Publish With Us

Follow Penguin

Follow Penguinsters

Follow Hind Pocket Books

June’s moon is all about summer releases!

There’s nothing like sipping a freshly made lemonade, sitting cross-legged on the floor during your summer holidays and exploring stories through freshly printed books. Add our June releases to the mix and you have a power-packed day – full of action, humour, colours and more! There’s something in this list for every kind of young reader out there. Just browse and take your pick!

*

Gupshup Goes to Prison by Arefa Tehsin 

Gupshup Goes To Prison||Arefa Tehsin

Khalid’s cat Gupshup has run away to a prison. An open prison, it is called, but everyone knows that prisons are full of horrible, evil people. Or are they? And how on earth will Khalid get Gupshup home?

For readers 7+

 

The Great Escape by Menaka Raman

The Great Escape||Menaka Raman

Sachit is not a fan of Wunderkind Academy. And it is a beautiful day outside. Aided by new friends Hari and Kris, can he escape to freedom?

For readers 7+

 

The Egghead Detective Agency by Pika Nani & Jemma Jose

The Egghead Detective Agency||Pika Nani

Has your pool turned pink recently? Are kidnappers after your pet chicken? Is an old forest in danger?

Sisters and little investigators, Tam and Ant cannot believe their eyes when they meet ‘Egghead’ right in their living room! The soon discover that he is, in fact, the ghost of a famous detective who was quite sought-after in his time. The girls now enlist his services for their detective agency-after all, the friendly ghost does come with great abilities.

Together they must solve the strange incidents that keep happening at their beloved Emerald Gardens-the quiet little residential complex.

What’s more, YOU can help the detectives crack the cases with Solve It Yourself clues (SIY), picture puzzles, secret codes and more in this 5-in-1 chapter book!

For readers 7+

 

Akbar-Birbal & The Haunted Gurukul by Apeksha Rao & Doodlenerve

Akbar-Birbal and The Haunted Gurukul||Apeksha Rao

Just into his tenth year, life’s all good for the future Mughal king, Akbar. But when his bestie, Nassie, the royal elephant goes on a rampage, a dangerous plot to harm the prince is uncovered. With things taking a sinister turn, Akbar is packed away (very far indeed) to the Vishwamitra Gurukul to live undercover.

Life in a gurukul hostel is nothing like his life in the palace! For starters, there’s no halwa for dessert after dinner! And then there’s that ghost who keeps knocking on doors, calling to be let into the room. But when the spirit attacks a student, the young prince must act. Thankfully, he’s just met one of the greatest minds of the future and also his new best friend – Birbal.

For readers 7+

 

Little Jagadish and The Great Experiment by Anjali Joshi & Debasmita Dasgupta

When young Jagadish realizes that the world is full of unanswered questions, he sets out to explore and discover the world around him using the scientific method. Inspired by the life and work of Indian physicist, botanist, and author Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, this story encourages young readers to embrace their curiosity and unleash their inner scientist.

For readers 7+

 

Visual Dictionary: My Body 

Visual Dictionary: My Body

This colourful board book introduces your child to the human body: how muscles and bones work, what the brain and heart are responsible for, why different internal organs are needed and lots more.

Filled with short stories for little ones, interesting facts and large vibrant pictures, this book is a fun learning experience!

So get ready to seek and find, identify body parts and learn about them.

For readers 3+

 

Visual Dictionary: Animals

 

Visual Dictionary: Animals

This colourful board book introduces your child to the world of animals: herbivores and predators, birds and fishes, bugs and spiders, reptiles and lots more.

Filled with short stories for little ones, interesting facts and large vibrant pictures, this book is a fun learning experience!

So get ready to seek and find, identify animals and learn about them.

For readers 3+

 

Visual Dictionary: Vehicles

Visual Dictionary: Vehicles

This colourful board book introduces your child to different vehicles: rail, air and sea transport, as well as, special military and space equipment.

Filled with short stories for little ones, interesting facts and large vibrant pictures, this book is a fun learning experience!

So get ready to seek and find, identify vehicles and learn about them.

For readers 3+

 

The Big Book of ABCs

The Big Book of ABCs

Experience the alphabet like never before!

From apples, balloons and cats, to penguins, tulips and zoos, there are delightful, new words with every page turn!

Designed to make learning fun, The Big Book of ABCs introduces new words in vibrant settings that make each word even more memorable.

For readers 0-3 years

 

The Big Book of First Words

The Big Book of First Words

Get ready for a learning adventure!

In every home, at the park, at the beach, and even at the zoo, new words await.

Designed to make learning fun, The Big Book of First Words introduces new words in vibrant settings that make each word even more memorable.

For readers 0-3 years

 

The Big Book of Colours

The Big Book of Colours

The best adventures are colourful!

Are you ready to enter the big, beautiful world of colours? Explore places, things, animals, birds and more that bring colours to life.

Designed to make learning fun, The Big Book of Colours helps you decode the secrets of the colour wheel.

For readers 0-3 years

 

The Big Book of Counting to 100

The Big Book of Counting to 100

A counting adventure from 1 to 100!

Are you ready to explore the world through numbers? Down the lane, through the park and across the ocean, there’s so much to see and count!

Designed to make learning fun, The Big Book of Counting to 100 makes counting a truly exciting activity.

For readers 0-3 years

 

Which book is going to be your next summer read? 

Help! Avi is in danger (or is he?)

