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Chasing The Plastic Pisach

Rashmi S — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:46:44 +0000

Chasing the Plastic Pisach - Pratham Books

Title: Chasing The Plastic Pisach
Author/Illustrator: Sumathi Sudhakar / Arka Prabha Roy Chowdhury
Publisher: Pratham Books

Our apartment initiated a Go Green campaign few weeks back, with posters all over the apartment complex, starting from the entrance gate to the lift. The poster clearly depicting the three colored waste collection bins, samples of recyclable waste etc. Our apartment has mandated us to have separate bins at home, one for recyclable wastes and another for compost-able waste. One going into white trash bags and another into black, so they can accordingly dispose them into the main waste bins.

We have been talking the importance of recycling, saving energy and such likes at home, in addition to my daughter’s school formally introducing the concept. This book came handy to dive in a little deeper into the “Why’s?” The usage of story as the medium to convey the point, along with characters like panchrangi the parrot, plastic as “pisach” aka monster just adds to the delight of story telling to these tiny tots.

My daughter made my day, when a new maid had started work and she instructed her to throw the milk covers into the white trash bin. Because they won’t decompose and if they end up burning, they will produce harmful gases that are bad for health. She now wants to save all the plastic into her “project box” and recycle them into a pencil box @ home!!! Shudder! This also means I will soon have to find some place (more likely a video ) where the kids can see this in action. Will update this post when that happens.

Some links:
The hindi version of this book is available on scribd here
More details on this and few other books in their environment series here.

Happy Reading!

Read India, Pratham Books

Rashmi S — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:00:18 +0000

Read India initiative By Pratham Books

The Read India initiative by Pratham Books is an inspiring social entrepreneurship project. They are a non-profit trust claiming to produce high-quality and affordable children’s books in many Indian languages. Very much walking their talk, most of their books are in the Rs.15 – Rs.25 price range. Do not be fooled by the price, the books are on high quality paper and print, with bright and colorful illustrations(especially the 3-6 and 7-10 years age groups).
The inside of the back cover in most of their books features a kid with a love for reading. What more, they have digitized a whole bunch of their books and it is free for preview. Do check it out and DO buy if you can afford – http://www.scribd.com/people/documents/128645-pratham-books

We were so impressed with the books, we ended up buying a whole lot for the kids. Tulika books have been an absolute favorite with the kids, but the Pratham Books seem to have over taken them for the moment It sure is easy on the wallet.

To my 2 year old, the top favorite from the lot we bought is “See You Tomorrow”. This is for the 3-6 year age groups. (Note: These books are read in rural areas, so I am guessing that the published age group on the conservative side. You could easily do the 3-6 age group books for the 2 – 4 year olds and the 7-10 age group books for the 4-8 year old’s).

See You Tomorrow By Pratham Books

Title: See You tomorrow
Author/Illustrator: Tanya Luther Agarwal and Partho Sengupta
Age Group: 2-4 years
The first read of this reminded me of the Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do you See series by Eric Carle and Bill Martin. In terms of the repetitive sentence with just the subject changing in each page.
“See you tomorrow, peacock”..
“See you tomorrow, frog”..
and so on..
Few times into reading the book, my little one now opens it up and reads it by herself.
Sometimes, she repeats “See you tomorrow, frog.. See you tomorrow, elephant..”. Sometimes it is “Bye bye, elephant.., bye bye frog.. ”
The illustrations are simply beautiful with minute details taken care of. Even the last page where the mother calls his friends in for breakfast, has the right food pictured for the animals. My little one says – mokkey eating banana, cow eating grass, peacock eating.. YUCK!(Lizard that is).

The one’s topping my 5 year old’s fav list are the “City of Stories” and “One Green Drop”.
Title: City Of Stories
Author/Illustrator: Tanya Luther Agarwal and Partho Sengupta
Age Group: 4-10 years

City Of Stories By Pratham Books

Honestly, I am tired of reading this book. I read it at least 10 times in the first 2 days of acquiring it. My 5 year old is too young to read it herself, but this one is such a super hit for her, that she can’t seem to get enough if it. The story is about a city where people are so busy, that a little girl is struggling to find one soul who would tell her stories. Didi not only comes to the rescue, but her story telling spreads and slowly and slowly the city gets addicted to telling and listening to stories. Such that life other than stories comes to a halt and the mayor decides to take action, and summons Didi and the little girl.
What happens next?

What happens next?
That is for you readers to find out by reading it yourself
Some of the references are so colloquial, it brings back nostalgic memories. Like the doodhwaala’s illustration, where he is sitting down with the aluminum milk can. The “bhajjiwala” stops selling bhaji’s and many such references.

Title: One Green Drop
Author/Illustrator: Benita Sen and Baaraan Jilal
Age Group: 4-8 years

One Green Drop By Pratham Books

I fell in love with this book more than my daughter. Bold colors, beautiful illustrations, especially the cute grasshopper(see, I am calling the grasshopper “cute”, that must say something) with the most beautiful eyes, and a sweet little smile.
A nice matching game of the insects and their colors at the end of the book was the highlight for my daughter.

