Taylor Swift said once, “The scary news is, you are on your own now. But the cool news is, you are on your own now” The fear of loneliness has been injected into our minds since we were kids. We have learned that the kid who eats, & sits alone, and has no friends is pathetic. In every book/movie, the kid with no friends is always featured as a weak character who needs to be saved. No one wants to be seen as a ‘weirdo’ hence, our dread of being alone. We don’t want people to think of us as unwanted or not fitting in with the cool kids. We don’t want people to think that no one chose us. So what do we do? We start becoming like an ideal version of whom everyone loves. And in the race to achieve people’s acceptance and love, you lose yourself. But enough is enough. The book is divided into two sections. The first section is about transforming loneliness into solitude. And the second section is about using your solitude to turn it into your growth period. If you are ready to transform your perception around loneliness and achieve your goals using your ‘alone time’ then welcome to ‘The Art of Being Alone.’

Parva is a novel written by S. L. Bhyrappa in the Kannada language. It is a retelling of the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata, narrated through the personal reflections of the principal characters. The novel is widely acclaimed as a modern classic. Parva is among Bhyrappa's most widely debated and popular works and is considered by many to be his greatest.

It’s late at night. Tipu is fast asleep when his two black puppies, Layla and Jugnoo, bound into his room. Down comes his star-filled quilt – and it becomes a cosmic playground for the three of them. Anything is possible, even flying to the moon! With illustrations that reflect the blending of reality and fantasy, this is a story about the sheer joy of imagination, and the wonder of play.

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

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.

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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.

Rain can be fun. But sometimes, “lots and lots and lots of rain” is frightening — when water comes into homes and washes everything away. Floods and other natural calamities do happen, children do get caught in them, and other children see it all on television. How do they make sense of it? The book talks to children through rhythmic, repetitive text and evocative visuals, ending with the important reminder that if you look after nature, nature will look after you. It enables conversations that can heal and empower.

ബാബ എവിടെ? എന്തുകൊണ്ടാണ് അദ്ദേഹം ഇതുവരെ തിരിച്ചെത്താത്തത്? വൈകുന്നേരം അസ്തമിക്കുമ്പോൾ ജുപ്ലി അസ്വസ്ഥയാണ്. അവളുടെ അച്ഛൻ തേൻ ശേഖരിക്കാൻ ഇടതൂർന്ന കാട്ടിലേക്ക് പോയിരിക്കുന്നു, അവൾ ഭയപ്പെടുന്നു. കാരണം കാട്ടിൽ കടുവകളുണ്ട്. കാരണം ആളുകൾ ചിലപ്പോൾ അകത്തേക്ക് പോകും, ഒരിക്കലും പുറത്തുവരില്ല. ബാബ എല്ലാ ദിവസവും അപകടത്തിൽ പെടേണ്ടതുണ്ടോ? ജുപ്ലിക്ക് ഒരു ആശയമുണ്ട് - തേൻ പെട്ടികൾ! തേൻ ശേഖരിക്കുന്നവരുടെ ദുരവസ്ഥയിലേക്ക് വിരൽ ചൂണ്ടുന്ന ഒരു കഥയിൽ, മനോഹാരിത നിറഞ്ഞ ചിത്രങ്ങളും വാചകങ്ങളും ജുപ്ലിയുടെ നിരന്തരമായ ഉത്കണ്ഠയെ മനോഹരമായ സുന്ദർബനിലേക്ക് വലിച്ചെറിയുന്നു.

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.

Thom! It lands on Kuttan’s toes. Dheem! He kicks and up it goes. The pages of this book resound with the rhythm of dance as Abu's big red ball bounces in tune with the delightful illustrations. CBSE recommended

There was a donkey who felt so happy that he sang through the night in the cucumber field. The problem was that the cucumbers couldn't bear it. What did they do? Earthy illustrations in the patachitra style from Odisha energise this droll new bilingual retelling of a well-known Panchatantra story where the focus shifts to the plight of the cucumbers! CBSE recommended

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!

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

Mati pesters her grandmother and father for her own plot of land. When she does get it, she works hard. And then she hears that a company wants to make a coal mine in their village – the enormous black pit that will eat up all their lands, like it has in the next village… As always, Rinchin powers her questions through irresistible storytelling. The little girl’s anxiety about losing her land to “a monster machine” cuts close to the heart as it takes head-on an issue that is ravaging tribal Chhattisgarh, where this story is set, and every other place where there is ‘development’ at a cost.