Pratham Books

Over 5,000 Champions join hands with Pratham Books to spread the message of protecting the environment!

noreply@blogger.com (Sangeeta) — Fri, 07 Sep 2018 18:48:00 +0000

Happy International Literacy Day!

This year, over 5,000 Champions will be celebrating International Literacy Day with a children’s story carrying a message for our time

One Day, One Story is our annual flagship event, a nationwide storytelling campaign aimed at helping children discover the joy of reading. This year, given that India was the global host of 2018 World Environment Day, with the theme of “Beat Plastic Pollution,” we chose a book that carried the message of pollution awareness — and action.

A Cloud of Trash is a charming children’s picture book written by Karanjeet Kaur and illustrated by Bhavana Vyas Vipparthi. It’s the story of a little girl called Cheekoo, who has a cloud of trash hanging over her head. This makes her very, very unhappy, and as we follow her story, we learn a little more about trash, about keeping our surroundings clean, and how everyday waste can, and should, be reused, recycled, or disposed of responsibly.

Several of our sessions began last week itself, like this one in Jammu & Kashmir: https://goo.gl/3vBQwp

This week has seen story sessions in Tirthan Valley, Himachal Pradesh; a puppetry-and-music performance in Mumbai; and closer home, in Bangalore, schoolchildren have retold Cheekoo's story as comic books!

Saturday, September 8, has sessions taking place all across India, and beyond. And celebrations will go on for a whole week longer, as the last scheduled sessions are next weekend, on September 15!

Here's a list of flagship events and open events taking place across the country, if you'd like to attend, as well as spread the word: https://goo.gl/ZT68d3

You, too, can join the tribe of #PBChamps.

Sign up here: https://goo.gl/BPtjYZ

Download e-copies: English, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Gujarati, Konkani, Marathi, Bengali, Odia, Sanskrit, Punjabi, Telugu, Maithili, and Surjapuri

We also have a simplified (Reading Level 1) version of the story, as well as a completely wordless story.

Listen to the story on SoundCloud: English, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Gujarati, and Marathi

Enjoy Readalongs: English, and Hindi

Include activities: Here's a suggested activity list that you can use for your session: https://goo.gl/JLBWdm

Mail us: Send your photos, videos, or notes about your story sessions to champions@prathambooks.org We just love hearing from Champions!

One Day, One Story: Public Events You Can Attend

noreply@blogger.com (Sangeeta) — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 19:03:00 +0000

Like every year, thousands of #PBChamps will be conducting storytelling sessions across India and the world to celebrate International Literacy Day.

This year, our chosen storybook is A Cloud of Trash, written by Karanjeet Kaur, and illustrated by Bhavana Vyas Vipparthi. It’s a story about a little girl called Cheekoo, who has a cloud of trash hanging over her head. This makes her very, very unhappy, and as we follow her story, we learn a little more about trash, and about keeping our surroundings clean. The story works well for children across different age and reading levels, and can be followed by activities like recycling and reusing everyday waste.

We invite you to attend one of the public storytelling sessions and help Cheekoo get rid of her unhappiness!

The sessions are free!

Our flagship events are spread across 10 venues in 7 cities:

AHMEDABAD
Champion: Yogita Ahuja (Story Circle)
Venue: Story Circle - Centre for Storytelling and Learning. 655, Iscon Emporio, Satellite - Ahmedabad
Date and Time: 7th September, 6 pm - 6.30 pm

MUMBAI

Champions: Sitara Susheelan & Sarita Shetty
Venue: Kahaani Tree, Industry Manor, Second Floor, Above J. K. Banquet Hall, A. Marathe Marg, Prabhadevi, Mumbai
Date and Time: 8th September, 11 am - 12 pm

Champion: Karanjeet Kaur

Venue: Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum, 91 A, Rani Baug, Veer Mata Jijbai Bhonsle Udyan, Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Marg, Byculla East, Mumbai
Date and Time: 8th September, 4 pm - 5 pm

BANGALORE

Champion: Bhavana Vyas Vipparthi

Venue: Cubbon Park, Kasturba Road, Ambedkar Veedhi, Sampangi Rama Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka

Date and Time: 8th September, 11 am -12 pm

Champion: Aparna Athreya (Story Triangle)

Venue: Atta Galatta, 134, KHB Colony, 5th Block, Koramangala, Bengaluru

Date and Time: 8th September, 11 am - 12 pm

DELHI

Champion: Your Story Bag

Venue: Oxford Book Store, N-81, Connaught Place, New Delhi
Date and Time: 8th September, 11.30 am - 12.30 pm

Champion: Swagata Sen Pillai
Venue: Nehru Planetarium, Teen Murti House, Teen Murti Marg, Teen Murti Marg Area, New Delhi
Date and Time: 8th September, 9.30 am onwards

CHANDIGARH Champion: The Tree of Life
Venue: The Tree of Life, #551, 33B, Chandigarh
Date and Time: 5.30 pm - 6.30 pm

HYDERABAD

Champion: Story Arts India
Venue: Saptaparni, Plot No 21, Road No 8, Next to Kalpa School, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad
Date and Time: 22nd September, 10.30 am

BHUBANESWAR
Champion: Bakul Foundation
Venue: Bakul Library, Plot 16, Satya Nagar, Near Big Bazaar, Bhubaneswar
Date and Time: 8th September, 5 pm

* * * * *

Our champions are also conducting several storytelling sessions (which are open to the public) happening over the next few days. Please check the list of all the public events you can attend. Click on the links below to get more details about the event.

(This list is being updated as and when we hear of new events. Please check back to see if there are any events happening in your city)

BANGALORE
Champion: Taléscope
Venue: Aura Studio - The Halo of Health, #93, 6th cross,2nd stage, BTM Layout, Bangalore
Date and Time: 7th September, 5.30 pm - 6.30 pm

Champion: Meenu Sivaramakrishnan (Katha Galatta)
Event link: Call 95385-70467 to register
Venue: #21016, Tower 21, 1st Floor, Prestige Shantiniketan, Near ITPL, Whitefield, Bangalore
Date and Time: 8th September, 11 am - 12 pm

Champion: Culture Place
Event link
Venue: JustBooks Jayanagar, 26th main, 4th Block, Jayanagar 9th Block, Bangalore
Date and Time: 8th September, 3.30 pm - 4.30 pm

Champion: Culture Place
Event link
Venue: JustBooks Banashankari, 972/1, 13th Cross, 16th Main, Banashankari II Stage, Bangalore
Date and Time: 9th September, 11 am - 12 pm

Champion: Deepti Sehgal
Venue: JustBooks BTM Layout, 476, 6th Main Rd, Mico Layout, Stage 2, BTM 2nd Stage, BTM layout, Bangalore
Phone: 90191-26657
Date and Time: 8th September, 12:15 p.m to 1:15 p.m

CHENNAI

Champion: Iloveread
Event link: Registration required

Venue: The Book Office, Ground Floor, No 9, 4th Street, Venkateshwara Nagar, Chennai

Champion: Jhoola Activity Centre
Event link
Venue: Jhoola Activity Centre, Nanganallur, Chennai
Date and Time: 8th September, 5 pm - 6 pm

Champion: Purple Patch
Event link
Venue: Reader's Cove Library, Perungudi, Chennai

Date and Time: 8th September, 5 pm onwards

Champion: Once Upon a Time
Event link
Venue: Once Upon a Time Children’s Library, Ar Samriddhi Apartments, Mettukuppam, Chennai
Date and Time: 8th September, 11 am - 12.30 pm

Champion: Kadhai Kadhaiyaam
Venue: The Montessori House, Adambakkam, Chennai
Phone: 9003253726
Date and Time: 8th September, 11 am - 12:15 pm

Champion: Kadhai Kadhaiyaam
Venue: Bodhana Montessori School, Chennai
Date and Time: 15th September, 11 am - 12.30 pm

Champion: Beyond Books
Call 42037799/ 24453191 to register
Venue: Odyssey, Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai
Date and Time: 8th September, 5 pm onwards

Champion: Beyond Books
Call 42037799/ 24453191 to register

Venue: Odyssey, Adyar, Chennai
Date and Time: 9th September, 5 pm onwards

GOA

Champion: Leonard Fernandes/ The Dogears Bookshop
Event link

Venue: The Dogears Bookshop, Near the Asian Paints Store (Close to Menezes Nursing Home), Margao, Goa
Date and Time: 8th September, TBC

COIMBATORE

Champion: Dithi Phonics Kingdom
Call 9080222171 to register

Venue: Dithi Phonics Kingdom, 119, Thiru V.K Street, Krishnapuram, Saravanampatti P.O., Coimbatore

Date and Time: 8th September, 3 pm - 4.30 pm

DEHRADUN

Champion: Anubba The Storyteller
Event link

Venue: World Integrity Centre, 111/2 Rajpur Road, Dehradun

Date and Time: 8th September, 6 pm onwards

GURGAON

Champions: Bhavna Bhat and Richa Deo (Silverfish)
Venue: Nai Kiran Public School, Ardee City, Sector 52, Gurgaon
Date and Time: 8th September, 12 pm - 1 pm

Champion: Treasure Trove Library
Event link

Venue: The Treasure Trove Library - Ipsaa Day Care, Sector 50, W Block, South City 2, Gurgaon

