Encourage your children to read by choosing from this interesting selection of books

Representational Image

Levels 1-2: I Am Not a Cat

This little book is for little children who are eager to begin listening to stories. In the book, Paro Anand recognises the association children form with animals when they're growing up. Little Aaliya, Bir and their friends, the protagonists in the book, introduce young readers to the sounds of various animals. David Yamben's illustrations, where the characters imagine manes around their necks, encourage toddlers to identify the animals by their unique characteristics, such as colour and size. These include the big eyes of a frog, the red crest on a rooster's head, and the forewings and hindwings of a butterfly.

Level 2: A Home Made of Books

This book is best for young readers who recognise familiar words and can begin learning new ones. When Dadu is in hospital, the young protagonist in Jairaj Singh's book remembers the stories he would tell him - of ‘magic, courage, and friendship'. For children growing up in a family of readers, the protagonist's house will remind them of their own homes full of books. The endearing narrative is complemented by Aindri C's earthy, sepia-toned sketches where she replaces objects around the house (walls, rooms, staircase, kite) with books.

Level 3: River or a String of Clouds?

A book for those learning to read independently, Sushil Shukla's work (translated by Salil Chaturvedi) teaches young readers all that a river means. A piggy bank for clouds and home for the fish, a river never looks the same. Roshni Vyam's Gond art illuminates the image of the river, and the intricate patterns bring its richness to life. The book can, therefore, serve as an introduction to geometry and such style of art for children too.

Level 4: Dreaming under the Same Sky

Aman is carried on a cloud in a dream-like sequence in Fausto Aarya De Saints's book written for young readers who can read with confidence. Aman learns about differences that have led to conflicts between people over the years. Later she asks her Abba, as she eats her favourite halwa, "Don't we all live under the same sky?" This book sensitises older readers to ideas of war and peace. Ogin Nayam's illustrations help create a world that simultaneously resembles our world and appears different from it.

Log on to: prathambooks.org (for all books)