Imagine you have the time to watch a snail crossing a road at its own sweet pace and you are able to appreciate it at ease. Difficult, right? We don’t have time to stand and stare. To recollect and ruminate. Words from the Hills offers a novel perspective to look at ‘time’ and ‘schedule’-forthcoming and bygone-in a unique way. An illustrated biographical work developed around the life, works and philosophy of Ruskin Bond, in this planner we propose to catch those moments of pure joy. From the falling of leaves from deodar trees; moments of love and loss; the journey from innocence to awareness; buzzing dragonflies; to stained and torn pages of forgotten notebooks, this planner (of 12/16 months), perhaps the first of its kind, will open a new window to our understanding of self-preservation and remembrance.
Archives: Books
Notes From A Small Room
‘It’s the simple things in life that keep us from going crazy;’ Ruskin Bond writes in this enchanting collection of essays; a celebration of the uncomplicated pleasures of a life well-lived.
In ‘A Good Philosophy’ we learn of Bond’s life philosophy; or the lack of it; and ‘In Search of the Perfect Window’ we join him in meditating on the qualities of a good window and its importance to a room. Whether contemplating the sound of a tropical downpour; on the fragrance of lime trees in the Himalayas or on a year spent with his cat Suzie; Ruskin Bond transports us to a quieter; more elegant world where time moves at a gentle pace. He invites us to revel in the intricacies of life and to poke fun at its absurdities; with insight; wisdom and wit.
Friends In Small Places
This collection brings together the best of Ruskin Bond’s cameos, all beautifully imagined and crafted, inspired by people who have left a lasting impression on him. In addition, there are a host of characters culled from Bond’s numerous short stories. Taken together, they constitute a magnificent evocation of the small-town India by one of the country’s best storytellers
White Mice
A tale of sweet revenge
Ruskin is keen to teach his scatterbrained uncle a lesson. After all, he put him on the wrong train! Armed with gifts from his new friend, the stationmaster-yummy rasgullas and a pair of beautiful white mice-Ruskin devises the perfect payback.
Peppered with endearing characters and brought to life by delightful artwork, this is one of Bond’s most unforgettable tales.
Till the Clouds Roll By
A couple of years after his father’s death, ten-year-old Ruskin travels to Dehradun to spend his holidays with his new family. As he reacquaints himself with his mother, now remarried and with a busy social life, his stepfather and new siblings, a pensive Ruskin longs for his father’s company, his stamp collection and the old gramophone. Trying to escape this unfamiliar place, he immerses himself in books and explores the forest glades, canals and bazaars of the little town, forming some unlikely friendships on the way.
After the much-loved Looking for the Rainbow, the master storyteller lends another backward glance at his boyhood years-a vacation that took place over seventy winters ago-remembering his days with rare humour, remarkable charm and twinges of heartache.
The Adventures of Rusty
Rusty, the boy whose stories have charmed and entertained children for years, brings together his best adventures in one volume!
From the time he was a boy living with his grandparents in Dehra, surrounded by an assortment of odd animals, people and relatives, to when he gets sent away to school, then makes his way to London and becomes a writer, Rusty’s had more adventures than we can count.
This omnibus edition contains his best, funniest, most exciting escapades. In these pages, there’s Toto, the monkey that travelled in a bag on a train; an encounter with a leopard; life as a young writer in faraway London; and the return home to roots that were always loved and never forgotten.
An evergreen classic of children’s writing in India, The Adventures of Rusty will be enjoyed like never before.
The Wind on Haunted Hill
A gorgeously illustrated spooky story for young readers by India’s most-loved author Ruskin Bond.
A gorgeous full-colour chapter book, ideal for young readers (ages 6 and up) with its large font, eye-catching illustrations and easy language
Perfect book to read along with and also as a read-it-yourself
A beautiful introduction to the works of Ruskin Bond for children
The wild wind pushes open windows, chokes chimneys and blows away clothes as it huffs and puffs over the village by Haunted Hill, where Usha, Suresh and Binya live. It’s even more mighty the day Usha is on her way back from the bazaar. A deep rumble echoes down the slope and a sudden flash of lightning lights up the valley as fat drops come raining down.
In search of shelter, Usha rushes into the ruins on Haunted Hill, grim and creepy against the dark sky. Inside, the tin roof groans, strange shadows are thrown against the walls and little Usha shivers with fear. For she isn’t alone.
A gritty, hair-raising story about friendship, courage and survival, this stunning edition will introduce another lot of young readers to the magic of Ruskin Bond’s craft.
Other popular books in the series include The Cherry Tree, Ranji the Music Maker, Earthquake and The Day Grandfather Tickled a Tiger.
Ranji the Music Maker
‘Was this what it was like to be a rock star? Except that pop singers were usually followed by people, not cats.’
In the middle of his languid holiday, idle young Ranji stumbles upon assorted musical instruments in the storeroom-first a shrill flute, then a blaring little trumpet and, finally, a too-big drum that may have once sounded a battle march. He stages impromptu concerts down the road, not sparing his neighbours, nor the cats around his porch, nor the peace-loving inhabitants of the zoo! But all Ranji’s really seeking is a friend who’ll hear the magic in his din.
A lyrical and stunningly illustrated offering from India’s favourite teller of tales, this is a sunny story about forging bonds and the simple joys of life.
Rusty and the Magic Mountain
‘Adventure is for the adventurous.’
Rusty and his friends Pitamber and Popat find adventure in no small measure when they set out to climb a mysterious mountain steeped in legend and superstition. On their way they shelter in a haunted rest house, encounter a tiger and experience a hilarious mule ride, which takes them to the palace of a mad rani.
Ruskin Bond returns with a brand-new Rusty adventure after more than a decade. A rollicking tale of humour and enchantment, Rusty and the Magic Mountain will win the much-loved character of Rusty a whole new band of followers.
Coming Round the Mountain: In the Year of Independence
‘It was 1947, and life was about to change quite dramatically for most of us’
Thirteen-year-old Ruskin is back at school, doing what he loves-reading, goal-keeping, spending time with his friends and eating lots of jalebis. But things seem to be rapidly changing all around him. Whispers of a partition haunt the corridors of his school. Does the formation of a new, independent India mean saying goodbye to old friends-and, with it, the shenanigans they got up to?
On the heels of Looking for the Rainbow and Till the Clouds Roll By, Coming Round the Mountain is yet another look at the past, in particular one memorable year, 1947, during which a lot happened to Ruskin and those around him. It is a fitting finale to a journey down memory lane, one about accepting change and finding hope in the unknown days to come.