Children are imaginative and curious, which is what makes them so different from adults who almost always lead a mundane life. But what happens when a child’s brain is over-imaginative and borderline paranoid? Meet Avi, the protagonist of Help! My Aai Wants to Eat Me, who is convinced that is Aai is keen on gobbling him up, after watching a documentary that fills his mind with wild ideas. Read an excerpt from the book to find out what happened, below! 

“All in all, not Avi’s favourite day. 

Until it was time for environmental science a.k.a. EVS—a subject Avi LOVED.  

Avi’s favourite subject, EVS

He loved it as much as figs love wasps (so much so that they let the wasp pollinate the fruit and die inside them—‘till death do us part’, just like in the movies that Baba and the Maushis watched and loved). 

He loved it more than birdwatchers loved the forest owlet, which had been believed to be extinct for 113 years until it was rediscovered right here in Maharashtra—the same state that Avi lived in! 

Avi loved it more than . . . well, it was his favourite subject. Unlike HJ who loved maths and art and always got 24 out of 25 marks in them. And today was EVS Film Day! Which meant they all got to watch a wildlife film instead of studying. Avi settled down next to HJ, his knees aching from having stood for thirty-four minutes outside the classroom. ‘Arre, how will I play cricket today?’ 

‘Yeah?’ asked HJ. ‘That bad?’ ‘Shhh . . .’ Kshama hissed like a snake and glared at the two boys. ‘Do you want to spend another class outside?’ 

Avi bit back a retort—Kshama was the class monitor and could easily report him and then he would have to miss EVS Film Day. He had already seen films about climate change, about a tigress called Machli, and one about ghost crabs! 

Miss Mankad

Miss Mankad, who taught EVS, walked into class. Every time Avi looked at his favourite teacher, he was reminded of a meerkat—an upright spine, broad head and large, bright eyes. Except, unlike meerkats, she was six feet and one inch tall. Clearly, she did a great job of teaching, given that Avi knew more facts about the natural world than his herd of classmates put together. 

Miss Mankad shut off all the lights and Avi and Kshama closed all the curtains, turning the room into a dark den, perfect for watching a film. Even more perfect, it was about bears! Avi watched open-mouthed as jamun-like bear cubs wrestled on the screen, a mama sloth bear battled with a tiger (and won) while defending her cubs, and then . . . 

SOMETHING HORRIBLE HAPPENED. 

SOMETHING TERRIBLE. HORRIBLE. 

DISGUSTING. EEUCHY. 

Even worse than the day Avi was having. Another mama bear ate up her second-born cub. 

A terrified Avi

At first, Avi thought she was licking the bear cub. But no. She just gobbled the cub up. Slurp. The baby was gone. Back into her tummy. Where he had lived for so long. Avi’s eyes widened. He gripped his pencil box tightly. What just happened? Did she . . . Really? No, that could NOT have happened. He squinted in the dark to see his classmates’ expressions. He couldn’t make out much, but did Kshama also look horrified? Or was that just her usual expression?” 

Curious about what happens next?  

Get your copy of Help! My Aai Wants to Eat Me to find out! 

 

Illustration credits: Priya Kurian

 

 

What was it like to be a child during India’s freedom struggle?

From our school history textbooks to historical fiction and non-fiction, we have been exposed to the history of our country’s past quite often. But whether we were reading factual accounts of the people who fought for our country’s independence, or it was authors reimagining what it might have been to be alive in that reality, the one thing common amongst all these books was adult protagonists.

Nobody really thought what it would be like to be a child during the time when our country was on the brink of its freedom!  

Until Lubaina Bandukwala and Aditi Krishnakumar came up with similar ideas and wrote two beautiful books talking about exactly that!  

 

The Chowpatty Cooking Club by Lubaina Bandukwala
The Chowpatty Cooking Club || Lubaina Bandukwala

 

The Chowpatty Cooking Club 

Lubaina Bandukwala

 

With Mahatma Gandhi’s call to the British to Quit India, the city has become a hotbed of revolutionary activity-student protests, secret magazines and even an underground People’s Radio which broadcasts news that the British want concealed.Sakina and her friends Zenobia and Mehul desperately want to be part of this struggle for freedom. But there is little that they are permitted to do. But at least, they are trying to do something useful, while their mothers are only running a cooking club …

 

 

 

 

That Year at Manikoil 

Aditi Krishnakumar

 

While World War II rages in Europe and the Japanese army draws closer to India, Raji and her sisters are sent off with their mother to stay in Manikoil, her mother’s family village. But with her brother now a soldier in the British Indian Army and refugees fleeing from Malaya, Burma and other eastern countries back to India, Manikoil is no longer the peaceful haven it once was.  And while there is hope of Independence in the air, Raji is uncertain whether it will come to pass-and what it will truly mean for her and her family.

 

Pick up one of these books today and let your child step back into British India!

March towards our latest releases

How grateful are we to welcome March, for the little ones can finally come out of their blankets and bask in the soft rays of the sun with a great book in hand! While they are on the lookout for the best reading corners in and around their houses, we are taking care of their reading lists.

Scroll through our latest releases for the month and you’ll find something for the young readers to discover in these engaging stories and beautifully-illustrated books. We are sure that our penguinsters would want to bookmarch…bookmark all of them!