Date and Time: 9th September, 4 pm onwards

DELHI

Champion: Your Story Bag
Event link: Call 9080222171 to register
Venue: The Reading Caterpillar, House No. 24, 2nd Floor, Block F, Nizamuddin West, New Delhi
Date and Time: 8th September, 11.30 am onwards

GHAZIABAD
Champion: Akanksha (The Wonderleaf Reading Club)
Event link
Venue: The Wonderleaf Reading Club, KG-97, New Kavi Nagar, Ghaziabad, UP
Date and Time: 8th September, 4.30 pm - 5.30 pm

PUNE
Champion: Project Re-Think
Event link: Call 98213-74014/ 96574-39244

Address: Community Center, Malwadi, Hadapsar, Pune
Date and Time: 8th September, 12 pm - 2 pm

HYDERABAD

Champion: The Book Shelf
Event link: Call 77022-27266 to register
Venue: The Book Shelf, H. No 24, SBH Colony, Near Osmania University, Near Andhra Bank, Hyderabad
Date and Time: 8th September, 3 pm - 4.30 pm

Jaldi 5 with Bhavana Vyas Vipparthi, illustrator of A Cloud of Trash!

noreply@blogger.com (Sangeeta) — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 04:51:00 +0000

Bhavana Vyas Vipparthi is a mother to a talkative three year old and a furry four year old. She loves to tell all sorts of stories and draws pictures to keep sane. We got her to talk to us about the One Day, One Story for 2018, her mixed media illustrated picture book, A Cloud of Trash.

Why did you choose this particular style for "A Cloud of Trash"?
I have always liked working with mixed media. The story "A Cloud of Trash" lent itself beautifully to this medium. The impact of a huge cloud of garbage hanging over her head could only be brought about if it was, in fact, real garbage.

Have you always been environmentally conscious - would you share any particular changes you've made in your life/ lifestyle?
Garbage and managing our own waste has always been a subject close to my heart. I have worked on designing home composters in design school, and have always segregated, composted and recycled/ upcycled as much as possible.

What would you like kids to "take home" from the book?
If the book can start a conversation about waste and how we can each look after our surroundings, I think it is already on the right track. Instilling a sense of awareness of the problem is the first step.

What would a sequel to "A Cloud of Trash" be like? :)
Maybe Cheekoo can go on a holiday to a big city and see a giant cloud of trash handing over everyone in the sky.

What's been your experience of One Day, One Story?
This is my first time with this event. I am eagerly looking forward to being a part of it.

Aaaaand you can come, watch Bhavana tell us the story of "A Cloud of Trash" this Saturday at Cubbon Park!

400 Champions have signed up!

noreply@blogger.com (Sangeeta) — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 03:00:00 +0000

As September 8 draws closer, we’re getting ready for One Day, One Story!

400 Champions have signed up. Volunteers have translated the book into more versions. The first batch of printed books and banners have been dispatched.

Do help us spread the word so that more Champions hold more story reading sessions for many more children. Sign up here.

This Year's Book
This year, Champions will be reading A Cloud of Trash, written by Karanjeet Kaur, and illustrated by Bhavana Vyas Vipparthi. It’s a story about a little girl called Cheekoo, who has a cloud of trash hanging over her head. This makes her very, very unhappy, and as we follow her story, we learn a little more about trash, and about keeping our surroundings clean.

Download Your e-copy
While you wait for your book to arrive, please download the book so that you can start practising for your session. Download the book in: English, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Marathi, Gujarati, and Surjapuri. Our language partners have also helped translate the book into Konkani, and Bahasa. We'll soon share versions in Punjabi, Bengali, Odia, and Sanskrit.

Activities That Support the Story
The story works well for children across different age and reading levels, and introduces themes like waste management, littering, reuse and recycling, and social responsibility. You could enact it, if you like, or get children to imagine what a cloud of trash could look like. We would love for you to use this story in creative ways – read, narrate, enact… it’s your session to conduct.

Spread the word!
For the past seven years, we’ve seen the tribe of PBChamps grow from just 250 Champions. We would love to have more storytellers join us. Do help us spread the word by telling your friends, colleagues, and family about One Day, One Story, or ask them to join you in your session.

Share our blog post so they can find out what they need to do: https://goo.gl/472Pso

On Twitter, tag us @prathambooks, and do use the hashtag #PBChamps

On Instagram, we’re @pratham.books, and you can share this post: https://goo.gl/S4kd5c

August is Inventors' Month.

noreply@blogger.com (Sangeeta) — Tue, 07 Aug 2018 05:21:00 +0000

At Pratham Books, we're great believers in the power of curiosity to fuel learning. That's why we leaped at the idea of celebrating August as Inventors' Month. After all, where would invention be without curiosity and exploration and experimentation?

Several years ago, we came across this Skillshare video that said it far better than mere words could. We hope you enjoy it. As much as we hope you'll enjoy the many children's books we have about amazing inventions, and the even more amazing inventors who made them come to life.

Each week, we'll dive into stories that describe the magical world of invention. And we hope you'll share them with your kids, your students, or even young people you know.

Like the line from the video goes: "It doesn't matter what you ask, just that you ask." It's the spirit that fuels everyday inventors of all ages.

Take a leaf out of Ammachi's book.

Meet the "little architect."

See how Gulli never stops inventing.

In fact, to set the mood, just sit back and enjoy this reading of Gulli's Box of Things, by Rituparna Ghosh, of The Delhi Storytellers' Network.

Pratham Books is hiring: Partnerships Manager (North)

noreply@blogger.com (Sangeeta) — Mon, 06 Aug 2018 03:57:00 +0000

Pratham Books is a not-for-profit children's book publisher that was set up in 2004 to publish good quality, affordable books in many Indian languages. Our mission is to see ‘a book in every child’s hand’ and we have spread the joy of reading to millions of children in India. In the last three years, we have invested deeply in technology-based initiatives to further our mission. We are now looking to expand our Outreach Team to make our impact wider, and are on a lookout for a passionate individual based out of our Delhi office.

StoryWeaver is a digital platform that hosts stories in languages from India and beyond, so that every child can have an endless stream of stories in her mother tongue to read and enjoy. The stories can be read, translated, versioned or downloaded for free. All stories on the platform are openly licensed and the goal is to open source the code as well. In two years, StoryWeaver has scaled from 800 stories in 24 languages to 8500+ stories in 115 languages. We have built a robust global community that uses our content as well as contributed to creating more content on the platform.

StoryWeaver is being recognized as an emerging innovation that can transform the early literacy reader ecosystem globally. Recently, StoryWeaver was featured in the World Bank's report on 20 innovative EdTech projects from around the world, and was also the recipient of the prestigious Library of Congress Literacy Award 2017 International Prize. Our vision is for StoryWeaver to be the largest multilingual open library in the world for children by creating a collaborative publishing model that can address the scarcity of reading resources in mother tongue languages.

Job Description:

We are looking for a Partnerships Manager who can forge strategic partnerships to facilitate the use of StoryWeaver’s digital resources with organizations that have programs which promote reading and learning among children, specifically in the North and East of India.

Illustration by Delwyn Remedios

The Manager will be responsible for strategizing and executing plans to increase the user base of StoryWeaver and also provide the necessary training and support to the partner network and work closely with internal stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities:

Identify potential partners and strategize, design and execute plans to onboard them as StoryWeaver users.
Create and execute robust work plans for achieving monthly, quarterly and annual goals including specific targets.
Build and nurture networks of partners working in the field of Education/ with Children/ Ed-Tech.
Provide training and support to the partner network.
Provide information and feedback to the internal team based on partner feedback and essentially be a bridge between the internal and external stakeholders.
Help with research and documentation for impact assessment.
Plan, execute and own book/event specific campaigns, on-ground events and CSR volunteering activities.
Help build strategy for the function, contribute in new ideas for both the function and platform.

Qualifications:

A post-graduate degree preferably in Marketing and Management
3 to 5 years' work experience in Sales, Marketing, Outreach, Partnerships or related areas
Experience in a programmatic function in the development sector (preference for experience in Education)

Competencies:

High-level communications skills: Exceptional interpersonal and verbal/ written communication skills
Organisation/ time management skills: Planning, working systematically and efficiently and keeping information organized and accessible
Project management skills: Multi-tasking and prioritising, planning and organizing, perseverance, working with multiple teams that are interdependent, ability to work with timelines and targets
Ability to gather data, analyze information, and prepare reports and documents
Experience in classrooms and/ or working with educational organizations

Good to Have:

Ability to network and make connections
Interest in books, education and publishing
Should be open to travel

Location: This role is based out of Delhi and is full-time.

Salary: Compensation will be commensurate with experience.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates are requested to send in their resume to careers@prathambooks.org with the subject line: Partnerships Manager_North and a short paragraph outlining why they are suitable for this position.

One Day, One Story is back!

noreply@blogger.com (Sangeeta) — Fri, 03 Aug 2018 03:30:00 +0000

We’re counting down to this year’s edition of One Day, One Story, and we really hope you’ll join us!

