My first interaction with children’s books was at the hospital when I delivered my first daughter. I was gifted a set of first-read and nursery rhyme books. Of course, after reading all over the web about how the child absorbs everything that he listens and sees, I wasn’t surprised that reading would begin soon for me and my kid.
At first, I bought a lot of books each time I visited a local book store. As a mom who loves to make an informed decision(one of the reasons I started KSP) I would read many popular bestseller lists and must-read book lists for kids, check reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles & Goodreads. I see a lot of you nodding in agreement.
My first interaction with Indian authors for children was when the daughter was 18 months old. That’s the time I also started reading to her in multiple languages and realized how important it is to get our kids to read content that’s closer to home. The global must-read lists are great but it’s important to include the books by a lot of Indian authors who are doing a fantastic job in creating stories that have Indian values, culture, and an urban Indian set-up.
The way a lot of mothers choose books is typically at local book stores, book readings, or must-read book lists. That’s when I decided that we have absolutely no list that is curated by experts and mothers and it’s time to give our readers that balanced list between Indian and International authors. I hope this list will serve as a guide in buying great books for your children and inculcate the love for reading early on.
A big thank you to my trusted friends for taking the time to share their reccos that helped me put together this list:
- Lubaina Bandukwala, a journalist by profession but a children’s writer and editor by inclination.
- Preeti Vyas, mom and Chief Executive Officer & President, Amar Chitra Katha
- Devaki Bhujang Gajare, mom and Founder of Little Readers’ Nook
- Richa Sethi, mom, and co-founder of The Junior Writers Bug
Up to 3 years
1.The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle: A brilliant picture book about a caterpillar’s journey to blooming into a Butterfly. It is a picture book for kids, designed, illustrated, and written by Eric Carle, published in 1969. What we often miss out on and what I figured out much later is that it’s not just a book that you can use while the kids are young. With every stage in a kid’s life- the book too evolves. First, it’s a story, then you learn about different foods, different colours, counting, days of the week and finally about match concepts about small, big, bigger and finally about the life-cycle of a butterfly. Shop Here
2. The Shape of Me and Other Stuff- Dr Seuss: Kids get to learn about various shapes and sizes in an adventurous way. This book by Dr Seuss is more useful for Babies and Toddlers. Shop Here
3. Ten in The Bed by Penny Dale: This book By Penny Dale is sure to become your kids’ favorite bedtime story. The book is a spectacular bedtime read featuring one little child, nine nursery animals, and a bedtime song. Shop Here
4.The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf: Have you ever met a bull who isn’t interested in Bullfights? Meet this bull who is more interested in smelling flowers than getting into fights. Kids will love this Bull Story by Munro Leaf. Shop Here
5. The frogs and their monster by Gurumayi Chidvilasanada: A story based on frogs living peacefully in a pond. And, then suddenly a monster turns up and the fun begins. This story teaches the kids to be courageous. Shop Here
Scroll down to access the remaining books in our curated list.
Mansi Zaveri
Mansi Zaveri
Neha Savla
Janani S Koushik
Mansi Zaveri
Janani S Koushik
