A big thanks to Pratham Books for putting this book under creative common license and for their encouragement and support. Thanks to Radio Mirchi for the read-along recordings.

Annual Haircut Day is the story of Sringeri Srinivas – man with very long hair. For one reason or the other, everyone refuses to cut his hair. Poor fellow runs around the village asking for help. What happens? Does his wish get heard? Find out what the tiger did to cut his hair, which the barber, his wife and many other folks couldn’t do. It is a sure hit with the kids.

This eBook comes with read-along recordings. It also has curated videos about Pratham Books and their great work towards their goal – A book in every child’s hand.

Thank you @memetales for sharing the video of your kids enjoying the book. It sure made our day.

And the book is free to download. Enjoy!

Download Links:
Annual Haircut Day for iPhone, iPad
Annual Haircut day for Android


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Chasing the Plastic Pisach - 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!

Sister Sister Why? Where?

Title: Sister Sister, Why is the sky so blue?
Author/Illustrator: Roopa Pai / Greystroke, Sanjay Sarka
Age Group: 4-7 yrs
Publisher: Pratham Books

We read one of the Sister Sister series(subtitled – Fun Conversations about Everyday Science) from Pratham Books. I must say I am floored! Simply in awe. How I wish the text books for first and second grades would be anything close to this.

The little brother’s imagination goes wild and he comes up with the cutest possibilities, like the sea must be upside down with a plastic sheet wrapped under it to contain the water. And maybe when the sheet tares a bit, it rains. I was smiling, but my 5 year old did not think it was funny and asked why it cannot be so? Is this really OR is it pretend? She had a hearty laugh when we came to the part where it might even be the old woman drying her long blue saree. The other thing I loved about the book is how the sister encourages the brother to think, accepts his answers with a “maybe, you are right. But in the books I read it says this..”.

My kids were so excited that the father had hardly stepped into the house, and was bombarded with – do you know why the sky is blue? This is the kind of curiosity we want to evoke in kids, especially at that tender age where anything and everything gets absorbed like sponge. Learning which is fun and filled with laughter and imagination will stay forever. I hope Pratham Books comes up with more of these kinds.

Read more reviews on this series here and here. Order here.

Read India initiative By 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

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

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

!! HAPPY READING !!