‘जीवन आणि मरण यांच्या उंबरठ्यावर विचारांच्या पलीकडचे एक वाचनगृह असते,’ त्या म्हणाल्या, ‘आणि त्या वाचनगृहात कधीच न संपणारी शेल्फ्स असतात. त्यातल्या प्रत्येक पुस्तकात एक नवीन आयुष्य जगून पाहण्याची संधी असते. हे पाहण्यासाठी की, तुम्ही दुसरे पर्याय निवडले असते, तर तुमचं आयुष्य वेगळं कसं बनलं असतं... तुम्हाला तुमची खंत पुसून टाकता आली असती, तर तुम्ही काही वेगळं केलं असतं का?’ हेगच्या कादंबर्‍यांमधून दैनंदिन जीवनाच्या पलीकडील विलक्षण सौंदर्याची प्रचिती येते.

नोरा की ज़िंदगी बद से बदतर हो रही थी। फिर धरती पर अपने जीवन के अंतिम दिन अचानक आधी रात को वह स्वयं को एक पुस्तकालय में पाती है। वहाँ उसे उन बातों को बदलने का मौका मिलता है जिनका उसे पछतावा रहा और उसे अपनी पसंद की कई ज़िंदगियाँ जीने का भी अवसर मिलता है। यहाँ एक मूल प्रश्न उठता है: असीम विकल्पों में से, जीने का सर्वोत्तम ढंग कौन-सा है? ‘जीवन की संभावनाओं का उत्सव’ गार्डियन ‘अनंत संभावनाओं, नवीन विकल्पों और नई ज़िंदगियों की परिकल्पना न्यू यॉर्क टाइम्स ‘जीवन के आवश्यक तत्व को उजागर करती पुस्तक संडे एक्स्प्रेस ‘शानदार कल्पना और अत्यंत रोचक डेली मेल

Desc awaiting from Publisher

The book tells the story of Lalu and his red kite in wondrous colours. The kite is Lalu’s love and he is ready to go to any length to keep the kite with him.

The old snake is punished – the frogs will now ride on him. The frogs jump for joy – but they had better watch out! This unusual bilingual retelling of a Panchatantra favourite swings sympathy in favour of the snake. Stunning pictures are based on wooden folk toys from Channapatna in Karnataka, a craft style that came centuries ago from Persia.

Ilham has a problem. Her Papa has given her a crisp fifty rupee note for her birthday, and she doesn’t know where to keep it absolutely safe. A pocket would be best, but her new frock doesn’t have one. So she runs to Salma Chachi the tailor to get a pocket stitched — but that leads to another problem. A charming little nugget of a story with the flavour of old Hyderabad captured warmly in the pictures!

When a herd of elephants creates trouble in the jungle, do the little rabbits run away in fear? No! From Aztec to Chinese, there are many versions of the story about the rabbit in the moon. The illustrations for this bilingual retelling are based on the pithora folk style of central India, which derives from cave art.

Yak yak yak... the tortoise loves to talk – and learns the hard way that keeping his mouth shut is sometimes very necessary! The clipped narrative style pares the original fable from the Panchatantra down to its essence with dramatic effect in this bilingual retelling. It is offset by decorative, detailed illustrations in the style of kalamkari textiles from Andhra Pradesh.

After a school trip to the zoo, Amma is surprised that Meera has seen no animals – not a monkey, a lion, or even a giraffe... But why did Meera see no animals there? Her lively mother forgets to ask! Zestful pictures capture the hilarious inversion of role play.

Playtime on the terrace takes a turn when a strong wind sweeps Chhotu off his feet and carries him up and away to the clouds and the birds! The light and lively illustrations whirl us to the sky and back.

Muthu’s constant companion is a rooster called Goondi. But her grandfather tells her not to get too attached to Goondi, since he belongs to Selvi Paati. And the village head wants to buy him for his son’s wedding feast… Muthu can’t bear the thought! So, she makes her move and Thatha makes his, in this tender story about what a dear friend is worth. Pictures add richness and depth to this layered narrative set in an Irula fishing village in Tamil Nadu. Their varying tones and textures capture the setting, the people and the moments.

Small noses catch small colds. Big noses catch big colds. Gajapati Kulapati the elephant has a big nose and catches a great, big, mighty cold! And what happens when he sneezes – Aaaaachoooo….? With repetitive sounds and words that roll rhythmically through the pages, this bestselling series about the adorable elephant puts the zing back into storytelling and reading aloud. Bright, zestful pictures and dynamic visual text echo the lilt, making these big, happy books of fun.

Lined up on a street are noisy motorbikes, honking cars, crowded buses, impatient autos... In their midst sits a queenly Maharani! At the heart of this funny little vignette is a cool-as-a-cucumber cow, an all too familiar character of an Indian streetscape. Nancy Raj’s full-of-life pictures bustle with detail and drama, capturing the bovine and the boisterous as everyone tries to unseat her highness. 2018: The Hindu Young World-Goodbooks Award – Best Picture Book 2018: Honor Book, South Asia Book Award

Moyna lives in a little tribal village. She cannot go to school because she has to tend goats, collect firewood, fetch water… But she is so full of questions that the postmaster calls her the ‘why-why girl'! In this inspiring and delightful story, her first picture book, acclaimed Jnanpith award-winning writer Mahasweta Devi tells us how she meets Moyna (and her mongoose) and helps her find answers to all the why-whys – in books, that Moyna herself learns to read. Some of the translations have been done by well-known writers: Malayalam by Paul Zacharia, Tamil by Ambai, and Kannada by Girish Karnad. CBSE recommended

It’s Monday morning. Time for school. And his model of the earth…? Chintu Chitnis suddenly remembers he hasn’t made it! There’s a last-minute scramble to finish the project, with his little sister Pihu pitching in not very helpfully. And then, in school, Chintu finds an entire continent missing! Where did it go? Set in a Konkani household, this light and humorous story with playful pictures is a quick first introduction to the continents of the world.

Little Tsomo eats a big, steaming hot momo. And then? A mouthwatering story in which the flavour-filled savoury comes appetisingly alive! Watercolour pencil illustrations softened with subtle brushstrokes conjure up scenes sure to tickle the taste buds, satisfy hunger pangs and stir up a song.

It’s the day of the local market in Malli’s village. Cotton candy, peanut balls, stick ice, rose soda – there’s so much for Malli and her friends to try! But some of them don’t have enough money. Then, Malli has an idea… Friendship and sharing are at the heart of this third book in the Malli series, with pictures that take you around a village in Tamil Nadu and into the bustle of a market filled with treats.

Boodabim floats in the sky, he swims in the ocean and he simply glows in stripes! Who is he? A cloud? A fish? A tiger? Boodabim can be anything he wants to be! Minimal text and rollicking illustrations make this a most endearing book for little ones.

It’s a hot, hot day. Shouting people, thirsty puppies, honking cars – everyone is rushing to get away from the heat, except for one big cow… How will they all cool off? Crisp text, and furiously frantic illustrations, capture the chaos and cacophony of a scorching summer day.

Roll it, pat it, poke in eyes, stick on nose and ears — and a ball of chapati dough can turn into almost anything! The endearing illustrations follow the quirks of a child's imagination.