BEYOND FAIRY TALES

Kids' literature, long anchored in the world of animals, rhymes & moral stories, is seeing a new crop of writers, illustrators and editors making space for emotions and inclusion

- SUGANDHA MUKHERJEE

"THE PARSIS CAME all the way from Persia, landing on the coast of Gujarat, not far from where I live-Nargol. The ruler, Jadi Rana, didn't want foreigners in his land. He sent them a silver urn, filled to the brim with milk. The message was: our land is full. We have room for no more!... They added a pinch of sugar to the milk and sent it back! Their message? Just as the sugar has mingled with the milk, we shall mingle with you and add a dash of sweetness.

The classroom choruses “Awww” in unison, and for a moment, history softens into something else entirely—a parable of belonging, compassion, and coexistence. This is not a sermon from a teacher, but a story from Spoonful of Sugar, one of the tales in The Dog With Two Names by Mumbai-based author Nandita da Cunha.

Children's books in India have long been anchored in the world of animals, rhymes and moral tales. But in recent years, a new crop of writers, illustrators, and editors has been steadily widening the scope-making space for grief, resilience, queerness, illness, and empathy. “It’s never too early to start,” Da Cunha says. “Stories are a safe space for children to question, to react, to put themselves in someone else's shoes.”

Giggles to grief

"Just that moment, he saw a tree, Filled with mangoes, it was meant to be! He jumped up with joy and gobbled a bunch, Eating them happily, enjoying every munch!"

If Da Cunha's stories weave empathy into everyday adventures, Gulshan Advani's Finding Happy takes it inwards. Written during the pandemic, the book began as a “Covid-skill”, she recalls. Spending long months at home with her 13-year-old son led to conversations about what truly matters. “There are many books about what happiness looks like, but very few that talk about how to be happy in the everyday sense. Children don't like preachy stuff, they want something goofy, interactive, and fun,” she says.