Every year, Pratham Books celebrates International Literacy Day (September 8, in case you’ve forgotten) with story reading sessions for children across India. Last year, 5700+ Champions took the story of Kottavi Raja and his Sleepy Kingdom to thousands of children – conducting 6300+ storytelling sessions in 26 languages, in 25 states and 3 union territories in India. As well as 13 other countries. Will you be a Champion this year?

WATCH THE VIDEO

Why One Day, One Story?

To help children discover the joy of stories, and fall in love with reading. On September 8, Pratham Books Champions all over India will use one book to conduct reading sessions for children in their communities. All sessions are conducted free of cost, and focus on children from under-served communities.

What’s the story?

This year, Season 7 of One Day, One Story will feature A Cloud of Trash, written by Karanjeet Kaur, and illustrated by Bhavana Vyas Vipparthi. It’s a story about a little girl called Cheekoo, who has a cloud of trash hanging over her head. This makes her very, very unhappy, and as we follow her story, we learn a little more about trash, and about keeping our surroundings clean.

The story works well for children across different age and reading levels, and introduces themes like waste management, littering, reuse and recycling, and social responsibility. You could enact it, if you like, or get children to imagine what a cloud of trash could look like. We would love for you to use this story in creative ways – read, narrate, enact… it’s your session to conduct.

Sounds interesting? Mark your calendar for September 8, and join thousands of other Champions sharing their love for reading with the children who need it the most.

*Registrations to receive a hard copy of the book end on August 31, but we’ll be happy to mail you an e-copy!

How do you become a Champion?

You sign up! We'llsend you a copy of the book in the language of your choice, and a banner. You are free to choose the place and time you want to conduct the session. You can also conduct other activities that you think may go with the theme of the book.

After the session, please send us a short write-up with some photos from the event so that we can feature it here.

Note:

For logistical reasons, we will not be able to ship books to international destinations, but we will share an e-copy instead.
There are a limited number of printed books available, so if we run out of books by the time you register, we will send you an e-copy of the book.

If you have any queries, please mail champions(at)prathambooks(dot)org BEFORE you fill in the form.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Will the book be sent for free or will I have to pay for it?

The book will be sent to you for free (till stocks last).

2. Do I have to find the venue?

Yes. Identify places where you can conduct this event in your city - a government school, an NGO, a library, a bookstore, a park, a train, your building... any place where regular children visit. Approach the organisation and explain the concept to them. Most of them will be happy to host you.

3. This is the first time I am conducting an event. How should I prepare for it?

Read the book a few times. If you are reading to a younger age group, see how you can tell the story without actually reading from the book (to retain their attention). Think of activities to engage the children after the storytelling. Alternatively, read a few more stories around the same theme. You’ll find great suggestions here.

4. Can I conduct multiple events?

Oh, yes, you can! The aim is to reach as many kids as possible. We've had several Champions conduct 2-3 sessions on the main day, and then go on to conduct sessions on a following day, if it’s a weekend.

5. Should I document the event?

We expect all our Champions to send us some documentation about the event conducted by them. You can send us videos, pictures, a write-up – just share with us the “real impact” you’ve helped make.

6. I really want to conduct a session but I am not free on September 8? What should I do?

The aim of One Day, One Story is to spread the joy of stories. Most people conduct the session on the chosen date. But just in case you are unable to, you can still conduct it on a day close to the chosen date. Because children getting to listen to a story is much more important than a date, right?

Sounds like something you want to do? Sign up here.

Ready to watch some of our favourite stories?

noreply@blogger.com (Sangeeta) — Sun, 29 Jul 2018 09:36:00 +0000

Best. News. Ever. Some of our favourite stories based on STEM subjects at different reading levels are now ready to enjoy in audio-visual form. From how sound travels, to the ways fractions can help you make lime juice, Pratham Books has lined up 20 of our much-loved titles for children to enjoy as videos.

We've even grouped them into reading level-appropriate playlists that can be watched in classrooms, reading groups, or even just at home.

Storybook Playlist on STEM themes: Levels 1 & 2 (English)

Storybook Playlist on STEM themes: Levels 3 & 4 (English)

Soon, we’ll have them in Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, and Tamil, too. For now, though… 3... 2... 1... blast-off!

Thank You for #TheBookMonsoon

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 07:57:00 +0000

Phew! It has been an exciting month for us at Pratham Books. Last month, we launched #TheBookMonsoon to mark Donate-a-Book's 3rd birthday. We asked if you could help us raise funds for 3000 books in 30 days. But guess what? YOU donated 3000 books in just 8 days! And you wouldn't stop. Over 12,000 books have been donated to several campaigns during this period.

Thank you for making #TheBookMonsoon a roaring success and showering the gift of books to children across India!

Several campaigns are still in need of books for their libraries/reading programs. Here is a list of all the active campaigns you can donate to :

Help Let's Open a Book to encourage reading habits among children from disadvantaged backgrounds in Spiti Valley.
Gift the joy of reading to 250 girls from rural and urban regions of Ajmer, Rajasthan.
Support Joshi Trust's reading program in tribal and rural schools across Raigad District in Maharashtra.
Umri Foundation aims to set up at least 5 reading centres in government schools in rural Karnataka.
Shower some book love on St. Theresa's Primary School in Erode.
Help these children from 2 primary schools in Hyderabad become readers for life.
Adarsha Seva believes that a child without education is like a bird without wings. Help these children soar high.
Shape the future of these young minds supported by Varitra Foundation.
Support the India Reserve Battalion, Munirabad in their endeavour to build a reading room for the children of policemen.
Swatantra Talim is organizing the SwaKhoj Awards across Uttar Pradesh to ignite children's creativity and innovative thinking. Help them gift books to the children at the event.
Enable the kids studying at this budget private schools in Delhi to become readers for life.
Synodical Board of Social Services require books for their remedial centres/informal schools in villages in Amritsar district.
Help Nayan open a library on wheels to cultivate the love of reading among children in Jaipur.
Christel House, Bangalore wants to build a library with a rich variety and diversity in their books.
Help empower these 85 bright young minds from Sion, Maharashtra towards being empathetic individuals who believe in their power to rewrite their own story.
Support Pratham Books' annual One Day, One Story event by donating books that can help more storytellers share the joy of reading across India.
Gaon Kalyan Samiti in Angul, Orissa want to create libraries to empower the children they work with.

Thank you for helping India's children read.

Pratham Books is Hiring: UX Designer

noreply@blogger.com (Sangeeta) — Wed, 18 Jul 2018 04:53:00 +0000

StoryWeaver is a digital platform that hosts stories in languages from India and beyond, so that every child can have an endless stream of stories in her mother tongue to read and enjoy. The stories can be read, translated, versioned or downloaded for free. All stories on the platform are openly licensed and the goal is to open source the code as well. In two years, StoryWeaver has scaled from 800 stories in 24 languages to 7800 stories in 111 languages by engaging with a community of users. We want every child to have access to quality reading resources in their own language.

StoryWeaver is being recognized as an emerging innovation that can transform the early literacy reader ecosystem globally. Our vision is for StoryWeaver to be the largest multilingual open library in the world for children by empowering communities to address the scarcity of reading resources in their mother tongue languages and scale the quantity and quality of content being produced.

Job Description:

We are looking for a passionate individual wanting to make a difference, one who believes that technology can be a powerful enabler in creating equitable access to resources. This role requires an individual contributor who can work effectively, both independently and collaboratively, in a team environment and deliver the project in a timely manner within allocated resources and budgets.

We are looking for a UX designer to work closely alongside our Product Development team in Bangalore.

Illustration by Radhika Tipnis

We’re looking for a self-motivated, detail-oriented individual who strongly believes in the power of a Good user experience. You will work closely with the internal teams and other Design partners. The person needs to be an out-of-the box thinker and should be a strong believer and propagator of use of open technologies.

Key Responsibilities:

UX designs for new features and enhancements on the platform
Translate concepts into user flows, mockups and prototypes (use cases) that lead to intuitive user experiences (where the screen would fit in the current website flow)
Create workflows, customer journey maps and designs for requirements provided by the Product Development team
Requirements gathering/ internal interviews for better understanding of features
Take a user-centered design approach and rapidly test and iterate your designs
Collaborate with other team members and stakeholders
Web screen (browser-based) and Mobile responsive
Prototyping
User testing and documentation: testing the prototypes with key stakeholders, documenting the experience, etc.
Support Content & Marcom teams on illustrations/ designs on a need basis

Location: Position is based out of Bangalore. Project is expected to complete within a 2 year time-frame.

Salary: Compensation will be commensurate with experience.

Please send your resumé to careers@prathambooks.org with 'UX Designer' in the subject line of the email.

"Show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become." | Beyond the stereotype

noreply@blogger.com (Sangeeta) — Wed, 18 Jul 2018 01:56:00 +0000

Novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has spoken eloquently and often of "the danger of a single story" -- and it is these "single stories" that help gender bias along. A single way of seeing how girls should look. How boys should be. What's acceptable. What's admirable.

When our Instagram friend, mommyingtales, reached out about her campaign on #agenerationwithoutgenderbias, we were only to happy to put together a list of #genderpositive storybooks for kids.

We're committed to the idea of "many stories" about gender. Our stories feature everyday heroes like the motorbike-riding Games teacher, Miss Laya, and a grandmother who invents machines to do daily chores around the house. They shine a light on inspiring Indian role models like scientist, Anna Mani, and Olympic gymnast, Dipa Karmakar. They share the joy of a father cooking for his daughter, or a young boy, Kali, who pursues his love for Bharatanatyam. They walk us in the footsteps of girls who long to fly, or play football, or love to eat.

