Parents and children in east of India still willing to buy and read books: Survey

Children's books are selling like hot cakes at the International Kolkata Book Fair at Boimela Prangan in Salt Lake.

- ASHOK CHATTERJEE

Titles like Tenali Ram, Gopal Bhand, Folk Tales of West Bengal, Folk Tales Retold, Stories of the Buddha, Rhymes and ABC for kids have sold out at the stall by Children's Book Trust (CBT), which is attracting not only little ones but also officials from different schools and NGOs, who work with children.

"We sold as many books in the fair in 10 days that we sell from our book shop at Lenin Sarani in Kolkata. Selling 500 to 1,500 books on an average daily, on weekends it reached 2,000 books a day. Some parents who cannot come again are buying up to 90 books at one go as the prices are as low," Rana Siddiqui Zaman, lead strategist, content, communications & promotions, Children's Book Trust

The Delhi-based trust has a motto of reaching children in the lowest common denominator in every village/hamlet. That is also the reason why they have not increased the prices for the books for a long time. The CBT's books come with moral values. It believes that as children grow up, they should know about Indian culture, heritage and moral values.