चुनी हुई इन रचनाओं को चाहे आप कालजयी कहें या सदाबहार, श्रेष्ठ कहें या अविस्मरणीय; हैं तो सदियों तक दिलो-दिमाग पर राज करनेवाली कहानियाँ। इस संकलन को तैयार करने में पाँच वर्ष लग गए। इसके कई कारण हैं। पहला यह कि हम सब (यानी कि मैं, मेरे सलाहकार तथा मित्र) चाहते थे, यह संकलन न सिर्फ परिपूर्ण और त्रुटिहीन हो, बल्कि अद्वितीय भी हो। और जब इरादे बुलंद हों तो अवरोध भी उतने ही बड़े होते हैं। सबसे पहले यह समस्या खड़ी हुई कि सैकड़ों कहानियों के ढेर में से किसे चुनें और किसे छोड़ें। काफी जद्दोजहद और धुआँधार बहसों के सिलसिले के बाद हल निकला तो संकलन का कद जरूरत से ज्यादा ही मोटा हो गया। फिर एक बार छँटाई करनी पड़ी। कभी ऐसा भी हुआ कि प्रसिद्ध लेखक की रचना त्यागकर किसी अन्य लेखक को तरजीह देनी पड़ी। कारण सिर्फ यही रहा कि हिंदी में बार-बार अनूदित हो चुकी रचना के बजाय क्यों न उतनी ही ठोस नई रचना पेश की जाए? इसी तरह छँटते-छनते हुए संकलन तैयार हुआ और आज आपके हाथों में है। —आबिद सुरती

शैतान का दावा है कि मेरा रास्ता ही सर्वोपरि कल्याणकारी है। उसका कहना है कि जो जितना ही ईश्वर-भक्त है—सत्य, ज्ञान, धर्म और न्याय के मार्ग पर चलनेवाला—वह उतना ही दुखी, पीड़ित, त्रस्त और दरिद्र है; लेकिन जो जितना ही मेरे रास्ते पर चलने वाला है, वह उतना ही सुखी और समृद्ध!...और अब, जबकि हर व्यक्ति सुख-समृद्धि के लिए पगलाया घूम रहा है, क्या हमें शैतान की राह पर ही चलना होगा? सुप्रसिद्ध लेखक, कार्टूनिस्ट और चित्रकार आबिद सुरती की यह बहुचर्चित व्यंग्य-कृति, जिसे उसने शैतान की रचना कहा है, बहुत ही अनूठे तरीक़े से हमारी आज की दुनिया पर शैतानी गिरफ़्त का प्रमाण पेश करती है। इससे गुज़रते हुए हम न सिर्फ़ मानव-सभ्यता के पुराकालीन जीवनादर्शों के छद्म को उजागर होता हुआ देखते हैं, बल्कि अपने नग्न और मूल्यहीन वर्तमान को भी आश्चर्यजनक ढंग से पहचान जाते हैं। वस्तुतः यह किताब ‘काली’ ही इसलिए है कि इसका हर पन्ना हमारी परम्परागत दृष्टि को अपनी उज्ज्वल चमक से चौंधियाने की ताक़त रखता है।

नंदिता की कहानी भारत के सबसे प्रसिद्ध फोटोग्राफर, होमाई व्यारवाला के जीवन का जश्न मनाती है। होमाई का साहस और शिल्प कौशल पुस्तक में खूबसूरती से सामने आता है। प्रिया कुरियन के चित्रण होमाई की कार्यशैली को इतनी सटीकता से बनाए रखते हैं कि कभी-कभी ऐसा लगता है मानो होमाई ने ही पुस्तक का चित्रण किया हो। शिल्प और जीवन के बीच निरंतर बदलाव पाठकों को रंगमंच की जीवंतता की याद दिलाता है। किताब हिंदी और अंग्रेजी दोनों भाषाओं में उपलब्ध है।

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.

Ismat the shoemaker decides to buy his family special gifts for Eid. He is persuaded by the shopkeeper to buy a pair of trousers for himself. However, there is only one last pair and it's too long. But long trousers can always be shortened, can't they? Eid arrives, and with it comes a shock and a surprise. This crisp adaptation of a delightful Turkish tale has been affectionately told and illustrated, replete with cultural resonances.