After all, as Adichie says, "The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story."

Here's a list of some of our favourite #genderpositive stories in different languages from Pratham Books. Just click to shop.

Meet Sooraj's inventive grandmother

Make friends with purple Puchku

Be inspired by Dipa Karmakar

Meet brave little Ana

Riju and Manju teach you a thing or two about computers

Say hello to young Manikantan

Enjoy a hearty meal with Neema

Building a Book Bank!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 11:44:00 +0000

In 2016, NIPUN set up a campaign on the Donate-a-Book platform to raise funds for the kids they were working with. NIPUN is a non-profit organization that works towards enhancing the quality of life of the needy and the vulnerable. They are currently working with marginalized families who have migrated to Delhi from neighbouring states in search of employment. Casual labour, domestic services, rickshaw pullers and petty trading are among the major sources of livelihood. Many of the children in these families do not have access to education and this is the reason why NIPUN started a campaign to give these kids access to books - right at their doorstep!

Nipun was only able to raise 12% of the funds they needed and eventually received 118 books. But these books have already been read by hundreds of children in the J.J clusters of Meer Bagh, Delhi. The children have also enthusiastically created a library club in the community.

When asked about the experience of creating a campaign on Donate-a-Book platform :

“Due to funds constraint we could not set up a library for the underprivileged children but now due to this campaign we got books which are being used to set up the community library.”

If just 118 books could spread the joy of reading, imagine the magic many, many more books could create.

NIPUN has set up another campaign to help the children they serve have access to more books. They aim to empower underprivileged children with a special focus on girls. Presently around 600 children are enrolled at various centres where Nipun is providing them with pre-school and remedial education, and eventually mainstreaming them into Government School. NIPUN would like to create a book bank for these children to inculcate better reading habits, promote joyful learning and to reduce the drop-out rate.

Join them in their endeavour and help them get more books for their library! This monsoon, make it rain books on NIPUN's book bank campaign.

Opening a Book Together

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 10:21:00 +0000

“The kids couldn’t believe there was going to be a library in their school! First they kept asking whether a library was really going to be set up in their schools. When we said 'Yes!´ their eyes widened and we could catch a sparkle dancing in their eyes. When they saw that we were arranging the books, they offered to help (and actually helped as well).”

- Ruchi Dhona (Founder, Let’s Open a Book)

What a heartwarming reaction to receiving books! All made possible by the generous donations to the campaign 'Let's Open a Book' started on our crowdfunding platform Donate-a-Book.

‘Let’s Open a Book’ was founded in January 2015. The idea came up when they started working on reviving an under-utilized library on an NGO campus.

Since then, they have helped 15 government schools in Gurgaon and Spiti valley set up libraries on their campus, directly reaching over 1000 children.

The Library-in-a-classroom kits are being given to those schools which do not have any existing libraries. Children can borrow books from these libraries to read. They also carry out fun activities such as read alouds, storytelling etc.

When asked about the ease of setting up the campaign on our platform, Ruchi said “It was a very good experience as we could conveniently set up a books donation drive and send the link to people. It was really quite easy to set up the campaign”

Here is a little snapshot of where our books have reached :

Let’s Open a Book is aiming to reach 20 more schools in Spiti Valley this year. Help them reach their target by making a small donation towards their campaign on Donate-a-Book. Let us join hands together and help kids open a book!

Make Every Tree Count!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 10:44:00 +0000

It's the last week of our #EnvironmentMonth celebrations, and we're doffing our hat to the lungs of the planet: trees. Beautiful, nurturing and providing comfort to those who seek it, trees are the lifeline of the planet. Here are some beautiful books that celebrate trees in all their glory and also include stories of people who go out of their way to save trees. Free to read, download and share, and available in multiple languages.

Chipko Takes Root by Jeyanthi Manokaran

Here is a story set in the hills that shows what bravery and grit can accomplish. Dichi, a brave Bhotiya girl takes part in the Chipko movement to save her beloved trees. Everybody in her village knows that trees give them all the important things in their life. Rapid deforestation in the Himalayan region of Alaknanda river caused floods in the 1970s and gave birth to a movement to save trees by hugging them. Read this heartwarming tale to learn the power of collective action as seen through the eyes of young Dichi.

Grandfather Goes on Strike by K.S. Nagarajan and Neeta Gangopadhya

Most grandfathers are content to lie back in an armchair and lazily read the day's newspaper. Not our tree loving senior citizen. He goes on strike for his beloved trees and a series of hilarious events liven up this entertaining tale. Read on to find out who saves the day and who saves the trees!

Up World, Down World by Padmaparna Ghosh and Sunaina Coelho

In a canopy forest in India, the Up World and Down World have always been suspicious of each other. But it all changes when Gopa the dormouse drops her book by accident on Fatima’s head. A story about the biodiversity of the canopy forests and friendship.

Let's Go Seed Collecting! by Neha Sumitran and Archana Sreenivasan

Join Tooka, Poi, and their best friend Inji the dog, as they go around collecting seeds. The adventure begins when the three friends meet Pacha the tamarind tree.

Every Tree Counts by Praba Ram, Sheela Preuitt and Sangeetha Kadur

From the stately Deodar and colourful Coral to the majestic Banyan and common Pipal, the book takes children on a journey across varied landscapes as they count trees, and picture the uses of each tree. Look around you to find more trees, and learn what these terrific trees can do.

My Tree-Friend by Shreekumar Varma and Rae Zachariah

We all know trees are our friends. But can friends be trees too? Just like the fruits in Ammoomma’s trees, friends can be sweet, sour, or both!

A Walk Among Trees by Nimret Handa

Trees have been growing on our planet well before human beings appeared on it. Without their comforting shade and tasty fruit, our earth would be quite a barren place. Take a walk among trees in the King's orchard to savour the taste, the smell and the legends associated with bountiful fruit trees in India. You will feel refreshed by all that you learn!

Hope you enjoyed climbing up many trees through this post and enjoyed all the #EnvironmentMonth updates throughout the month of June!

Psssst : In case you missed our previous updates, read 'Time to Dive In' and 'Discover the Real Eco-Heroes' and 'Say Hello to the Little Creatures'

Donate-a-Book Turns Three!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 24 Jun 2018 03:27:00 +0000

Para-para-paraaaaaa....Para-para-paraaaa. Donate-a-Book turns THREE today!

We are through with the not-so-terrible twos. As we turn a magical three, we look back at the last three years!

3 Years

348 Campaigns

1,33,602 Books Distributed

3,37,000+ Kids Impacted

Thank you ALL for being the best type of book buddy : the one who shares the joy of reading!

Like everyone else on the planet, we love getting presents for our birthday. This birthday, we want to ask you to create #TheBookMonsoon! We want it to rain books, books and more books.

Help us raise funds for 3000 books in 30 days!

The best part - this birthday gift will be shared with thousand of children across the country.

How to start #TheBookMonsoon

Choose from any of the campaigns listed below
Make a donation of your choice (Rs.250 = 6 books, Rs.500 = 12 books, Rs.1000 = 25 books, Rs.2500 = 62 books and Rs.5000 = 1 library kit)

You can start #TheBookMonsoon by donating books to :

Children studying at pre-schools and non-formal centres run by Nipun in the slums of Delhi.
Help ARHI kickstart a knowledge revolution with books in 8 community libraries located in Karbi Anglong and Morigaon districts of Assam.
Add books to the only accessible library that exists in this rural part of Valsad, Gujarat.
Add learning resources to the centres Pratigya is running in remote villages of Jharkhand.
Help expand this existing library in Jaipur so that the student to book ratio in it increases.
By donating 2 library kits, you can ensure that 'library hour' is a possibility for the kids at Sudhanikethan Education Society, Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Support Savera Foundation's project to start libraries in government schools in the remote district of Giridh, Jharkhand.
Send some book love to this village library in Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh.
Bring the joy of reading to a village library in Kundagol and several other Gram Panchayat libraries in Karnataka.
Help Let's Open a Book to encourage reading habits among children from disadvantaged backgrounds in Spiti Valley.
Gift the joy of reading to 250 girls from rural and urban regions of Ajmer, Rajasthan.
Support Joshi Trust's reading program in tribal and rural schools across Raigad District in Maharashtra.
Umri Foundation aims to setup at least 5 reading centers in government schools in rural Karnataka.
Shower some book love on St. Theresa's Primary School in Erode.
Help these children from 2 primary schools in Hyderabad become readers for life.
Adarsha Seva believes that a child without education is like a bird without wings. Help these children soar high.
Shape the future of these young minds supported by Varitra Foundation.
Support the India Reserve Battalion, Munirabad in their endeavour to build a reading room for the children of policemen.
These little superheroes from Chennai need a library of books to cultivate their reading habit.
Swatantra Talim is organizing the SwaKhoj Awards across Uttar Pradesh to ignite children's creativity and innovative thinking. Help them gift books to the children at the event.
Enable the kids studying at this budget private schools in Delhi to become readers for life.
Synodical Board of Social Services require books for their remedial centres/informal schools in villages in Amritsar district.
Help Nayan open a library on wheels to cultivate the love of reading among children in Jaipur.

