Of course I’m delighted with the books, but each book is also part of a complete resource pack! Each pack contains: A story A CD (with the ebook and lots of animation) A kit to build your own model of an electric locomotive!
Two new books by Varsha Seshan!
It’s been nearly four years since The Story-Catcher was published. Finally, here are two new books! Launched at the National Rail Museum yesterday, these books are currently available only at the Souvenir Shop of the museum. They are part of a kit that also contains a CD and an activity! Pictures of those will come soon … The […]
Kayani Bakery
If you have not been to Kayani Bakery on a Saturday afternoon, you cannot have any idea what it’s like. I cannot describe the way people crowd around the counter that they can reach, and around the counters that they cannot. I cannot describe how the red-faced men behind the counter serve customer after customer, cheerfully ignoring […]
Books I’ve Been Reading
Lots of travelling always means lots of reading! What better way to spend long train journeys? The Last Unicorn is a classic. If Patrick Rothfuss says it’s the best book he has ever read, you know it’s worth looking out for. Title The Last Unicorn Author Peter S. Beagle Genre Classic/Fantasy/Fairy Tale Rating (out of 5) 5 […]
A Brand New Series of Books on Trains: Coming Soon!
Do you know who Bholu is? Since 2002, this friendly guard elephant has been the mascot of the Indian Railways. I’m delighted to be writing a series of stories for children, featuring Bholu, along with many other characters. The series will target two age-groups: Younger readers (aged 5-8) Older readers (aged 9-13) The books for younger readers will have Bholu […]
Let’s Break Some Records!
Of late, I’ve been too busy to post updates about events I conduct, but here’s a quick heads-up. I’m conducting a workshop at the British Library tomorrow! Explore novel records that you can see yourself setting! Work on all four language skills – reading, writing, listening and speaking. Interact with other children with varied interests. […]
Burrapahar, Kaziranga
You know how in the buffer zone, they keep telling you that anything can happen? You know how all guides have stories about sightings of big animals on the main road? It never happens to me. I keep hoping, but no. Nothing on the main road. Until Kaziranga. All around us, like a wispy cushion on […]
Agaratoli, Kaziranga
The eastern zone of Kaziranga is much more forested, not primarily grassland. It was joyous being in there, looking at the crazy trees and ferns. Some trees look like they’ve set up hanging gardens of their own, with leaves of different kinds growing out of their trunks. I couldn’t stop marvelling at them. Bright green leaves […]
Bagori, Kaziranga
Pelicans! The safari in Mihimukh showed me not just the Lesser Adjutant Stork and the Woolly Necked Stork, but also the Open-Billed Stork, Bar-Headed Geese — and pelicans! When Bakul first pointed them out, I didn’t quite believe him. Then I saw those incredible pouchy beaks. I stared, filling my eyes with them. I found myself […]
Turtles, Ducks and Elephants, Kaziranga
Bakul identified the turtles for us. I did not understand at all, not even enough to figure out for myself later. Himalayan Box Turtle? Perhaps. That was a name I discovered. But I know nothing about turtles. Can anyone help? Ducks – we saw hundreds of them. A beautiful orangish red duck was everywhere. “Radisson […]
Rhinoceros Unicornis, Kaziranga
“Haan, rhino hai, udhar,” said Bakul. “Rhino?” I repeated. I had to have misheard. He could not be so calm. He could not tonelessly say ‘rhino hai udhar’ and leave it at that. In my head, though, I was saying, Rhino! Oo, rhino! Rhino! Where’s the rhino? I want to see … And there it was. Across […]
Mihimukh, Kaziranga
How different Kaziranga is from the other reserves I’ve visited! For one, you can get off the jeep in several places. In each zone, there’s a watch tower which you can climb to look at the world around you. And the zones don’t have complicated, circuitous routes. There’s no decision to make about what path to take, where to […]
Back from Kaziranga
Elephant grass. Anything could be hiding there. (A rhino, perhaps?) Huge birds that made me think of pterodactyls. (Wasn’t it enough that the word ‘rhinoceros’ tempted me to say ‘rhino-saurus’? Hog deer. (My auto response, by the way, said I was away looking at/for rhinoceroses.) Swamp deer. (I wonder … Why don’t we use the […]
Running on the Cracks
So much to do, so much to read, so much to write! I haven’t written my blog for ages because I’ve been busy writing a brand new series on trains … But more about that when we’re closer to the date it’s to be launched. Running on the Cracks made me create a little space in the whirlwind […]
Why not Indian literature?
I read article after article about how Indian literature for children is on the rise. I read about lit fests and how these promote Indian writers and Indian literature. I read about new publishers and new writers all over the country. I feel encouraged, thinking about my future (and present) as a writer. Yet, against […]
Whale Boy
I don’t know a single child who has read and not liked animal stories. I remember Animal Ark. I think of Gill Lewis’s White Dolphin. There are hundreds of horse stories that I’ve read and loved – Stallion Club comes to mind immediately. Whale Boy is one of those beloved animal tales. Growing up in Rose Town, […]
Workshop at Ahmedabad
Here are a couple of photos from the workshop I conducted at FD School, Ahmedabad, under the banner of Ratna Sagar. It was a lovely experience, working with enthusiastic teachers. We worked on the story of Pinocchio, exploring integrated learning and the importance of conducting different kinds of activities while teaching. We spoke about reading and why we enjoy reading. […]
The Story-Catcher: A Review by Arushi Upadhyaya
Some time ago, I mentioned a book review of The Story-Catcher by 9-year-old Arushi Upadhyaya. Finally sharing the whole review here! It made me smile all over again.
Flight to Dragon Isle
One of the reasons I love travelling is that I have so much time that I can spend reading without feeling guilty about everything else I could have been doing instead. Waiting, sitting around, marking time until my workshop begins … What else can I do? I loved The Dragon Whisperer; I wanted to know what happened […]
Ahmedabad
How I love to travel! Sitting at the airport this morning, I watched the people around me. Some confident, some scared. Most busy on their mobile phones and laptops. Impatience: that’s what’s in the air. I watch everyone even as I read, my eyes darting from book to face, book to face. How do I […]