Ammachi can’t find her glasses one morning and everything goes topsy-turvy! Page after page spills with drama, humour, detail and local flavour as Priya Kuriyan spins a hilarious tale about a crazy day with unforgettable Ammachi — “the archetypal grandmother from memories of my own childhood in Kerala,” as Priya says. The celebrated illustrator is at her best in her first wordless picture book.

When M.F. Husain loses his shoes, Jai offers to help find them. The two zoom in and out of his paintings, passing milestones in the artist's life

A collection of short stories written by students at DPS

Ayeshaís favourite day is Sunday, for itís her Abbaís day. Come, letís find out what happens at Ayeshaís home every Sunday and what makes it so special!

It is raining and there is not much one can do outdoors. Come and listen to Aajis story about the Kolis, the original inhabitants of Bombay, their favourite fish Bombay Duck and the citys magnificent docks.Written by Fleur D’Souza and Illustrated by Kripa.

Details awaited

What does it take for a person to alter the course of a nation? Spotlighting 25 such change-making individuals, the book looks at the times in which they lived, the challenges they dealt with, and the paths they forged. Quick introductions position personalities as game changers, chatty stories sketch their profiles, crisp timelines fill in the gaps, insightful quotations balance perspectives, and creative collages present visual montages. What emerges is the powerful journey of a country at the threshold of change, committed to charting its own course, helmed by its richest resource – its people. Age 10+

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.

When Fakruddin worries, he gets frantic. And Frantic Fakru is now worried because his fridge is spoilt, the day is hot, and he is desperate for cold water. What does he do? A light-hearted story with a smart idea and cheerful watercolour illustrations which bring alive the ambience of Fakru's neighbourhood in Bhopal.

A magically beautiful story about Malar and her grandfather. A laptime, bedtime, anytime story for you to share. Enjoy! A beginnerís book for children learning to read.

Bumoni’s big backyard, just outside the Kaziranga National Park, is bursting with banana trees. Then one night a herd of wild elephants crosses the river, discovers the trees, and gorges on them. Bumoni’s family is very upset – how do they keep the elephants away? Bumoni has an idea! But then, what will the elephants eat now? Spare but dramatic pictures create mood and atmosphere in this affectionately told story, set in Assam, of a family’s sustainable relationship with the environment – and elephants!

Secret Wild Vet Kalyani is a book inspired by N Kalyani, Tamil Nadu’s first woman veterinarian who graduated from Madras Veterinary College in 1952, challenging gender norms within the profession. Through a cheerful poem set in the Nilgiri hills, the author and Katha’s Founder President Geeta Dharmarajan imagines her Irular protagonist as a kind of superwoman who helps rescue animals, birds and reptiles in danger. Filled with everything from guns to ropes and jungle antics, this adventure story truly comes alive with the help of lively illustrations by designer Boski Jain. According to the book, the DNA analysis (2018) of a skeleton from the Indus Valley Civilisation found in Rakhigarhi showed greater affinity with the Irula people than any other ethnic group in India. “A study by Yelmen et al (2019) found that the Irula were the closest likely proxy for the indigenous “AASI”, or Ancient Ancestral South Indian, one of the presumed founders and autochthonous original populations,” informs the book.

Jivuba wants to become a singer but she cannot because she has to get married. Luckily, Dammu, the wise apsara of the forest, casts a spell to remedy the situation! But what happens when the spell breaks?

Introducing Mayil Ganeshan, a lively 12-year-old who finally has the opportunity to express herself fully in her diary. This is a significant step towards achieving her goal of becoming a writer, as she hopes to make up for all the unfinished stories and the aimless novel she had written before. In her diary, Mayil shares a spontaneous, sensitive, honest, intimate, and often humorous account of her life and thoughts as a perceptive young girl going through the ups and downs of adolescence. This coming-of-age book is a must-read, with enough humor, heart, and wisdom to entertain and inspire readers of all ages. Age 10+

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.