CLOSED CAMPAIGNS

Bharti Global Education Society's rural reading program that will be accessible to 150 kids in Faridabad, Haryana.
Deepalaya wants to equip 10 learning centers located in slums of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh with books.
A donation of Rs.200 = 1 financial literacy book pack for a low-income school in India.
Encourage the reading habit in this Government Higher Secondary School located in Trichy, Tamil Nadu.
Help Gabriel Project Charitable Trust start libraries in 8 government schools working with tribal children in Palghar, Maharashtra.
Help Zindagi Foundation set up village libraries across Gopalganj district in Bihar.

FULLY FUNDED CAMPAIGNS

Equip this government school's Reading Circles Project with English books to improve their reading skills.
GSM Foundation wants to set up a community library that is accessible to kids who are dropouts or not enrolled in schools in Delhi.
Donate books to this mobile library project that reaches 25 government schools and 2 lower budget private schools in Majuli, Assam.
A class of students who want a library in their classroom in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Shefali, a Teach for India fellow wants to set up 6 classroom libraries to create a warm atmosphere of learning and inspiration

Donate to #TheBookMonsoon!

Let it rain books all across India.

Teaching Kids About the Environment

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 11:02:00 +0000

While we are busy reading books related to the environment, the folks at The Curious Reader are also doing the same. They have compiled 'a list of 21 books you can read to your kids to teach them about the environment and its wonders'. We are thrilled to find 10 of our books on this amazing list!

Illustration by ROSH

Via The Curious Reader

The Adventures Of Philautus Frog provides a glimpse of the magnificent forests and wildlife through the journey of a little frog called Philautus. He travels through the Western Ghats to reach the sea and along the way, he introduces children to many fascinating creatures.

Jadav And The Tree-Place is an inspiring picture story featuring Jadav ‘Mulai’ Payeng who planted a whole forest after seeing the plight of snakes that washed ashore because of a flood, and were then dying in the heat. Children will learn the benefits of planting trees through this wonderful story based on a real hero.

This picture book, Stick Your Tongue Out! teaches kids about animal tongues of various sizes, shapes, and colours and their various uses.

The best way to teach kids about the environment is through storytelling. The Case of the Missing Water is the story of Ranj who sets out to find the missing water after the tank in her village dries up. It is an interesting way to talk about the issue of water depletion and how it is caused.

Welcome to the Forest follows Tulsa, a visually impaired girl, who gets to visit Kanha Tiger Reserve with her school friends. With her and her friends, we also get to experience the forest through its sounds.

My City, My Dogs introduces us to the many street dogs of Mumbai, who share the city with its people, with the help of illustrations combined with photographs.

The Little Bird In The Big Mountains tells the story of Meera, who rescues an injured bird while on her way to buy new shoes, and then takes care of it till it is well enough to fly away.

DIVE! uses beautiful and colourful images to provide a glimpse into the breathtaking world of coral reefs and introduces kids to some peculiar and fascinating sea creatures such as parrotfish, batfish, and clownfish.

In Pishi Caught in a Storm, a huge manta ray fish, Pishi, was caught and wounded in a sea storm and the other fish help him treat his wounds. The book depicts, with the help of captivating images, how sea creatures help each other when needed.

In Ghum-Ghum Gharial’s Glorious Adventures, Ghum-Ghum, the little alligator has lost her family on her very first swim and is on a quest to find them. She meets various sea creatures on her way to find her father.

You can read all these books for free by clicking on the above links. Click here to see the other books that made it to this list.

Say Hello to the Little Creatures

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 10:23:00 +0000

Week 3 of #EnvironmentMonth is here and who are we meeting this week? The little creatures called insects!

Insects have one of the largest biomass' of terrestrial animals. At any time, it is estimated that there are 10 quintillion (10,000,000,000,000,000,000) individual insects alive. But even though they have numbers on their side, it's not easy being an insect. People are terrified of you before they even get to know you. You get called names like creepy crawly and bug. Worst of all, you get stomped on or sprayed at with poison. If people actually got to know the members of Family Insecta, they would realise what wonderful, hard working, diverse creatures belong to this group and how essential they are for our survival. Here are a set of picture books across reading levels, available in multiple languages, that teach young readers how to appreciate insects instead of fearing them.

From Submarines to Sky Raiders - All about Dragonflies and Damselflies by Ranjit Lal and Sanjay Sarkar

Dragonflies have been on the earth much before human beings appeared! Read this account of their incredible life cycle in Ranjit Lal's effervescent style. Sanjay Sarkar's expert brush comes up with illustrations to match!

Why Do Bees Buzz by Nabanita Deshmukh and Zainab Tambawalla

Why can't bees work quietly? They buzz because there are some very good reasons to do so. Learn about the humble bees in this book.

An Umbrella for Druvi by Shabnam Minwalla and Malavika Tiwari

Druvi needs an umbrella to protect her wings from the rain. Join the dragonfly as she searches for the perfect leaf-umbrella.

Where Am I? by Priya Venkatesh and Karthikeyan S.

Can you spot the insects camouflaged in this spotting book?

Off to See Spiders by Vena Kapoor and Pia Meenakshi

OK. So technically, spiders are arachnids and not insects, but we can't help but inclue this lovely book here. Join Shivi and Kaveri as they go for a spider walk with their cool cousin Shama. Get ready to meet ant-mimic spiders, crab spiders and wolf spiders.

Hope you enjoyed meeting these little creatures with us! Tune in to our #EnvironmentMonth updates throughout the month of June!

Psssst : In case you missed our previous updates, read 'Time to Dive In' and 'Discover the Real Eco-Heroes'.

Summer Reading with Puchku

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 14 Jun 2018 16:53:00 +0000

Wondering what to read with your kiddos in summer? Paromita Chakrabarti had drawn up a list of books by Indian publishers. And our very own Puchku is on that list!

Via Indian Express

The summer holidays are here and if, like me, you are averse to the idea of summer camps and prefer to let the kids run wild and free, here are some lovely reads for those rare moments of quietude that might come your way if you are patient enough.

How does a bookworm make the most of summer? By running riot in the local library, of course! Puchku loves to read and when she runs out of books at home, she is introduced to the joys of a library. All’s going well, except, one day, she realises that she has worked her way through the books on the lower shelves and needs to reach up higher. How can she when she’s a tiny thing and the bookcase an enormous affair? Puchku turns to her friends but it’s an attempt doomed to failure. Will the books on the top shelves remain forever out of her bounds? An endearing story by Deepanjana Pal for beginner readers (appropriate for: 5+), A Book for Puchku (2017, Pratham Books) introduces children to the joy of local libraries (can we have more of them, please?) and the comfort of burying your face in a book.

Read the entire article

Read 'A Book for Puchku' or get your own copy of the book.

Pratham Books is Hiring : Assistant Brand Manager

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 14 Jun 2018 16:20:00 +0000

Pratham Books (www.prathambooks.org) is a not-for-profit children's book publisher that was set up in 2004 to publish good quality, affordable books in many Indian languages. Our mission is to see ‘a book in every child’s hand’ and we have spread the joy of reading to millions of children in India. As a publisher serving every child in India, Pratham Books has always pushed the boundaries when it comes to exploring innovative ways in which to create access to joyful stories and have been fortunate in finding partners to collaborate with who share this vision.

In 2015, Pratham Books' increased its footprint by going digital. As an industry leader, we were one of the first publishers in the country to open license our content. All this content is now available on StoryWeaver, which is a digital platform that hosts stories in languages from India and beyond, so that every child can have an endless stream of stories in her mother tongue to read and enjoy. The stories can be read, translated, versioned or downloaded for free. All stories on the platform are openly licensed.

Donate-a-book, is a unique crowd-funding platform for children’s books. The platform helps to bridge the gap between individuals who want to help children read and those organizations, schools and individuals who need books for children.

Pratham Books is looking for an Assistant Brand Manager to join our team in Bengaluru.

Illustration by Niloufer Wadia

Purpose of Job: Develop, plan, and manage marketing activities for various departments and stakeholders so as to enhance the Pratham Books brand, as well as its sub-brands, StoryWeaver, and Donate-a-Book

Main Responsibilities:

Develop and present our brands/properties/platforms memorably, to help themstand out in a competitive marketplace.
Communicate and connect with multiple stakeholders - authors, illustrators, publishers, children, parents, schools, other non-profits, social enterprises and governments.
Effectively explore new media avenues to achieve brand goals.
Develop CRM programs and database management. Prior experience in this will be an added advantage.
Plan and execute research projects.
Plan and execute marketing campaigns for our brands/properties/platforms
Enhance brand´s presence at literature festivals and book fairs through marketing collaterals and on ground activation.
Develop and maintain media relations.

Requirements:

A degree in Business/ Marketing
3-4 years’ experience in advertising / media relations / MARCOM / social sector
Good communication, presentation and inter-personal skills
A self-starter, independent, team player who is motivated by the cause
Strong technology skills
Knowledge of Kannada is a plus
The ideal candidate should have a strong work ethic, high level of integrity and believe that all children should be given equitable opportunities to achieve their best.

Location: This is a full- time role based in our Bengaluru office.

