Could you be related to a blonde Lithuanian?
Did you know that India is the only country that has both lions and tigers?
Who found out how tall Mt Everest is?
If you’ve ever wanted to know the answers to questions like these, this is the book for you. In here you will find various things you never expected, such as the fact that we still greet each other like the Harappans did and that people used to think India was full of one-eyed giants. And, sneakily, you’ll also know more about India’s history and geography by the end of it.
Full of quirky pictures and crazy trivia, this book takes you on a fantastic journey through the incredible history of India’s geography.
Catagory: Children
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Pyffin Classics: A Winter’s Night And Other Stories
Ten classic stories from the master of Hindi literature
Nearly a century after they were written, Premchand’s numerous short stories, novels and plays, written both in Hindi and Urdu, continue to be a mirror to Indian society and its traditions.
A Winter’s Night and Other Stories brings together, for young readers, some of his most powerful short stories. This is a world inhabited by people like Halku, forced to spend the bitterly cold winter night in the open, without a blanket; Kaki, the old invalid aunt, ill-treated by her own relatives; and Shankar, reduced to being a bonded labour for the sake of a handful of wheat. Premchand describes their plights with unflinching honesty. Yet all is not hopeless in this world. There is also little Hamid, who buys tongs for his old grandmother rather than toys for himself; Ladli, who saves her share of puris for her blind aunt; and Big Brother, trying in vain to remember the strange names of English kings and queens.
Greed, dishonesty, cruelty abound in this world, as do kindness, bravery and humour. These ten stories are an ideal introduction to Premchand and his concerns and ideas that remain relevant to this day.
Puffin Classics: Malgudi School
‘It was Monday morning. Swaminathan was reluctant to open his eyes . . . He shuddered at the very thought of school . . .’
R.K. Narayan’s classic stories about the adventures of Swami and his friends Rajam and Mani, in a sleepy and picturesque south Indian town called Malgudi, have regaled both young and old for years. Malgudi Schooldays is a slightly abridged version of Narayan’s celebrated novel Swami and Friends, and includes two additional stories featuring Swami. A delightfully funny account of the life of a harum-scarum schoolboy by one of the greatest English-language writers of our time, Malgudi Schooldays enchants and captivates all those who step into its world.
Puffin Classics: The Adventures Of Mowgli
Rudyard Kipling’s eternal classics, The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book are most loved for the stories of Mowgli, the boy who grew up in a wolf pack. This book brings together all the stories of Mowgli. It begins with Father Wolf rescuing an abandoned baby boy from the tiger Shere Khan, terror of the jungle. The child grows up among the animals, befriending Bagheera the Panther, Balu the Bear, and making mortal enemies with Shere Khan the Tiger. He is kidnapped by monkeys, exiled by the wolf pack, disowned by humans, till he finally vanquishes Shere Khan and returns to the forest. But the call of his own kind grows stronger, and he eventually finds his own, tenuous place among men and animals. Kipling’s creations from the two Jungle Books-human and animal- have remained alive in literature and celluloid for nearly a century. They have mesmerized, entertained and educated generations of children. In this special Puffin Classics edition, Mowgli comes alive once more, accompanied by illustrations rendered by Gond artist Durga Bai, and an affectionate, heartwarming introduction by that other favourite children’s writer, Ruskin Bond.
Muezza and Baby Jaan
An incongruent pair and their illuminating friendship.
Join Baby Jaan as she listens to Muezza’s mesmerizing tales and soak in the wonder of rare, enlightening nuggets of Islamic lore. A djinn in the form of a baby camel and Prophet’s favourite cat come together in their shared exploits and a mutual education. As their chance meeting and tender bond is delicately explored, we are offered a fascinating array of teachings from the Quran that is sure to captivate children of all ages. Savour some enthralling gems about Nuh’s ark, God breathing life into the first man and woman, Iblis the djinn-turned-angel, the gift of free will, the ninety-nine names of God, the blessed she-camel, the mighty King Sulaiman and much, much more.
Charmingly whimsical and breathtakingly illustrated, Muezza and Baby Jaan is a read like no other.
Living Next Door To Alise
Life will never be the same for Siddharth when he starts living next door to Alise
Nine-year-old Siddharth is the despair of his parents. He does not want to run around or climb trees, and is terrified of ants. Then one day, he finally makes a friend-the fast-talking; quick-thinking, ultra-intelligent baby elephant, Alise. Together the two friends set out on a series of exploits. But the friends don’t stop at just having fun. The Bearded Bandit has spread terror among the elephants in the forest and someone has to stop him.
A Brush with Indian Art
Winner of the 2019 Hindu Young World-Goodbooks Award for Best Book (Non-Fiction)
Embark on a vivid journey on which you’ll learn about the origins and evolution of art in the country. Prepare to be amazed by the first pictures made by early humans; reflect upon the serenity of Buddhist cave paintings at Ajanta; marvel at the splendour of Mughal miniature art; delight in the religious depictions of Tanjore; study the hybrid Company and revivalist Bengal styles; and discover the best of modern and contemporary artists.
Watch it all come alive in intricate black-and-white sketches and stunning photographs of the most celebrated visuals across time.
A rich primer on the different schools of art and the most significant movements in Indian art history, A Brush with Indian Art might even nudge you into propping up your first canvas!
Wrathchild
Having escaped Sanctuary to try and rescue Theo, Albert and his friends find themselves in a strange, savage land, a place still reeling from the Information Epidemic, where fact and legend are inextricably intertwined and nothing is quite as it seems. And before long, they find themselves trapped between the designs of a mysterious and all-powerful druglord and the ragtag collection of survivors standing against him.
Meanwhile, Theo tries to find her way back to Sanctuary with only a fellow-prisoner to guide her-an odd, amiable manwho may just be pursuing an agenda of his own, while everyone else is pursuing him.
Albert and Theo have been in tight spots in the past, but they’ve never faced an adversary quite like this before- an enemy from beyond the grave with a very special, sinister reason to be interested in one escaped Domechild.
The Magic Of Hobson Jobson
A frightening prophecy
A magical festival
A boy on a quest to save
A sinking island
On the island of Durjipore, a place forgotten by the rest of India, live thirteen-year-old twins Floyd and Farook Foxwallah. The festival of Hobson-Jobson dawns but is marred by a series of kidnappings. When Farook becomes the next kidnapping victim, his pied-eyed twin, Floyd, considered unlucky since birth, vows to rescue him. He sets off on a journey to a mysterious world where he encounters several magical creatures, including a flying dog, the legendary forest-dwelling Ressuldars, a waterfall of faces and the evil underwater beings, the Merrows. Floyd realizes that he might just be the one destined to rescue the kidnapped children and save Durjipore. But will his bad luck get in the way?
A fascinating story of an unlikely hero, The Magic of Hobson-Jobson will take you on a breathtaking journey across wondrous lands.
Pashu
A unique feature of Hindu mythology is the key role played by animals, or pashu. The Puranas, ancient Hindu story chronicles, reveal that Brahma, the creator, had a son called Kashyapa, whose many wives gave birth to different types of pashu:
* Timi gave birth to animals who swim
* Vinata gave birth to animals who fly
* Kadru gave birth to animals who crawl
* Surabhi gave birth to animals with hooves
* Sarama gave birth to animals with paws
* Surasa gave birth to animals who defy classification.
This book retells their stories. With over 75 gorgeously illustrated anecdotes, Devdutt Pattanaik reveals how our ancestors imagined the animal kingdom and the key role animals played in human lives.