Next in the to-own queue is Handmand in India and the Once Upon an India series. Previewed the book here. Just too good. I HAVE TO BUY this one. Take a peek here.
Could not find the book preview for the Once Upon an India series, but an excellent blog post on this here.

More information on Pratham Books:

Browse / Order
Their 2009 Catalog
Website

!! HAPPY READING !!

CROCUS 2009 at Saffrontree

Rashmi S — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:44:55 +0000

In case you don’t already know, Saffron tree is celebrating its third birthday by hosting a week long book festival called CROCUS 2009. It’s a fun ride folks, back to back reviews of children’s books from all around the world, puzzles and author interviews. Do check it out.

Crocus 2009 @ Saffron Tree

The Tiny Seed

Rashmi S — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:10:09 +0000

Author: Eric Carle
Read Along: 4-6 years
Read Alone: 6+ years

The Tiny Seed By Eric Carle

My almost 5 year old daughter has developed a liking to Eric Carle’s books. The minute she spots his name, she wants to read it. We were in a book shop couple of months back, when the kids got to choose one book each. I did not surprise me one bit to see The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle in her hands. I was surprised to see the Indian reprint, easing on the rupee, however

This book just like any other Eric Carle’s book is simply amazing. Beautiful, large and bold illustrations, simple words, repetitive sentences. It is the tale of a tiny seed’s journey through the seasons and how it survives amidst the larger, more powerful ones and finally makes it’s mark by blooming into a giant flower.

The author introduces different seasons, keeping the moral and the story line intact. The book starts with the tale of this tiny seed in autumn, how the tiny seed survives the winter, then spring and then summer. Autumn is back again, and it completes one cycle of seasons. It also show cases the life cycle of seeds, when the tiny seed that grows into a large flower, sheds it petals and then its seed, and the seed gets blown away by the wind, repeating the cycle all over again.

Depicts beautifully that size does not matter. A seed though tiny can sail along with the larger stronger one’s in its own way and can make it bigger than the rest, slowly and steadily.

More Reviews Here:
http://www.eric-carle.com/rev-seed.html
http://www.librarything.com/work/322241/reviews/
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/241074.The_Tiny_Seed

The Tiny Seed By Eric Carle

Bruno Put Your Toys Away

Rashmi S — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:15:17 +0000

Read Along: 1 -4 years
Read Alone: 3-6 years
Early Childhood Publications.

My friend introduced us to the Bruno, Pepper series of books and we are hooked on to it ever since. Pretty cheap, 30 Indian Rupees is all it costs. Very very simple, not many lines to read, beautiful illustrations. I am surprised not to see reviews on this series of books.

In this particular book, Bruno doesn’t listen to his mom when she asks him to clean up his toys as he is in a hurry to watch TV. Grandpa who just enters their house, steps on the toy, falls down and gets hurt. Bruno realizes his mistake, apologizes to his grandpa and promises to put away his toys everytime he is finished playing with them.

My little 2 year old has been reading this since she was 1 and she simply adores the character’s. The illustrations are so simple that she can tell the story by looking at them.

The other book that has the utmost influence on my 2 year old is “Bruno the Artist” where Bruno scribbles on the wall, thinking it isn’t a big deal after all. Then, sees his mom and brother scrub the wall to take the writings off. He then remembers to use the paper the next time around. My younger one once scribbled on the wall and immediately remembered the book and said- Buuuno no wall.. papel.. Baby no wall.. papel. soly mumma.

Other books in this series are
- Bruno Learns to Share
- Bruno Tells the Truth
- Bruno The Artist
- Bruno Gets Lost
- Bruno Finds a Ball

What Shall I Make? (Tulika Books)

Rashmi S — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:19:09 +0000

A friend got my daughter a bunch of Tulika books. The bilingual [Hindi / English ] ones. Such a wonderful concept and easy way to introduce a new language to kids.

What Shall I Make - Tulika Books

Picture Courtesy – http://tulikabooks.com
One of the books my daughter loves in this series and can relate to is – Main kya banaoon? What shall I make? It’s about this boy Neeraj getting hold of a ball of chappati dough, which he rolls, pats and makes various animal shapes out of it. Just as their web site says, its about the quirkiness of the child. How their imagination comes into play.

Sometimes my daughter asks for a ball of dough when I am making roti and makes various shapes out of it. Its amazing to watch a kids mind and imagination in action, so pure and creative, free from right or wrong. Last time she made a mommy and a baby sister. Then promptly rolled it back and made a small chappati for herself, by patting it flat with her hands.

She also picked up few Hindi words from this reading. She now knows chuha [Mouse], billi [Cat ], saap [Snake ], sher [Lion ].. The first time she heard the work sher, she wouldn’t accept it as the hindi translation of a lion. She kept insisting there is only one “share”. And that’s an English word for sharing toys!!

The illustrations are beautiful with similar repeated versus. She is now able to say the story just by looking at the pictures.

Other interesting books we have read in this series are The Boy who loved color and Best Friends.

Buy @ flipkart