Compensation: Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Please send your resume to careers@prathambooks.org with ‘Social Media Manager' in the subject line of the email.

'ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಜನಪ್ರಿಯ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಗುಚ್ಛ' ಬಿಡುಗಡೆ

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Jun 2018 11:59:00 +0000

Bhargavi G M (Kannada Editor, Pratham Books) writes about the launch of 'Makkala Janapriya Sahitya' : a set of five children’s books showcasing the wonderful works of five of Kannada literature's greatest poets.

'ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಕಥೆ ಸರಳವಾಗಿಯೇ ಇರಬೇಕಿಲ್ಲ' - ವಿವೇಕ ಶಾನಭಾಗ

ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಕಥೆ ಅಂದಾಕ್ಷಣ, ಅದು ಸರಳವಾಗಿರಬೇಕು, ಇಷ್ಟು ವಯಸ್ಸಿನ ಮಕ್ಕಳಿಗೆ ಇಷ್ಟು ಪದಗಳ ಮಿತಿ ಸಾಕು, ಇಷ್ಟು ಹೊಸ ಪದಗಳನ್ನೂ ಸೇರಿಸಿದರೆ ಹೇಗೆ?, ಮಾತಾಡಿದಂತೆ ಬರೆದರೆ ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಕಲಿಕಾ ಕೌಶಲಗಳಿಗೆ ಪೆಟ್ಟು ಬೀಳಲ್ಲವಾ? ಕನ್ನಡವೇಕೋ ಇಂಗ್ಲಿಷಿನಷ್ಟು ಸಲೀಸಾಗಿ ಓದಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲವಲ್ಲ... ಹೀಗೆಲ್ಲಾ ಅಂದುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾ ಅನುವಾದಕರ ವಾಕ್ಯಗಳಿಗೆ ಕತ್ತರಿ ಹಾಕುತ್ತಲೇ ಇರುವುದು ನಮ್ಮ ಅನುದಿನದ ಪ್ರಯೋಗ. ಇನ್ನು, ಕನ್ನಡದ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ಕವಿಗಳು ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯವೆಂದು ಕಡೆಗಣಿಸದೇ ನಿರಾಯಾಸವಾಗಿ ಬರೆದ ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಜನಪ್ರಿಯ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಆಯ್ಕೆಯಾಗಿದ್ದವು. ಈ ಸರಳ ಪದ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ಚಿತ್ರಕಾರರಿಗಾಗಿ ಇಂಗ್ಲಿಷಿಗೆ ಅನುವಾದಿಸುವ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದೆವು. ಆಗಲೇ, ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಕಾಲಕ್ಕೂ ಪ್ರಸ್ತುತವಾಗಬಲ್ಲ ಈ ಪದ್ಯಗಳು ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಶ್ರೀಮಂತಿಕೆಯ ಕುರುಹಲ್ಲದೇ ಮತ್ತೇನಲ್ಲ ಅನಿಸಿತು. "ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಸಂಗದೊಳೆಚ್ಚರಗೊಳ್ಳಲಿ ಆನಂದದ ಆ ದಿವ್ಯಶಿಷು" ಎಂಬ ಕುವೆಂಪು ಅವರ ಸಾಲುಗಳು ನೆನಪಾದವು.

ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು: ಮಕ್ಕಳಿಗೆ ಸರಳವಾಗಿಯೇ ಕಥೆ ಹೇಳಬೇಕಿಲ್ಲ, ಸಂಕೀರ್ಣ ವಿಷಯಗಳನ್ನು ಅವರು ಅರ್ಥ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬಲ್ಲರು. ನನ್ನ ಮಕ್ಕಳಿಗೆ ನನಗಿಂತಲೂ ಅವರಜ್ಜಿ ಹೇಳುವ ಕಥೆಯೇ ಇಷ್ಟವಾಗುತ್ತಿತ್ತು ಎಂದು ಲೇಖಕ, ನಾಟಕಕಾರ ವಿವೇಕ ಶಾನಭಾಗ ಹೇಳಿದರು.

ಪ್ರಥಮ್ ಬುಕ್ಸ್ ನಿಂದ ನಗರದ ರಿಟ್ಜ್ ಕಾರ್ಲ್ಟನ್ ಹೋಟೆಲ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಏರ್ಪಡಿಸಿದ್ದ 'ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಜನಪ್ರಿಯ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ' - ಚಿತ್ರಪುಸ್ತಕ ಗುಚ್ಛ ಅನಾವರಣಗೊಳಿಸಿ ಮಾತನಾಡಿದರು.

"ಬರೆದಂತೆ ಓದಲು, ಓದಿದಂತೆ ಬರೆಯಲು ಬರುವ ಏಕೈಕ ಭಾಷೆ ಕನ್ನಡ. ಈ ಗುಚ್ಛದಲ್ಲಿನ ಐದು ಕವನಗಳು ಸಹ ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಅನುಭವ ಪ್ರಪಂಚವನ್ನು ವಿಸ್ತರಿಸುವಂತಹದ್ದೇ ಆಗಿವೆ. ಉದಾಹರಣೆಗೆ ಪಂಜೆ ಮಂಗೇಶರಾಯರ 'ತೆಂಕಣ ಗಾಳಿಯಾಟ' ಕವನದಲ್ಲಿ ಶಬ್ದಗಳ ಲಾಲಿತ್ಯ ಮಕ್ಕಳಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆರಗು ಮೂಡಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಬಾಲ್ಯದ ಸಹಜ ಕುತೂಹಲವನ್ನು ತಣಿಸುತ್ತದೆ" ಎಂದರು.

ಏನಿದು 'ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಜನಪ್ರಿಯ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ'

ಕನ್ನಡದ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ಕವಿಗಳಾದ ಪಂಜೆ ಮಂಗೇಶರಾಯ, ಕುವೆಂಪು, ಡಾ.ಜಿ.ಪಿ.ರಾಜರತ್ನಂ, ಡಾ.ಸಿದ್ಧಯ್ಯ ಪುರಾಣಿಕ, ಬಿ.ಕೆ.ತಿರುಮಲಮ್ಮ ಅವರ ಆಯ್ದ ಕವನಗಳ ಸಂಗ್ರಹವೇ ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಜನಪ್ರಿಯ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಗುಚ್ಛ. ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳ ಪರಿಚಯ ನೀಡಿದ ವಿವೇಕ ಶಾನಭಾಗ, ಈ ಕವನಗಳು ಯಾವುದೇ ಆಲೋಚನೆಯಿಂದ ಮೂಡಿದ್ದಲ್ಲ, ಅದೊಂದು ಅನುಭವ. ಅದನ್ನು ಇಡಿಯಾಗಿ ಮಕ್ಕಳಿಗೆ ತಿಳಿಸುವ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನವಾಗಿ ಇದನ್ನು ಆಯ್ಕೆ ಮಾಡಿದೆ. ಜತೆಗೆ, ಕನ್ನಡದ ಕೆಲ ಮುಖ್ಯ ಲೇಖಕರ ಪರಿಚಯವನ್ನೂ ಮಾಡಿಸುವ ಉದ್ದೇಶವಿತ್ತು. ನಾವು ಚಿಕ್ಕವರಿದ್ದಾಗ ಓದಿದ ಕವಿತೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಚಿತ್ರಗಳು‌ ಇನ್ನೂ ನೆನಪಿವೆ. ಮರು ಚಿತ್ರಿಸಿರುವ ತುತ್ತೂರಿ, ಅಜ್ಜನ ಕೋಲು, ನಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಯ ಸಣ್ಣ ಪಾಪ ಎಲ್ಲ ಕವನಗಳಿಗೂ ಸುಂದರ ಚಿತ್ರಗಳಿವೆ. ಇವು ಈ ಕಾಲದ ಕನ್ನಡ ‌ಬಲ್ಲ ಮಕ್ಕಳು ಮತ್ತು ಕನ್ನಡೇತರರನ್ನೂ ಆಕರ್ಷಿಸುವ ವಿಶ್ವಾಸವಿದೆ" ಎಂದರು.

ರಾಜರತ್ನಂ ಅವರಲ್ಲಿತ್ತು ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಭಂಡಾರ

ಡಾ.ಜಿ.ಪಿ.ರಾಜರತ್ನಂ ಅವರ ಸೋದರ ಸಂಬಂಧಿ ಉಷಾ ಮುಕುಂದ ಮಾತನಾಡಿ, ಚಿಕ್ಕಂದಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನನಗೆ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಓದುವ ಹವ್ಯಾಸವಿತ್ತು. ಆದರೆ, ಅದು ಬಹುಶಃ ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರದಲ್ಲೇ ಮುಂದುವರಿಯಲು ಪ್ರೇರಣೆ ನೀಡಿದ್ದು ನನ್ನ ಚಿಕ್ಕಪ್ಪ ರಾಜರತ್ನಂ ಅವರೊಂದಿಗಿನ ಒಡನಾಟವೇ. ಏಕೆಂದರೆ, ಸಾಕಷ್ಟು ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳ ಪರಿಚಯವನ್ನೂ ಅವರು ನನಗೆ ಮಾಡಿಸಿದ್ದರು. ತಮ್ಮಲ್ಲಿನ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಸಂಗ್ರಹಗಳನ್ನು ಸಭೆ, ಸಮಾರಂಭಗಳಿಗೆ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಗಿ ಕೊಟ್ಟು ಬರುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಒಂದು ವೇಳೆ, ಹಾಗೆ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಂಡವರು ಎಲ್ಲೆಂದರಲ್ಲಿ ಅದನ್ನು ಇಟ್ಟು ಮರೆತರೂ ಅವರು ಬೇಸರಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಅವುಗಳನ್ನು ಕೊಟ್ಟಷ್ಟೇ ವಿನಯದಿಂದ ಆರಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು ಬ್ಯಾಗಿಗೆ ಹಾಕಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು ಎಂದು ನೆನಪಿಸಿಕೊಂಡರು.

