‘I am Prithvimahadevi, the goddess of the earth.’
Prithvimahadevi is the daughter of the powerful Somavamshi king of Kosala. Her life is circumscribed by the rules that govern the existence of women of her royal family. She can only hope that she will marry a king whose power matches that of her ambitious father.
Instead she is married to her father’s enemy, the Bhaumakara ruler, Shubhakaradeva, whose way of life she finds alien and austere, and who worships strange gods. There seems to be no hope for her to fulfil her dreams of becoming a great queen-until suddenly one day, there is . . . But is she willing to play the game of sacrifice and betrayal that this will entail?
The story of this ninth-century queen of Odisha by award-winning historical novelist Devika Rangachari will keep you riveted.
Beastly Tales from Here and There, Vikram Seth’s book of animal fables in verse, has become one of his most beloved works. Now in this exquisitely illustrated edition by the acclaimed illustrated edition by the acclaimed illustrator Prabha Mallya, this classic work has found a beautiful new life.
The crazy adventures of a madcap family!
The ever-in-a-hurry Goofies need to renovate their house. And of course, the only one who agrees to take up the job is none but the slowest handyman around town, Mr Workslow. But he’s yet to arrive and the Goofies can’t wait to get started. So after much heaving, out come all their worldly goods in a battered and mangled heap of wood, cloth, metal, plastic, glass . . . err . . . yeah, they’re definitely going to need new furniture.
And unknown to the nutty family, stashed in their dump yard from hell is the extravagant loot of Petersville’s unwelcome visitors-a gang of hapless thieves! Yeah, they are going to need some reinforcements, too, if they hope to bumble their way out of this mess.
Ranji’s team finds an unexpected opponent-a nosy crocodile-when they play a cricket match against the village boys. Annoyed at the swarms of boys crowding the riverbank and the alarming cricket balls plopping around his place of rest, Nakoo the crocodile decides to take his revenge.
Once upon a time, in the kingdom of Ogd, a Messiah was born … with her foot in her mouth.
This might be her story.
Her position of foetal gaffe allows her to eat her toenails, which nourish her and make her toenails grow so that she can eat them. Apart from the practicality of the situation, this also is the basis of her profound teachings. As the Messiah travels through many dimensions, her followers learn the importance of bells, nirvana, clean feet, Klein bottles and phonetics, among diverse other things.
Ding dong.
Following in the tradition of Lewis Carroll, Anushka Ravishankar writes nonsense prose, which addresses complex issues of the modern-day world with a deep and abiding meaninglessness.
Ogd is a profoundly nonsensical and hilarious fable by the bestselling children’s author Anushka Ravishankar. While Anushka is famous for her nonsense poetry for younger kids, this is her first book of nonsense prose for older readers. Literary nonsense, such as that written by Lewis Carroll, Dr Suess and Edward Lear, is often used to look at complex issues from a different angle. Ogd deals with many issues of daily life, important and unimportant, such as cartography, education, hairstyling, mathematics, monarchy, philosophy, physics, poetry, publishing, religion and toenails. The book encourages the reader to both laugh at many of the current preoccupations in the world and encourages readers but also to think more deeply about them.
When the Royal Chapati Cook quits, there is no one to make the fluffy-puffy chapatis that the king loves. Can they find another champion chapati maker at the Grand Chapati Contest?
About the Hook Book Series
In a world where children’s books often feel cut from the same cloth, Hook Books stand out as a vibrant blend of imagination, humour, and heart. Crafted as a bridge between picture books and early chapter books, this series delivers stories that spark joy and wonder, while remaining rooted in age-appropriate learning.
Hook Books keep the fun going with:
- Short, digestible bits of text (perfect for budding readers)
- Bright colour illustrations that pull kids into the story
- Themes that speak to the everyday lives of children—plus a sprinkle of whimsy!
From fantasy tales to those that touch on more advanced ideas, Hook Books ensure that young readers are always in for a treat, no matter their reading level. Even better, these books take children on journeys through different parts of India, giving them a taste of the rich diversity of our world through local flavours, landscapes, and cultures. Whether the story takes place in bustling cities or quiet villages, Hook Books make every setting feel like home.
The vegetables from Ammu’s parents’ cart have disappeared! Who could have stolen them? Amma and Appa are sure the thief must have come in a helicopter. But Ammu, following a trail left by the thief, finds some very strange clues …
About the Hook Book Series
In a world where children’s books often feel cut from the same cloth, Hook Books stand out as a vibrant blend of imagination, humour, and heart. Crafted as a bridge between picture books and early chapter books, this series delivers stories that spark joy and wonder, while remaining rooted in age-appropriate learning.
Hook Books keep the fun going with:
- Short, digestible bits of text (perfect for budding readers)
- Bright colour illustrations that pull kids into the story
- Themes that speak to the everyday lives of children—plus a sprinkle of whimsy!
From fantasy tales to those that touch on more advanced ideas, Hook Books ensure that young readers are always in for a treat, no matter their reading level. Even better, these books take children on journeys through different parts of India, giving them a taste of the rich diversity of our world through local flavours, landscapes, and cultures. Whether the story takes place in bustling cities or quiet villages, Hook Books make every setting feel like home.
In Poondy, fruits are always falling on people’s heads-from the jackfruit, coconut and toddy trees-causing many injuries. So all the Poondizens wear fruit-helmets invented by the legendary Falwala. Bim loves Poondy, with its falling fruits, its Wise Man and its barber-detective.
Then one day, Miss Chitty, Bim’s mother, who drives a coffee-coloured taxi, decides to move away from Poondy. Bim’s last two weeks in his home town are full of strange and exciting adventures-from a bat attack to a bike theft-that can only happen here!
Arjun Talwar’s debut novel is a mad and hilarious romp through a town filled with eccentric people. It is brought to vivid life by Shilpa Ranade’s beautiful illustrations.
Everyone wants to be friends with Adil.
But how do you start a conversation with someone when their words dance to music you cannot hear?
When Adil Speaks, Words Dance is a heart-warming tale of empathy, inclusivity and the surprising superpowers of friendship.
From the author of Grandma’s Bag of Stories
It’s 2020 and children are stuck indoors as the novel coronavirus finds its way into India. A nationwide lockdown is announced and amidst the growing crisis, Ajja and Ajji welcome their grandchildren and Kamlu Ajji into their house in Shiggaon.
From stitching masks, sharing household chores, preparing food for workers to losing themselves in timeless tales, the lockdown turns into a memorable time for the children as they enter the enchanting world of goddesses, kings, princesses, serpents, magical beanstalks, thieves, kingdoms and palaces, among others. The myriad stories told by their grandparents become the biggest source of joy, making the children compassionate, worldly-wise and more resilient than ever.
Following the trail of the best-selling Grandma’s Bag of Stories, India’s favourite author Sudha Murty brings to you this collection of immortal tales that she fondly created during the lockdown period for readers to seek comfort and find the magic in sharing and caring for others. Wonderfully woven in her inimitable style, this book is unputdownable and perfect for every child’s bookshelf!
