BIRBAHUTI
By Prabhat. Illustrated by Prashant Soni
Jugnu Prakashan, an imprint of Ektara, 2024,
pp. 16, ₹ 80.00
EK THA RAMU
By Ashok Seksariya. Illustrated by Neelesh Gahlot Jugnu Prakashan, an imprint of Ektara, 2024, pp. 16, ₹ 80.00
SIKANDAR KE DUS SAWAL
By Priyamvad. Illustrated by Priya Kuriyan
Jugnu Prakashan, an imprint of Ektara, 2025,
pp. 52, ₹ 195.00
Seven little books make up seven little worlds. Worlds filled with the colours of childhood fairs, sounds of sobbing after losing a pet, tearful goodbyes to friends, and the earthy perfume of childhood parks where trees held us close and flowers felt like companions. Each of these recent works published by Jugnu Prakashan, an imprint of Ektara Trust (New Delhi), open such worlds of laughter, grief, and gentle lessons—woven together by the voices of their authors and the artistry of their illustrators.
Rampur ki Ramleela is a bright little book which celebrates the delicious chaos of a village Ramleela. When Ravan falls ill, a villager is unexpectedly chosen to play his role, and Neel builds the humour around this comic disruption. Kavita Singh Kaale’s illustrations—full of reds, yellows, and blues—mirror the clamour of the performance, bold and busy in equal measure. Together, text and image capture the festive energy of the Ramleela in a form accessible to children. A lively read-aloud, it may require cultural context for those unfamiliar with the celebration.
Jacinta Kerketta’s lyrical text in Jirhul introduces flowers of the forest that city children may never encounter. She shows how beauty exists in nature while weaving in a thread of resistance—against commodification, deforestation, and the forces that erode community ties. Her writing sings like poetry, carrying both grace and defiance. Kanupriya Kulshrestha’s illustrations bloom across the pages, evoking the richness of spring. The book works well as a read-aloud for younger readers, but its layered themes can provoke meaningful conversations with older children too.
Saat Patton wala Ped is a small book which focuses on the milkwood tree, or Saptarni, tracing how different elements of nature work in harmony to sustain flowers and fruits. Sushil Shukla’s language is spare, lyrical, and effective, while Taposhi Ghoshal’s earthy illustrations reinforce the book’s natural rhythms. Together, they give young readers an accessible introduction to ecological interdependence.
Ped ka Patta is a collection of short stories which capture changing human relationship with nature. It warns of how development, pursued at the cost of destruction, unsettles emotions and weakens bonds with the natural world. A single line— ‘Hamara ghar chhota tha. Ghar ki imli badi thi’—encapsulates the nostalgia and loss woven through the text. Shukla’s concise sentences make the work accessible yet thought-provoking, while Ghoshal’s understated illustrations provide a fitting visual echo.
Birbahuti is a story of two class five friends and charts the bittersweet journey from shared afternoons of play to the pain of separation when one changes schools. Prabhat captures the innocence and sorrow of such partings, while Prashant Soni’s warm illustrations make the narrative emotionally accessible. The book will resonate strongly with older children who are beginning to encounter themes of friendship and loss.
Ek tha Ramu is a tender tale of human-animal companionship. This book tells of a man’s love for a stray dog and the grief that follows its loss. Ashok Seksariya’s narrative is simple yet moving, while Neelesh Gahlot’s illustrations, though limited in number, add warmth and poignancy. The story introduces children to the intensity of attachment and the inevitability of mortality in a manner both gentle and memorable.
Sikandar ke Dus Sawal, an ambitious volume, offers eight stories inspired by figures such as the Buddha, Shah Jahan, and Fanny Parks. Priyamvad blends historical fact with anecdote, presenting the past in a way that is engaging and reflective rather than pedantic. The language is relatively sophisticated, making it well suited to older readers (age 12–16). Priya Kuriyan’s illustrations are mature in tone, complementing the text with gravity and depth, and ensuring that history resonates as both narrative and reflection.
Together, these seven books form a rich tapestry of childhood: festivals and friendships, blossoms and separations, pets and history. Each author provides a narrative voice that is tender yet layered, while each illustrator offers a visual world that deepens the child’s encounter with the story.
Children’s literature is not mere play. These books demonstrate how small volumes can plant the first seeds of empathy, ecological awareness, cultural belonging, and historical curiosity. They remind us that the earliest stories children read—or hear aloud—shape how they see the world, how they cherish it, and how they remember it. In the collaboration between author and illustrator, text and image, lies the essence of this power. These are not just seven little books, but seven vast worlds for young readers.