ಅಜ್ಜನ ಕೋಲಿನ ಕಥೆ

"ಹೈದರಾಬಾದ್ ನಲ್ಲಿದ್ದಾಗ ಒಮ್ಮೆ ನಾನು ಮತ್ತು ನನ್ನ ತಂದೆಯವರು ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಪ್ರೊ.ಡಿ.ಕೆ. ಭೀಮಸೇನರಾವ್ ಅವರ ಮನೆಗೆ ಹೋಗಿದ್ದೆವು. ನೀವೇಕೆ ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಕವನಗಳನ್ನು ಬರೆಯಬಾರದು ಎಂದವರು ತಂದೆಯವರನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿದರು. ಇಲ್ಲಪ್ಪ, ನಾನು ಮಕ್ಕಳಿಗಾಗಿ ಈವರೆಗೆ ಏನೂ ಬರೆದಿಲ್ಲ ಅಷ್ಟಾಗಿ ತಿಳಿಯಲ್ಲ ಅನಿಸುತ್ತೆ ಎಂದಿದ್ದರು ಅಪ್ಪ. ಆದರೆ, ಭೀಮಸೇನರಾವ್ ಪಟ್ಟುಬಿಡದೇ ಒಂದು ರೂಮಲ್ಲಿ ಕೂರಿಸಿ ಬೀಗ ಜಡಿದು ಬಿಟ್ಟರು. ಕೆಲವೇ ನಿಮಿಷಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಅಪ್ಪ 'ನನ್ನ ಕುದುರೆ' ಮತ್ತು 'ಕರಡಿಯ ತಕ ತಕ ಕುಣಿಸುತ ಬಂದ' ಕವಿತೆಗಳನ್ನು ಬರೆದಿದ್ದರು" ಎಂದು ನೆನಪಿಸಿಕೊಂಡವರು ಡಾ.ಸಿದ್ಧಯ್ಯ ಪುರಾಣಿಕ ಅವರ ಮಗಳು ವಿಜಯಾ ನಂದೀಶ್ವರ್.

ಪ್ರಥಮ್ ಬುಕ್ಸ್ ನ ಟ್ರಸ್ಟಿ, ಲೇಖಕಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಬಹುಮುಖ ಪ್ರತಿಭೆ ಕಾಂಚನ್ ಬ್ಯಾನರ್ಜಿ, ಆಯಾ ಭಾಷೆಯ ಸಾಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಕ ಪ್ರತಿಬಿಂಬವಾಗಿ ಗುರುತಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದೇ ಪ್ರಥಮ್ ಬುಕ್ಸ್ ಸ್ಥಾಪನೆಯ ಆಶೋತ್ತರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಮುಖ. ಅದಕ್ಕಾಗಿಯೇ ಮಾತೃಭಾಷೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಥೆ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳು ಮಕ್ಕಳಿಗೆ ಸುಲಭವಾಗಿ ಸಿಗಬೇಕೆಂಬುದು ನಮ್ಮ ಧ್ಯೇಯ. ಸದ್ಯ ನಮ್ಮ ಕಥೆಗಳು 21 ಭಾಷೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾಷಾಂತರಗೊಂಡಿವೆ. ಕಳೆದ 1.5 ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಂದ ಚಾಲ್ತಿಯಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಡಿಜಿಟಲ್ ಮಾಧ್ಯಮ ಸ್ಟೋರಿವೀವರ್ ಕ್ರಿಯೇಟಿವ್ ಕಾಮನ್ಸ್ ನಡಿ ಮುಕ್ತ ಪರವಾನಗಿ ಹೊಂದಿದೆ. ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಕಟಿಸಿರುವ ಯಾವುದೇ ಕಥೆ, ಚಿತ್ರಗಳನ್ನು ಮರುಸೃಷ್ಟಿಸಿ ನಿಮ್ಮದೇ ಆವೃತ್ತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಕಟಿಸಬಹುದಾಗಿದೆ ಎಂದು ವಿವರಿಸಿದರು. ಇದೇ ವೇಳೆ, ತಮ್ಮ 32ನೇ ವಯಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಕನ್ನಡ ಕಲಿತ ಆರಂಭದ ದಿನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ತುತ್ತೂರಿ ಪದ್ಯ ಓದಿದ್ದನ್ನು ನೆನಪಿಸಿಕೊಂಡ ಅವರು, ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಜನಪ್ರಿಯ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯದ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳೂ ಅತ್ಯದ್ಭುತವಾಗಿ ಮರುಸೃಷ್ಟಿಗೊಂಡಿವೆ. ಇದೇ ಮೊದಲ ಬಾರಿಗೆ ಕನ್ನಡದ ಕೆಲ ಕ್ಲಾಸಿಕ್ ಕವನಗಳನ್ನು ಚಿತ್ರಪುಸ್ತಕವಾಗಿಸಿದ್ದೇವೆ. ಈ ಪದ್ಯಗಳು ಓದಲು ಮಾತ್ರವಲ್ಲ, ಕೇಳಲು ಸಹ ಇಂಪಾಗಿವೆ. ಒತ್ತಕ್ಷರಗಳಿಲ್ಲದ ಸರಳ ಸಾಲುಗಳಿವೆ ಎಂದರು.

ಕವಿ ಪಂಜೆ ಮಂಗೇಶರಾಯ ಅವರ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಮೊಮ್ಮಗಳು ಉಮಾ ರಾವ್, ಡಾ.ಜಿ.ಪಿ.ರಾಜರತ್ನಂ, ಬಿ.ಕೆ.ತಿರುಮಲಮ್ಮ ಅವರ ಸೋದರ ಸಂಬಂಧಿ ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮೀ ಶ್ರೀಧರನ್, ತುತ್ತೂರಿ ಮತ್ತು ನಮ್ಮ ಮನೆಯ ಸಣ್ಣ ಪಾಪ ಕವನಗಳ ಚಿತ್ರಕಾರ ಸತ್ಯ ಕೃಷ್ಣ ಪ್ರಕಾಶ್, ಪ್ರಥಮ್ ಬುಕ್ಸ್ ನ ಮುಖ್ಯಸ್ಥೆ ಸುಜೇನ್ ಸಿಂಘ್, ಇದ್ದರು.

ಟಾಟಾ ಟ್ರಸ್ಟ್ ನ ಪರಾಗ್ ಮುಂದಾಳ್ತನದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಥಮ್ ಬುಕ್ಸ್ ಜತೆಗೂಡಿ ಕನ್ನಡದ ಈ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ಕವನಗಳನ್ನು ಚಿತ್ರಪುಸ್ತಕ ಗುಚ್ಛವಾಗಿ ಹೊರತಂದಿದೆ. ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳಿಗೆ ಬಿ.ಜಿ.ಗುಜ್ಜಾರಪ್ಪ, ಸತ್ಯ ಕೃಷ್ಣ ಪ್ರಕಾಶ್, ಪ್ರೊಯ್ತಿ ರಾಯ್, ಕಲ್ಯಾಣಿ ನರವ್ಣೆ ಮತ್ತು ಆದ್ರಿಜಾ ಘೋಷ್ ಚಿತ್ರಗಳನ್ನು ಬರೆದಿದ್ದಾರೆ. 'ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಜನಪ್ರಿಯ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ' ಕವನಗಳ ಗುಚ್ಛವನ್ನು ಖರೀದಿಸಲು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ ಮಾಡಿ.

Time to Dive In!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Jun 2018 10:52:00 +0000

We have just stepped into the second week of our #EnvironmentMonth campaign. In the first week, we looked at the stories of real life environment heroes and the amazing work they are doing.

The theme for World Environment Day 2018 was beating plastic pollution. 8th June was also World Oceans Day! Wondering what the connection between these two days are? One of the most comprehensive studies on plastic polluttion estimates that 8 million tonnes of plastic went into the ocean in 2010. Oceans that are home to a stunning array of plant and animal life.

This week, we encourage you to dive right into the ocean with a special set of books. These books remind us exactly who we share our planet with, and will hopefully help readers young and old think twice before reaching for a one time use plastic, that will mostly likely end up in someone else's home.

DIVE by Rajiv Eipe

Take a dive with us into the spectacular world of coral reefs, and catch a glimpse of some strange and beautiful sea creatures!

Goby's Noisy Best Friend by Sheila Dhir and Anjora Noronha

Legless Goby and noisy Snap are best friends who live together in a burrow deep under the ocean. What happens when Goby gets tired of Snap’s loud claws?

