‘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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
The Puffin Treasury Of Modern Indian Stories Is A Unique Collection Of Stories And Excerpts Written By Master Storytellers. It Represents For The First Time The Richness And Range Of Writing For Children In India During The Twentieth Century.
From Ruskin Bond&Rsquo;S Humorous &Lsquo;Snake Trouble&Rsquo; And Vikram Seth&Rsquo;S Animal Fable In Verse &Lsquo;The Elephant And The Tragopan&Rsquo;, To Salman Rushdie&Rsquo;S Fantasy &Lsquo;Haroun And The Sea Of Stories&Rsquo; And Satyajit Ray&Rsquo;S Gripping Tale &Lsquo;The Hungry Septopus&Rsquo;, This Anthology Has A Vibrant Mix Of Styles And Forms.
With Spectacular Illustrations By A Host Of The Most Talented Artists Working Today, This Anthology Will Delight Both Children And Adults.
Contributors Include:
Paro Anand
Margaret Bhatty
Pankaj Bisht
Ruskin Bond
Anita Desai
Shashi Deshpande
Shama Futehally
Mala Marwah
Arvind Krishan Mehrotra
Dhan Gopal Mukerji
Meenakshi Mukherjee
R.K. Narayan
Premchand
Sara Rai
Shanta Rameshwar Rao
Hemangini Ranade
Satyajit Ray
Salman Rushdie
Bhisham Sahni
Poile Sengupta
Subhadra Sen Gupta
Vikram Seth
Khushwant Singh
Kalpana Swaminathan
These are just some of the questions you will find answered in this delightful collection of stories recounting real-life incidents from the life of Sudha Murty-teacher, social worker and bestselling writer. There is the engaging story about one of her students who frequently played truant from school. The account of how her mother’s advice to save money came in handy when she wanted to help her husband start a software company, and the heart-warming tale of the promise she made-and fulfilled-to her grandfather, to ensure that her little village library would always be well supplied with books.
Funny, spirited and inspiring, each of these stories teaches a valuable lesson about the importance of doing what you believe is right and having the courage to realize your dreams.
