strongly. The illustrations have shades of blue, red, and gold, which show what Bunty is thinking and feeling. You can also see clocks here and there, indicating that time moves at its own pace.
How does a child experience the passing of time? This unfolds page by page in the story. The fun part is that Bunty also makes plans to spend this time. While reading this story,


Reviewed by: Deepali Shukla