Miss Bandicota Bengalensis Digs Up the Seashore by Aditi Ghosh and Sunaina Coelho

Miss Bandicota Bengalensis was not just any little Indian mole rat. She had magical eyes like no other mole rat and she wanted to see everything. Every night, she packed her explorer's kit: her sunglasses, binoculars, magnifying glass and of course, her favourite – a strip of sticker bandages. “An explorer is always prepared,” she said. Every time she dug in a new direction and returned through a new burrow! This time our unlikely explorer has surfaced near the sea. Enjoy a walk along the beach with her as she befriends a host of strange creatures.

Turtle Story by Karthik Shanker and Maya Ramaswamy

Under cover of darkness, baby olive ridley turtles hatch from sun-warmed eggs on remote beaches. One of them, the little hatchling who is the narrator of our story, is delighted to make it across the beach and into the ocean without losing her way or being captured by predators. But can our little olive ridley survive the dangers of the ocean? Will she make it past the deadly sharks and the terrible fishing nets and reach adulthood? Will she ever have the pleasure of laying her own brood of eggs? Find out in this charming life story of an olive ridley turtle, and meet several other interesting creatures along the way.

Hope you enjoyed diving into the ocean with us! Tune in to our #EnvironmentMonth updates throughout the month of June!

Sign Up for the StoryWeaver Reading Workshop in Mumbai

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 06 Jun 2018 10:20:00 +0000

Pratham Books is conducting a workshop on reading and a demo of StoryWeaver in Mumbai. StoryWeaver (http://www.storyweaver.org.in/) is an open source, digital repository of multilingual children’s stories. StoryWeaver is an especially useful tool for organisations and individuals working in Education, allowing them to:

Read / Curate a reading list from over 8000 stories across 111 languages
Create a new story or flashcards from an image bank of over 10000 illustrations
Re-Level a story to make it age appropriate
Translate stories to a language of your choice
Download stories for offline reading

And best of all, ALL of this is absolutely FREE!

We invite educators and resource people to attend the StoryWeaver workshop to be held in Mumbai on either 21st or 22nd June (we will confirm the date & the venue of the workshop at a later stage)

The workshop would cover the following

1. A detailed Demo of StoryWeaver – how to navigate and use the platform

2. Examples of how educators are using StoryWeaver effectively in their classrooms

3. Dedicated work time for participants to try their hands on StoryWeaver

4. An opportunity to meet other educators and make interesting conversations

The workshop will be held between 10 a.m to 4.30 p.m and there is no fee to attend the workshop.

If this excites you, register here ( https://goo.gl/forms/1YGGXuhrWDfnEfd53) to book your place in the workshop, latest by 12th June, Tuesday.

Please note that the seats are limited and if you're applying from an organization, we might not be able to accommodate more than 4 people per organization. Confirmed participants will get a separate email confirming their participation and other logistical details.

Feel free to reach out with any questions to Khyati at khyati @prathambooks.org.

Pratham Books is Hiring : Social Media Manager

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 07:51:00 +0000

Pratham Books is looking for a Social Media Manager to join our team in Bengaluru.

The Organisation:

Purpose of job

Develop and implement strategic engagement initiatives by building & sustaining relationships through partnerships with multiple stakeholders and advocating the brand across a variety of social networks.

Illustration by Ruchi Shah

Main Duties

Responsible for incorporating online tools and networking to create relationships and ultimately build the company’s brand, both online and off.
Responsible to strategically create and distribute the brand’s content across a variety of different social networks.
Responsible for all social media for Pratham Books handles.
Source, identify and build lasting relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders from nonprofits, community groups, authors, illustrators, publishers, children, parents, etc.
Develop and implement marketing activities, campaigns and strategies to promote Pratham Books' offerings through a combination of personal contacts, special events, the Internet, etc.
Supporting Pratham Books’ properties like Donate-a-Book
Use Analytics and other measurement tools to provide reports on metrics, and continually find ways to improve on those metrics through testing and new initiatives
Ensure effective planning, implementation and evaluation of Pratham Books' brand building program events and activities

Job Specific Competencies/Applied knowledge and skill

Job Knowledge - Understanding of what children need to read, Understanding of Indian milieu, being up to date with new trends, updated with latest social media technology, effective ways of brand-building and media coverage, a track record of successfully managing teams and developing team members, demonstrated an ability to evaluate and prioritize work so that it enhances and aligns with the organization's goals, experience working in a non-profit, a proactive and organized approach to community engagement.

Eye for detail - Identify and tap opportunities for brand building, committed to excellence, improvises constantly, attentive to brand building process, consistently updated with technology and media outreach. High level communication skills - which makes it possible for you to speak and build relations online and offline

Project management skills – Multi-tasking and prioritising, planning and organizing, perseverance, working with multiple teams that are interdependent, prepare a plan and follow up milestones, ability to work with timelines and targets.

Organization Competencies

Results and Accountability - Takes ownership of a task or project and produces results according to expectations. Requests clarification as needed. Provides frequent updates on status of deliverables and priorities. Keeps team members and management apprised. Prioritizes tasks and sets challenging goals. Demonstrates problem-solving skills and critical thinking. Displays a sense of urgency, perseverance, meeting or exceeding deadlines. Takes projects to completion.

Teamwork/Collaboration: Works collaboratively and harmoniously with others, considers their ideas, and shares knowledge in order to achieve objectives. Actively participates and contributes in team meetings and discussions. Demonstrates sensitivity and understanding of attitudes, interests, and needs of others when communicating. Ability to influence and negotiate, with support of facts and data, in a convincing manner so as to build support for ideas and objectives.

Adaptability/Openness: Adapts to change. Adjusts to new objectives. Handles pressure and uncertainty while remaining productive. Open to constructive feedback. Adjusts plans to meet changing needs.

Innovation and Initiative - Generates new ideas, challenges the status quo, solves problems innovatively.

Work environment

Working with geographically distributed teams. Need to travel occasionally to various external agencies.

Other essential requirements

Finger on latest technology in Social Media, Sales/Marketing/Public relations experience and perseverance skills essential

Location: This is a full- time role based in our Bengaluru office.

Compensation: Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Please send your resume to careers@prathambooks.org with ‘Social Media Manager' in the subject line of the email.

Discover the Real Eco-Heroes!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 05:52:00 +0000

June 5th is World Environment Day - a day to encourage worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment.

Why focus on the environment for just one day when we can spend a whole month reading, learning, and doing the things that make our planet a better place? We're kicking off a month of environment-themed books and activities, starting today. Each week, we'll be picking a specific aspect of the environment on which to focus, and we hope you'll have as much fun with it as we have had putting it together.

We started off by teaming up with Nature in Focus for a contest that’s sure to set tongues wagging. If you missed hearing about the contest, you can still send in your entries to win a copy of the book 'Stick Your Tongue Out' and a T-shirt with an illustration from the book! Find more details about the contest here.

This week, we take a look at some of our real-life environmental heroes, and see what they've been doing to help preserve our planet.

Walking in the Wild by Sejal Mehta and Barkha Lohia

Zakhuma works as a forest guard and wildlife photographer with the Mizoram Forest Department in Dampa Tiger Reserve in Mizoram. This is one of India’s more remote tiger reserves with a very difficult terrain. This self-taught photographer has created a valuable archive of photographs of Dampa’s biodiversity: plants, animals, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mosses and fungi. Join him on a walk through the jungle and meet the different animals who live there and what it means to protect them and their home.

Jadav and the Tree-Place by Vinayak Varma

Jadav ‘Mulai’ Payeng is a conservationist and recipient of the Padmashree, one of the highest civilian honours awarded by the Indian government. Jadav lives in Majuli, Assam. At the age of 16, distressed by the sight of dying snakes that had washed up on a sandbar banking the Brahmaputra, Jadav decided to plant some trees in the spot. He started small, with bamboos, and grew an entire forest, plant by painstaking plant. Over the next three decades, Jadav and his tree-planting have managed to change the soil in the barren area. The 550-hectare sandbar is now a lush, dense forest and home to a variety of flora and fauna, including elephants, tigers, apes, deer and many species of local and migratory birds. Jadav continues to visit and nurture his forest every day, planting wherever he finds empty patches.

A Tiny Seed: The Story of Wangari Maathai by Nicola Riddisjk and Maya Marshak

Wangari Muta Maathai was an internationally renowned Kenyan environmental political activist and Nobel laureate. She founded the Green Belt Movement, an environmental non-governmental organization focused on the planting of trees, environmental conservation, and women's rights. This lovely book from BookDash introduces readers to the little girl who worked in the fields with her mother and who was worried when she saw the big forests disappearing.

Welcome to the Forest by Bhavna Menon and Kavita Singh Kale

The Last Wilderness Foundation is an NGO that works in urban and rural areas with children to spread awareness about wildlife and biodiversity, and sensitise them towards conservation and the environment. In January 2017, the Last Wilderness Foundation in association with the Kanha Forest Department conducted a camp for 23 visually impaired students from the Ananya Manav Sai Samiti, Jabalpur. 'Welcome to the Forest' is their story.

We hope you enjoy these reads and tune in to our #EnvironmentMonth updates throughout the month of June!