Having spent most of his life in and around the Indian Ocean, staying in cities like Kolkata, Mumbai and Singapore, the lack of recognition it got in the mainstream historical narrative always struck Sanjeev Sanyal. "There is barely any discussion in school textbooks of India-s great maritime heritage — of its profound impact on the culture of South East Asia, the empires of the Cholas and Pallavas, the horror of the Goa Inquisition, the exploits of the Maratha navy and the old Indian diaspora in faraway places like Fiji and Surinam. It is almost as if Indian history has been captured by the Sultans of Delhi and the rest of India is condemned to exist as mere provinces," he says, in an email interview.

The thought drew him to write about the Indian Ocean in a book called The Ocean of Churn, published in 2016, that has now been adapted for young readers as The Incredible History of The Indian Ocean Puffin. What to the eye seems like a mere water body, has played witness to some of the most important historical and cultural movements. The adaptation process began over a year ago, and Sanyal informs that although the general narrative was maintained, some parts were excluded to maintain a linear flow.