The Parag Honour List includes books that I couldn’t put down! And I hope that the magic I felt in reading them will reach you as well.
The process of selecting the best books from among many published this year is a task which presents many challenges. Some of these challenges are to be able to define what a ‘good’ book is and to be able to do that within the larger category of children’s literature.
We used an agreed set of criteria and our own personal criteria which have evolved over time to evaluate the books we read. Of course, this selection is personal and subjective, hence our list is not the final word on ‘good’ books. But what we wanted to do was to underline that a good book is enjoyed by all. It lingers in your heart.
Perhaps, the most important purpose of the Honour List is to ensure that at least these books reach children so that they enjoy reading. So that they become the kind of readers who can’t put a book down till the last word is read! So that they begin reading with a torch on under the covers of a rajai because the excitement of an unfinished book makes sleep impossible.
Good books are designed to appeal to a larger audience. Picture books – balance between text and illustrations – evoking a sense of wonder. For instance, you don’t need to be a musician to enjoy Priya Kuriyan’s illustrations in ‘Zakir’, by Tulika Publishers.
The animated drawings of Zakir Hussain’s curls and fingers moving in sync to the bols of the tabla, make the beats come alive. Picture books are often regarded as appropriate only for young children, but when pictures and text come together eloquently, the experience comes close to art.
Stories provide an emotional lived-through experience which stays with the reader. They help us see new possibilities of interacting with others.
In a delightful book for 8-or-10 year olds (Mini’s Questions, by HarperCollins Publishers India), Mini manages to lead the police to some unsavoury thieves simply by asking lots of questions. Mini has just started going to school and her teacher Ritu Miss has taught her to ask questions to know more.
Written with a light heartedness which is sometimes lacking in children’s books, Mini’s story puts a smile on your face.
Informative books for children often fall either in the encyclopedia category or are very textbook like in their language and limited visuals. So, it was delightful to read some informative books which will fascinate children.
Historical accounts such as the Swan Car of Nabha and other Unusual Stories from History, by HarperCollins Publishers India, present vignettes of history which kept me hooked. And Nain Singh Rawat’s thrilling journey to Tibet in in 1865 to map Lhasa is recounted as an adventure in Journey to the Forbidden City, by Puffin Books – Penguin Random House India.
As someone who struggled with history in school, these books made history come alive by opening up past worlds in very vivid ways.
Good books also open up diverse subjects and introduce us to new characters and situations. What would it have been like to be a Queen in ancient India? And what is it like to be a modern young woman on a Royal Enfield travelling solo across India?
Historical fiction Queen of Earth, by Duckbill Books – Penguin Random House, and Candid Tales, by HarperCollins Publishers India, a travelogue based on Candida Louis’ journey on motorcycle, are two very different books, but both have female protagonists who face challenges and overcome them.
Much too often we assume that children’s books need to be simplistic, written in simple language non-controversial. But children inhabit the same world as adults and have to deal with loss, death and inequality. A good book has some newness and depth to offer, both in terms of language or visuals or the themes addressed in the book.
Good books do not underestimate children’s ability to respond to the world around them and hence do not talk down to them. The Honour List is not the final word on quality in children’s literature, but it might offer a suggestive list for reading aloud to children or for children’s independent reading at home and in school libraries. I hope both children and adults will enjoy the books included in the list.
Written by: Prachi Kalra
About the author
Prachi Kalra is a teacher educator at Delhi University. She also teaches a course on children’s literature and storytelling. She grew up listening to stories from her mother and grandmother, stories of Sheikh Chilli and birds drowning in poop. Prachi has a PhD in storytelling from Delhi University and lives in Delhi. She has a sizeable collection of children’s books, built by scouring book fairs and second-hand book shops. Prachi’s dream is to open a public library for children.
