There are storybooks written for children that are inspired by India’s rivers, its mountains, and its flora and fauna. And there are few others that mount a reality check about today’s times, and the challenges that come with growing up in a society dictated by caste. Fresh off the press is My Joy (HarperCollins India) by Shreeja Rao, aided by Shrujana N Shridhar’s striking illustrations that lead us to a positive, heartwarming story.

Rao was clear about telling this story as clearly and transparently as possible. “All literature, old or new, depicts Dalit communities in endless pain. While it is vital to show the consequences of inequality, I have yearned to read stories that celebrate the full humanity of Dalit people,” she admits, sharing that the germ of this book emerged from growing up around and among incredibly brave individuals from the community who defied the odds to build joyous lives. “My Joy is the first and only book about a Dalit child’s identity and assertion. This assertion, whether quiet or loud, is joyful,” she reminds us.