 

The Sweet Shop Wars

The Sweet Shop Wars
The Sweet Shop Wars || Chatura Rao

For ages: 5+

Best Sweets has opened next to Firoza’s dadu’s sweet shop and is taking away all the customers. How can Firoza make her dadu’s shop better than Best?

The Hook Book series of short simple stories for beginning readers come with fun stories set in different parts of India, gorgeous illustrations and short exercises to enhance the reading experience.

 

A Birthday Present for Aaji

A Birthday Present for Aaji
A Birthday Present for Aaji || Parinita Shetty

For ages: 5+

Aaji’s birthday is coming up, but Jyoti has no idea what to get her. Fortunately, everyone in their village has lots of very different ideas…

The Hook Book series of short simple stories for beginning readers come with fun stories set in different parts of India, gorgeous illustrations and short exercises to enhance the reading experience.

 

Help! My Aai Wants to Eat Me

Help! My Aai Wants to Eat Me
Help! My Aai Wants to Eat Me || Bijal Vachharajani

For ages: 7+

Avi has an extremely annoying habit of seeing the good side (pros) and the bad side (cons) of situations that life tosses his way-just like the curveballs his best friend HJ tosses while playing cricket.

Only this time, Avi is in the soup. Just like the mama bear who is known to eat her sickly baby, Avi is pretty sure that his aai wants to dunk him in soup and eat him up. Even though he definitely would not taste good.

Now, the only two options in front of Avi are fight or be fried.

Avi’s thoughts on this book:

Pro: Reading this book will make you a smart cookie and feed your imagination, especially about all things wild.

Con: Cookies are edible and Aai is hungry! Uh-oh.

Dig in at your own risk.

 

Curious Tales from the Desert

Curious Tales from the Desert
Curious Tales from the Desert || Shaguna Gahilote, Prarthana Gahilote

For ages: 9+

Deep in the wild jungles of Rajasthan resides a magical sparrow that grants wishes…

In Gujarat, a pandit haggles with vendors and chastises merchants as he chases an elusive bargain…

A bullocky in Multan encounters a mysterious and wise old man who charges money to talk!

A pandemonium of fools, geniuses and everyone in between gambol across the deserts of India to amusing and delightful results. So sit back with a bowlful of kheench and get ready to be enchanted by the beauty of the Thar, the nights at the Cholistan, and the markets of Kutch.

 

The Worlds Within You

The Worlds Within You
The Worlds Within You || Shreya Ramachandran

For ages: 13+

The Worlds Within You tells the story of Ami Shekar, who has decided to take a break from her first year of university in the UK and return to her home in Chennai. Ami is stuck, and finds herself fretting, overthinking and retreating into her own head. But she knows that whatever it is that makes her feel ‘weird’ all the time must have a name to it. And so, Ami is back home, to come to terms with many things: her mental health, her own identity, memories of her grandfather and, finally, herself.
Set over the course of seven writing classes, this is an unconventional and melancholic take on what it means to be alive and find your own emotional support system-no matter how flawed the people within your system might be.

Dive into the world of tales

Geeta Ramanujam’s Tales from the World will take you on a long journey and introduce you to many fascinating characters. Collected from storytellers on snow-capped mountains, and in eerie forests, opulent palaces and countries near and far, the captivating folk tales in Tales from the World have mesmerized old and young alike. Travel along with this imaginative storyteller and author as she shares peculiar myths and incredible trivia from around the world in this beautifully illustrated volume of twenty tales from Russia, Japan, France, Tibet, India, Korea, Scotland and more.

Let’s read an excerpt from the book about a story from Russia.

*

Tales from the World
Tales from the World || Geeta Ramanujam

Just after the world was created, filled with its trees and mountains and birds, God created a young maiden called Lindu, and left all the birds in her charge. She lived with her father Uko at the very edge of the world, between the sky and Earth. Lindu had the powers to recognize the song of each bird and sing them too. She knew where the birds had flown in autumn, and sent each flock on its way.

Lindu cared for the birds tenderly; she was a godmother to them. She knew how to direct winds to assist the birds as they flew to their destinations. She set fierce dust storms upon hunters who tried to kill her birds or hunt them down. It was not surprising that all the world loved her, those who dwelt in the sky most of all.

The North Star wished to marry Lindu and drove up to her father’s palace in a dusky coach drawn by six black horses. Adorned in a silver cloak and crown in shades of silver, he came bearing ten fine presents for Lindu and drove gracefully through the gates of Uko’s palace to ask for her hand.

However, Lindu was not very fond of the North Star. ‘Why don’t you want to marry me?’ inquired the disappointed North Star. ‘Well, I like to move and travel whereas you just stay fixed in one place in the sky. You are the watchtower of heaven.

Please, sir, return to your place, for I cannot accompany you there.’ Now, the moon decided to take his chances and drove to the palace in a beautiful coach of silver with six grey horses made of clouds. Dressed in white robes and a crown filled with white dewdrops, he presented her with twenty presents and said, ‘Lindu, will you be my wife?’

‘You change your face too often, moon, and that does not suit me,’ she said. The moon waned and returned to the night sky.

‘Well,’ thought the sun, ‘perhaps Lindu might like my bright gold face.’

The sun arrived in a beautiful coach of gold, led by gold and red horses, and rode through dusk to the forest where Lindu was taking care of her birds. Lindu walked up to him, bowed her head and said, ‘I know what you are thinking. I am sorry, but I love change. I love the changing seasons, the climate, the winds and anything that is not constant. You are so precious and graceful, but you have to be vigilant and cannot change at all. That might not suit me, sir.’

