A love of books and reading must be fostered when children are young. This is something experts, educators and parents can all agree on but how do we make this happen? Personally, my love for reading started because my mother used to make bedtime fascinating with her vast collection of stories. We looked forward to bedtime and waited to find what new story she would spin every night. As a mother myself, I ensure I keep this tradition alive by reading aloud to my kids, a habit I began long before my children were able to understand the words. Even so, I found that setting aside time for reading as a family activity is a great way to get kids to associate books with enjoyment and emotional connection.
Publishing for very young children
But when I look back on my childhood, my mother’s stories weren’t the ones I encountered in books. For a long time, the only English-language books I could access easily were about children who lived in England and America, and whose lives were very different from mine. And although there are far more Indian chapter books and stories being published, I felt there was a lack of these for very young children, in the board book and picture book formats. That was one reason I ventured into publishing myself – I wanted to make picture books and board books that showcase South Asian culture in a vibrant, fun, new way. From food to culture to festivals, languages and inspirational people, South Asia offers an incredible diversity of narratives to highlight. Also, in addition to stories set in contemporary times, there is a wealth of material in Indian languages that can be translated and adapted for children.
At the same time, when you publish books for very young children there’s a certain expectation in terms of the types of topics you can take on. While one must take into account the specific needs of the audience, the success of a book comes down to how something is handled. Children’s literature, in particular, can help parents and children explore tough subjects, but also complex philosophical ideas together. Books that touch upon religion and philosophy, and that explore facets of Indian culture, geography, wildlife and heritage can be a valuable tool to help kids develop an appreciation for their roots and identity.
In recognition of this, I can attest to a growing demand for good-quality children’s picture books that feature themes and stories that resonate with Indian children. More than ever before, a new generation of parents of young children are looking for books that are different from the largely Anglo-American books they grew up with. Moreover, there is more awareness now of the importance of mother tongue learning and bilingualism, which means more and more parents are looking beyond English-language books. This is all very good news for those engaged in producing books for very young readers.
However, when creating books for very young readers, it is crucial to always marry the theory of what you want to publish to the practicalities of how to achieve good storytelling. As both a publisher and an author, I always try and imagine the child’s world when putting books together, in order to identify what they would find interesting or relatable. This, I feel, leads to books that put the enjoyment of reading first, rather than only focusing on morals and lessons adults want children to learn. It’s very important then, for children’s writers and publishers to ensure that every book is fun to read, not overly heavy-handed or didactic, and imparts values through storytelling.
But the perception of children’s books is that they must offer something of value to both children and parents. That means finding ways to take complex ideas and break them down so that a toddler can understand them, whether that’s spiritual ideas or mythology, or more immediate concepts like personal space, emotions and socio-emotional skills. Books like these can promote a child’s holistic development and impart important interpersonal skills through storytelling.
Bridging the gap
Also, for far too long, children’s publishing has either been in English or in regional languages only; we need books to bridge the gap, to help children outside of the big metros cities learn English, but also to ensure children growing up in Anglicised environments learn their native languages too. To help with this, publishers can incorporate audio, which is a powerful tool when dealing with stories for young children. Audiobooks can help with pronunciation of unfamiliar words, but also enable parents and kids to enjoy books as a shared experience.
It is an exciting time to be in the children’s book space right now. Parents are more aware and more engaged than ever before. Also, with the growth in social media platforms, this is the best time ever for finding quality content. I look forward to seeing more and more innovation in publishing for children, both in terms of format and style, as well as finding new ways to bridge the gap between rural and urban children, and between stories in English and Indian languages.
Chitwan Mittal is the founder and director of AdiDev Press.