The sun too rode away into the purple-pink sky, disappointed and sad. Now, the Northern Light had been watching each suitor drive away disappointed and decided to ask for Lindu’s hand himself, confident that he’d be triumphant. He emerged from his home at midnight, his beautiful colours lighting up the night sky. He’d crafted a coach with diamonds, which was drawn by a thousand white horses. He wore a rainbow cloak and a crown made of gems from the sea. Behind him was another coach filled with gold, silver, pearls and gifts for Lindu. He looked radiant as he left an indigo, purple, blue and pink trail across the sky on his way to Uko’s palace.

‘Lindu,’ he called out, ‘if you marry me, you will not have to follow me like a shadow. You will not have to travel the same path as the others. You can set out anytime you wish and rest when it pleases you. Would you like to be my bride?’ He bent down on his knees to ask for Lindu’s hand.

So, what do you think Lindu said? Lindu’s choice was made.

It was agreed that the wedding would take place when the birds flew south. The wedding day was announced, and guests from the four corners of the sky and Earth arrived to bless the couple.

The torrential winds brought Lindu her silvery bridal veil and the Frost King wove her laces so fine, they had to be stored in cold blocks of ice for safekeeping. Birds from all over brought her robes the colours of butterfly wings. For her feet, she got sandals made of thick clouds and decorated with petals fallen from flowers. The weaver birds stitched them together and hid them under the cotton tree. Back to his home in the midnight land went the Northern Light, knowing that Lindu loved him best.

Celebrate the month of love with books

Everything seems rosy for the little and young ones, for they experience happiness and love in infinite ways. So why limit their imagination and definition of love?

Let them celebrate this month of love with their pets, friends, parents, grandparents, objects, plants, books, or even their toys. While they do so, introduce them to our personally-curated list of fascinating titles that tell some amazing and fun stories. Exploring different forms of love—our stories will bring your kids, little cousins, nieces and nephews happiness and knowledge.

So, choose some of their next-favourites from this list!

Ritu Weds Chandni

Ritu Weds Chandni
Ritu Weds Chandni || Ameya Narvankar

Ayesha is excited to attend her cousin Ritu’s wedding. She can barely wait to dance at the baraat! But not everyone is happy that Ritu is marrying her girlfriend, Chandni.

Some have even vowed to stop the celebrations. Will Ayesha be able to save her cousin’s big day?

Centering Ayesha’s love for her cousin as much as it showcases Ritu and Chandni’s love for each other, this warm-hearted story celebrates the power of young voices to stand up against prejudice and bigotry.

 

Sometimes Mama, Sometimes Papa

Sometimes Mama, Sometimes Papa
Sometimes Mama, Sometimes Papa || Nandini Nayar

For children and changing families who have two unique homes. Peek into the simplest solutions for understanding one of life’s most difficult moments–separation.

When Keya’s parents stopped living together, unusual things happened.
Keya became the only girl in her class with two homes.
‘Where will you live?’
‘Who will you live with?’
‘Sometimes Mama,’ Keya said, ‘sometimes Papa!’

This heart-warming story with comforting pictures reassures young readers that parents, whether alone or together, are always there for them.

Mama and Papa are always wonderful together.
Perhaps, they will be wonderful separately too?

 

Maithili and the Minotaur

Maithili and the Minotaur
Maithili and the Minotaur || C.G. Salamander

What if our world was a lot more? Filled with unknown creatures-some friendly, some scary.

An outcast to the world of humans, Maithili lives in the outskirts of a magical wilderness. But as she makes new friends in the realm of monsters, she must learn to be careful. Because some monsters are just like humans: mean, nasty and out for blood.

Perfect for fans of Hilda and Arthur and the Golden Rope, join Maithili and the Minotaur on their very first adventure in an outlandish world where nothing is as it seems.

 

Kitten Trouble

Kitten Trouble
Kitten Trouble || Bijal Vachharajani

Sani is terrified of animals-dogs, cats, cows. But her mother has just brought home an orange-white furball.

What is Sani to do?

Kitten Trouble is a part of the Hook Books series. These books are for very young readers, aged five and above. The books work well for reading out loud to kids or for young readers just starting to read by themselves. Written by some of the best-known writers for children, and illustrated in exuberant colour by some of India’s most-loved illustrators, these stories are set largely in non-urban settings. Hawaldar Hook is the endearing mascot of the Hook Books. Each book includes short and fun language exercises at the end.

 

My Grandmother’s Masterpiece

My Grandmother’s Masterpiece
My Grandmother’s Masterpiece || Madhurima Vidyarthi

This is the story of how my grandmother became a famous artist. It happened somewhere between my seventh and eighth birthdays, so she was really old and also a grandmother, and I didn’t know she was an artist. And, of course, she was not famous. And then she was both, all at once.’
For Nini, Minima is just her normal everyday grandmother. So when Minima suddenly shows an interest in doing something new, Nini is not sure that she likes it. After all, a grandmother’s first job is being a grandmother, isn’t it?

‘Tis the season to be jolly: Our top picks for December are here!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and as your little ones celebrate this festive season, make the most of their time at home with our exclusive selection for December. Winter is all about spreading warmth and joy, and with our exclusive section of books for your bundles of joy, we are celebrating the essence of this season. From wholesome books such as You Are Simply Perfect that will help young teens and tweens to navigate through this tumultuous time, to inspiring reads such as Malhar in the Middle, we have the best December treats for your holiday heart!

Ages 12+

You Are Simply Perfect

Front Cover: You Are Simply Perfect
You Are Simply Perfect||Sadia Saeed

Jealousy. Bullying. Anger. Anxiety. Body image issues. Selfies and social media addiction . . . Are you grappling with any of these?

Let’s be honest, juggling school, extra classes, home, friendships and new relationships can be hard. It’s difficult to find balance and tough not to get affected by the ‘happy’ content we see online. But what is genuine happiness vis-à-vis short-term pleasure? Are we even looking for it in the right place?

Written by a renowned psychologist, this beautifully illustrated book is divided into five parts that will help in easing everyday anxieties. Learn to make friends with yourself, your body, mind and feelings, and to deal with difficult emotions and situations.

You Are Simply Perfect! will equip you with life-changing tools to find contentment–in school and outside. Find your own quiet spaces inside this book with journal pages left for you to write and reflect.

Ages 12+

Chumki and the Pangolin

Cover: Chumki and the Pangolin
Chumki and the Pangolin||Lesley D.Biswas

The dangerous virus is making everything go into lockdown. But the village poacher trying to catch the pangolin Chumki has befriended. How will Chumki save the rare animal in these tough times?

Ages 7+

Malhar in the Middle

Cover: Malhar in the middle
Malhar in the middle||Shruthi Rao

Malhar wants to be a famous tabla player. But why do tabla players always sit to one side of the stage? Are they not important enough? Malhar wants answers–and he wants to sit in the middle!

 

Ages 0-3

My First Words

Book Cover: My First Words
My First Words||Penguin India

This collection of 15 mini board books is more than just a set of adorable books for a child’s first library–they are also engaging learning tools! The format includes activities like stacking, sorting, counting, matching and identifying colours that encourage interactive learning of basic concepts and facilitate developmental skills in kids.

The box set comprises mini books with sturdy board pages and rounded corners that are perfect for tiny hands. With adorable illustrations and a modern design, this box set includes a variety of relevant topics like first words, animals, numbers, shapes, colours and more.

 

Ages 3-5

Mazes and More

Cover: Mazes and More
Mazes and More||Penguin India

From adventures in the galaxy, hot air balloon ride, treasure hunt to helping the lion finds its way and much more, each maze provides hours of fun and learning. Amazing Mazes features full-color pages filled with different puzzles and mazes, along with search and find activities to keep little minds engaged. Designed to encourage logical thinking, sharpen hand-eye coordination, these activity-filled pages are sure to keep little puzzlers engaged.

Grab your pencils, trace the squiggly path and follow each amazing maze to a new discovery!

Ages 5-7

The Hook Book Series

Cover: Boy, Bear
The Hook Book Series||Various Authors

These books are for very young readers, aged five and above. The books work well for reading out loud to kids or for young readers just starting to read by themselves. Written by some of the best-known writers for children, and illustrated in exuberant colour by some of India’s most-loved illustrators, these stories are set largely in non-urban settings. Hawaldar Hook is the endearing mascot of the Hook Books. Each book includes short and fun language exercises at the end.

Ages 7+

One Day Elsewhere Series

Cover: The Black Tide
One Day Elsewhere Series||Various Authors

Discover the stories about events that changed the 20th century in the One Day Elsewhere series.

 

Dreamer Series by Lavanya Karthik

Dreamers Series Banner
Dreamers Series||Lavanya Karthik

The vividly illustrated stories of Teejan Bai and Satyajit Ray in Lavanya Karthik’s Dreamers Series are inspiring for young kids. Karthik’s stories and artworks are perfectly synced with the high and low notes of Teejan Bai’s life and have captured the most significant shots of Satyajit Ray’s life. Both of them are acknowledged and appreciated for their unique talents.

Get your children hooked to the pages of the Dreamers Series and let them get inspired to hone their skills. Here’s a glimpse of the younger selves of Teejan Bai and Satyajit Ray.

 

The Library of h0les

Cover: The Library of Holes
The Library of Holes||Penguin India

Recognizable by the hOle at the top corner of each book, these chapter books are aimed at kids learning to read independently. They are full of fun stories, gorgeous illustrations and hOles!

The hOle books are early chapter books for children transitioning from picture books to longer books. The stories are contemporary, Indian and with protagonists who are the age of the potential readers, facing dilemmas and challenges which the readers would be familiar with.

Over the years, the hOle books have been shortlisted for or won every major book award in India and a couple internationally.

 

Ages 8+

And That Is Why . . . Manipuri Myths Retold

Cover: And That Is Why . . . Manipuri Myths Retold
And That Is Why . . . Manipuri Myths Retold||L. Somi Roy

A collection of endearing and vibrant retellings of Manipuri myths told for the first time to the outside world! Discover twelve magical tales from Manipur, the mountain land in the northeast of India on the border with Myanmar. Passed down by learned scholars, balladeers and grandmothers over hundreds of years, these unknown myths and fables are enriched with beautifully rich paintings that will transport you to Manipur!

 

The Sage with Two Horns

Cover: The Sage with Two Horns
The Sage With Two Horns||Sudha Murty

Have you heard of the king who sacrificed his flesh to keep his word to a pigeon? Or about the throne that gives anyone who sits on it the unique ability to dispense justice! And how about the sculptor who managed to make magnificent statues with no hands at all?

There’s something for everyone in this collection of tales of wisdom and wit!

From quarrels among gods and the follies of great sages to the benevolence of kings and the virtues of ordinary mortals, Sudha Murty spins fresh accounts of lesser-known stories in Indian mythology. Accompanied by fantastical illustrations and narrated in an unassuming fashion, The Sage with Two Horns is sure to delight fans of the beloved storyteller.

 

Maithili and the Minotaur

Cover: Maithili and the Minotaur
Maithili and the Minotaur||C.G. Salamander

What if our world was a lot more? Filled with unknown creatures-some friendly, some scary.

An outcast to the world of humans, Maithili lives in the outskirts of a magical wilderness. But as she makes new friends in the realm of monsters, she must learn to be careful. Because some monsters are just like humans: mean, nasty and out for blood.

Perfect for fans of Hilda and Arthur and the Golden Rope, join Maithili and the Minotaur on their very first adventure in an outlandish world where nothing is as it seems.

 

The Very Glum Life of Tootoolu Toop

Cover: The Very Glum Life of Tootoolu Toop
The Very Glum Life of Tootoolu Toop||Stuti Agarwal

A delicious adventure set in Darjeeling about a young witch’s attempts at living a human life. For readers of Roald Dahl, Enid Blyton and David Walliams.

To every witch, wizard and glum,

I’m Tootoolu Toop, a ten-year-old, fully trained witch of the Oonoodiwaga tribe from the Darjeeling mountains. Like every other ordinary human who wants to live a life of magic, we witches and wizards want to experience the non-magical world too (I do for sure). For me, the ‘ordinary’ world is nothing short of an adventure. So I have left my tribe to live life as a glum.

This is my story.

Tootoolu is on the run. From her mundane life of stirring grasshopper’s legs into potions and her underground home where her tribe has been in hiding for 569 years. Will Tootoolu find what she’s looking for-best friends, books and a chance to be who she truly is?

 

 

Middle Grade

The Storyteller

Cover: The Storyteller
The Storyteller||Anushka Ravishankar

What if your life depended on being able to tell a good story?

Schariar, King of Persia, would marry a woman every night only to chop off her head every morning. He had sentenced the clever Scherazade to the same fate. Determined to save herself and other women from this gruesome decree, Queen Scherazade begins telling him stories one night-of magic lamps and genies, of fishermen and caliphs, of treasure caves and strange potions.

Tales so wonderful that the one night turns into 1001 . . . But what will happen when Scherazade runs out of yarns to spin? Illustrated afresh, this tenth-anniversary edition offers tales from the Arabian Nights as told by the magical storyteller Scherazade. Narrated in an engaging, tongue-in-cheek style complete with vivid imagery, The Storyteller will keep you spellbound for days!

Young Adults

Naturalist Ruddy

Cover: Naturalist Ruddy
Naturalist Ruddy||Rohan Chakravarty

Are you ‘Ruddy’ for adventure?

In the forests of central India, where teak meets sal and plateaus meet hills, natural history meets detective fiction in an inquisitive Ruddy Mongoose’s investigations. Join Naturalist Ruddy as he unearths some of nature’s most fascinating mysteries in this one-of-a-kind comic book set across India’s various natural habitats.

Learn more about lesser-known animals, insects and organisms of India, and how they interact with their environment!

Jambavana- the wisest bear in the world!

In her latest book, Fantastic Creatures in Mythology, Bulbul Sharma brings to us multiple stories of never-heard-of creatures like Jambavana and Airvata or unknown dimensions of the ones we already know of, like Jatayu and Narasimha.

Here is an excerpt from the book telling the story of Jambavana, the wisest bear in the world!

Fantastic Creatures in Mythology by Bulbul Sharma
Fantastic Creatures in Mythology || Bulbul Sharma

 

‘When anyone asked Jambavana, the noble king of bears, his age, he would shut his eyes and think. He would smile and then continue, ‘Let’s see . . . I was present when Vamana, one of Lord Vishnu’s avatars, took three rounds of the three worlds in just three giant steps. Ah! I have even seen the golden glory of the blue-skinned Lord Krishna and heard him play his magical flute. Now that I am old, I wait here in this quiet, lonely place to serve Lord Rama.’

 

Jambavana was blessed from the day he was born, when Lord Brahma had yawned one morning and from his breath, this mighty bear had been created. When the king of bears was young, he was said to have had the strength of ten thousand lions. He was the strongest bear of all. In fact, he had made rounds of the earth at lightning speed several times. But now, hundreds of centuries had passed, and all the great bear did was live quietly in the forest and think about all the wonderful things he had seen in his long, long life.

 

One day, he looked far out to the seashore and noticed that all the monkeys and bears were running about, making a lot of noise. He knew why they were so agitated. The king of monkeys, Sugriva, in whose army Jambavana once served as a general, had told him that Rama, the prince of Ayodhya, was here looking for his wife, Sita.

 

Sugriva explained that the demon king of Lanka had kidnapped her and taken her away in his golden chariot. They had heard that she was somewhere in Lanka, but no one really knew where exactly she was being held prisoner. Sugriva had promised Rama that his entire army of monkeys and bears would help him rescue Sita. With folded hands, Hanuman, the cleverest and bravest of all the monkeys, sat at Rama’s feet. He was so keen to serve Lord Rama, but did not know what to do. Everyone gazed at the vast ocean that lay between

them and Ravana’s kingdom. Who could possibly cross this turbulent ocean? Which of them was strong enough to leap hundreds of feet through the air?

 

The waters were rough; the waves rose as tall as mountains and crashed down with a thunderous, deafening sound. Everyone gathered there knew that rakshasis guarded this ocean, and so, no one had been able to muster the courage to cross it until now. As the monkeys racked their brains, their leader Angada asked, ‘Which one of you brave monkeys will leap across the ocean, find Sita and bring her back?’ At first, there was complete silence and the monkey army did not even move. Then a few well-built monkeys stepped forward. They bowed their heads and one of them said, ‘We can jump very high, sir, and even though we are not really sure if we can cross this ocean, we are willing to try. We do not mind dying in the attempt. We want to serve Lord Rama and be loyal soldiers to our noble king.’ Meanwhile, Hanuman stood back quietly, looking out at the ocean. All he could see was an endless expanse of water and no land beyond it. Lanka seemed

like a dream! How could any ordinary monkey cross this ocean? It was an impossible task.

 

Whoever tried to leap across would just drown and never be found again. Hanuman sighed. His eyes filled with tears as he whispered to himself, ‘If only I could do something

to help rescue Ma Sita.’ All of a sudden, the noble king of bears, Jambavana, appeared and stood next to him. ‘Why do you stand here alone, Hanuman, with such sadness in your eyes?’ he asked in his deep voice. ‘I want to cross this ocean and find Ma Sita.

I want to serve my Lord Rama, but I don’t know how to. How can one leap across these unsafe waters? Look at those monstrous waves rising and falling like mad elephants on the run. How will I get across this cruel sea? Nobody can.’ Hanuman sighed, his eyes full

of regret.

 

Jambavana turned and looked at Hanuman. He took a deep breath, patted his back and said, ‘Listen to me, my son. Listen to me very carefully. I have lived a long life and I have seen things that you are not even aware of. Today, I am going to tell you something important.’ Hanuman lifted his head and looked at Jambavana.

 

With a solemn expression, the old bear said, ‘Hanuman, you are not aware of your great strength because of a curse cast upon you by an angry sage many years ago, when you were young. This curse made you forget everything. ‘You know that your mother, Anjana, was an apsara from the heavens, and your father, Vayu, was the god of wind. But have you forgotten that as a child you stole the very sun because you thought it was a ripe red fruit and you wanted to taste it?’ Jambavana’s eyes crinkled as he smiled.

 

He continued, ‘Do you know the great Lord Indra threw his thunderbolt at you, but your father saved you? Furious at Indra, he stopped the winds from blowing. Soon, every living creature on Earth gasped for breath, and finally, when Indra asked Vayu for forgiveness, he blessed you with eternal life. Brahma gave you a boon too and made you invincible. With Varuna’s blessing, water cannot harm you. With Agni’s boon, fi re cannot burn you. And your father, Vayu, made you faster than the wind!’

Hanuman looked at the wise bear with astonished eyes.

 

Jambavana slowly nodded and patted Hanuman. ‘Look within your heart, son of Vayu, and you will find that you are not an ordinary monkey but a unique creature with more strength, wisdom and courage than anyone of your kind. I am as old as the ancient hills and I have seen a number of great warriors, but you, Hanuman, will be the greatest

amongst them.’

 

As Hanuman heard the old bear speak, something stirred his mind, something he had long forgotten. Jambavana’s words were like magic, and they seemed to take him to a faraway place where he was once a monkey with amazing power and strength. Hanuman could feel himself changing! Fresh blood raced in his veins and his eyes sparkled with a new-found energy. He could feel his arms and legs becoming stronger.’

 

What do you think happens next in this story? Was Hanuman able to cross the waters and get to Lanka?

 

Read more of such interesting stories in Bulbul Sharma’s Fantastical Creatures of Mythology.

Let the Adventure Begin! October Releases for Children

October is the month of adventure. Introduce your young ones to Rachita and Aarti, who have a nemesis out to get them, and the Naturalist Ruddy Mongoose, who combines natural history with detective fiction. Ruskin Bond’s famous character, Ranji, is back in a heart-warming story and so is Rumi, who encounters a ghost–Rain! Muhammad bin Tughlaq, the Sultan of Dihli, is outraged; but why? Maithili and the Minotaur are on their very first adventure in an outlandish world where nothing is as it seems…

We’ve also included something for the youngest readers – those learning to read!

 

My First Words

My First Words
My First Words

This collection of 15 mini board books is more than just a set of adorable books for a child’s first library–they are also engaging learning tools! The format includes activities like stacking, sorting, counting, matching and identifying colours that encourage interactive learning of basic concepts and facilitate developmental skills in kids.

The box set comprises mini books with sturdy board pages and rounded corners that are perfect for tiny hands. With adorable illustrations and a modern design, this box set includes a variety of relevant topics like first words, animals, numbers, shapes, colours and more.

 

The Tunnel

The Tunnel
The Tunnel || Ruskin Bond

Fascinated by the midday train, Ranji would find himself waiting near the tunnel to catch a glimpse of the engine come roaring out of it. But the tunnel has more surprises for him. From a jungle full of lush green trees comes a timeless tale of unexpected friendship, curiosity, duty and wildlife.

Peppered with delightful illustrations, Ruskin Bond brings to his readers another heart-warming story packaged as a charming chapter book-a perfect introduction for beginners to the world of India’s favourite writer!

 

Tughlaq and the Stolen Sweets

Tughlaq and the Stolen Sweets
Tughlaq and the Stolen Sweets || Natasha Sharma

For Ages: 8+ years

Muhammad bin Tughlaq, the Sultan of Dihli, is outraged. Someone has stolen his favourite dessert, the sugared melons from Khurasim. What’s worse, people are questioning his plans of torture and punishment. Who can help the Sultan solve this mystery?

 

The Case of the Nosy

The Case of the Nosy
The Case of the Nosy || Archit Taneja

For Ages: 11+ years

Rachita and Aarti have a nemesis who is out to destroy them …

Garbage vandals are defacing walls of residential societies. Aarti’s birthday presents include miniature coasters. Rachita starts having egg-themed nightmares …

Are these happenings related to the mysterious time-travelling detective gang that is challenging the Superlative Supersleuths? And will they be able to foil their rivals or will they end up getting owned?

Case notes:
1. Why do the eggs have banana heads?
2. The Harappans cared about home furnishings.
3. The Nemesis might be a time traveller!

 

Rain Must Fall

Rain Must Fall
Rain Must Fall || Nandita Basu

For Ages: 12+ years

Rumi is not too enthusiastic about accompanying Baba to the sleepy village of Shankerpur, where he is planning to convert their ancestral home into a bed and breakfast. But Rumi is happy to be away from school and friends who have problems understanding Rumi’s identity.

In the middle of one night, Rumi encounters a ghost–Rain, who does not remember his own story or why he is compelled to be a ghost. And it is in trying to help Rain find his peace, that sets Rumi on a journey of love, friendship and acceptance.

This is a tale of love and loss, of rejection and affirmation, and above all, the healing and illuminating power of friendship.

 

Maithili and the Minotaur

Maithili and the Minotaur
Maithili and the Minotaur || C.G. Salamander

For Ages: 10+ years

An outcast to the world of humans, Maithili lives in the outskirts of a magical wilderness. But as she makes new friends in the realm of monsters, she must learn to be careful because some monsters are just like humans: mean, nasty and out for blood.

Perfect for fans of Hilda and Arthur and the Golden Rope, join Maithili and the Minotaur on their very first adventure in an outlandish world where nothing is as it seems.

 

Naturalist Ruddy

Naturalist Ruddy
Naturalist Ruddy || Rohan Chakravarty

Are you ‘Ruddy’ for adventure?
In the forests of central India, where teak meets sal and plateaus meet hills, natural history meets detective fiction in an inquisitive Ruddy Mongoose’s investigations. Join Naturalist Ruddy as he unearths some of nature’s most fascinating mysteries in this one-of-a-kind comic book set across India’s various natural habitats.

Ode to an Indian childhood’s favourite friend, Subhadra Sen Gupta

Covid might have taken away one of our most beloved authors, Subhadra Sen Gupta this year, but when schools reopen and children are back to their libraries, we could meet her again. In every children’s library in India, there’ll always be a corner that would sound like the shrieky excitement and the giggly wonder of kids and it would forever belong to the writer who said she wrote stories for the best readers in the world – children.

 

Since decades now, she is one of the ‘most issued’ authors in our school libraries along with J.K. Rowling and Roald Dahl. Her books were the first few that introduced children of India to literature that was based in the environment they belonged to. Her characters had names like ours, lived in cities like ours and had a life that we could relate to, unlike the western culture that had been dominating children’s and adult literature in India. Most importantly, Sen Gupta made history interesting for so many of us!

 

She took us through historical times with stories of unknown and unsung characters like a young maid of a princess during the Mauryan period or a dhobi who learnt to sing from Tansen under the reign of Akbar. The author introduced a literary culture that revolutionized writing in the day! Inculcating the thought that every story matters, whether it is the tale of a king or a pawn, interweaving genres together so children can learn about history through interactive storytelling or to make the habit of reading genuinely fun- Sen Gupta did it all!

 

While some of her most recounted stories are The Story of the World’s Worst Cook, Goodbye Pasha Begum and Mystery of the House of Pigeons, she went on to do something quite remarkable and extraordinary. She wrote The Constitution of India for Children and created a handbook in a fun and digestible format, explaining the most important document of our nation and even addressed issues like the participation of women in the drafting of the constitution.

 

Unfortunately, the literary icon passed away in May of this year due to Covid-19, at the age of 68, with probably more interesting stories and books inside her, waiting to be inked on paper.

However, we do have one last gift from her to the world and we’d love to share it with you! Told through the portraits of children growing up in the villages, towns and courts of our country, Let’s Go Time Travelling Again is Subhadra Sen Gupta’s sequel to the series and a vivid glimpse into our past.

 

Let’s Go Time Travelling Again || Subhadra Sen Gupta

How did Indian mulmuls make it into Cleopatra’s wardrobe? Who popularized the Mahabharata in households across the country? Did our ancestors really identify Jupiter and Saturn without even a telescope?

Find the answers to these and many other unusual questions about the India of yesterday. Go time travelling through the alleys of history and explore the many occupations that have existed through time – from dancers and playwrights to farmers and doctors. Sift through snapshots of the rich life led by ordinary Indians and discover unexpected titbits about language, food and culture.

This last book by our beloved author is replete with fascinating stories, information, and trivia about our ancient civilizations, kingdoms, and people.

 

error: Content is protected !!