Imagine a book. A slim one. A colourful one. You flip through it, and it appears to be a simple story. You are intrigued enough to read it, and soon you are no longer in this mundane world. You are gone – into a place where the wild things are, or where there are so many ways to say goodnight to a moon, or perhaps where a hungry caterpillar needs to eat some green leaves.
Within the space of 30-and-odd pages, you, the reader, have gone on a journey of great action, experienced a character arc, and seen the action ebb and flow. And if you are lucky with the book you opened, you have ended up with a simple but profound thought, one that makes you see the world around you in a slightly new way.
The magic of picture books can never be stated enough. The words in them are distilled to catch the essence of a world created for the child. The illustrations need to be just in balance so that they tickle the imagination without overwhelming the senses. Undoubtedly, creating picture books is one of the toughest jobs in publishing.
India has seen some striking work in picture book publishing. Tara’s gorgeous productions, Tulika’s vast list, Pickle Yolk’s whimsy, Pratham Books’ wide-ranging list that caters to every level of readership, are just some of the stalwarts in this arena.
Amongst these, Tota Books has been publishing a variety of illustrated books for children since 2014. Started as an imprint of Full Circle Books by Priyanka Malhotra, the imprint has recently become a part of independent publisher Speaking Tiger Books’ family.
It takes a special kind of love for children’s books to create an imprint only dedicated to illustrated books. And that’s how Tota Books got created. Yet it’s also true that there is a growing demand from parents and schools for quality picture books. Stories that are easy to read, meaningful, and with exciting illustrations are being recognised as essential by discerning parents.
Priyanka Malhotra said, “When we started in 2014, we noticed first-hand at the Full Circle bookstores that this was a genre that needed more attention and while there was a growing audience for picture books, there weren’t enough being published, and there was a lack in the diversity of content.
Fortunately, there has been a growing demand for picture books and new content. Also, parents are now more conscious and aware of the need for young children to engage with tactile, non-screen reading.
The idea behind Tota Books was to create literature for early and young readers that was genuinely engaging, fun and allowed for exploration and to ask the “why” and “how”. While the books have a purpose whether it is storytelling or talking about concepts or emotions, etc, the idea has been to stay away from the didactic lens.
Radhika Sathe, special education teacher, children’s library founder and picture book evangelist, says, “Picture books play a huge role in a child’s development as a reader. They are an important source for the development of language and literacy skills and provide a sense of comfort and well-being. While a novel or chapter book takes 100+ pages to tell a story, a picture book accomplishes that in 32 pages!”
Despite this, the challenges are many. Any form of children’s publishing in India has to deal with two demands – the creation of a “series” of books, and pricing. Ashok Rajagopalan’s Gajapati Kulapati series (Tulika Books) is one example of a widely loved and popular series that has entertained children through six books. Children’s publishers are forever looking to build on a successful idea, and fulfil a need demanded by the readers themselves. Yet the surprise and quirkiness that can come about in a standalone title have to be recognised, and those books need to be presented to the market in new and interesting ways.
It is perhaps this undeniable attraction that has Namita Gokhale, veteran writer, write a delightful picture book, A Dog Named Bob and a Cat Named Kit. The story is about friendship and the coming together of friends to find a solution. Anchal Lodhi’s colourful and attractive illustrations will entice any four or five-year-old.
Aprajita Ramsagar Singh, who wrote Summers with Dadu, says this about writing this charming ode to grandparents, and learning to deal with loss.
“As I rediscovered the world of children's books as a parent, I became aware of the silence around events that bring sadness. I felt an urge to contribute to a shift – one where sadness is allowed a voice, and where it transforms into the joy of remembering. Where parents and caregivers are able to normalise these in an age-appropriate manner. I hope the book brings the grandparents’ house into the spotlight, making it the wild card entry – the cherished, magical summer destination that rivals any exotic vacation venue.”
As imprints like Tota Books continue to publish into this segment, the challenges that beset publishing, particularly children’s publishing, are undeniable here too. The books are expensive to produce with four-colour printing. “Picture books are expensive and require minimum print runs to be cost-effective,” says Priyanka Malhotra. It is a constant exercise in working out specifications of paper, book size, number of pages and then putting a reasonable price on the book that will work for a price-sensitive market.
And yet, as publishers, we keep going, looking for the voice, the art that will create the slice of magic. With each book, there is a world of new ideas to present, whether they be books around friendship, family, kindness to fellow beings, or animals and birds. And sometimes, they are just funny books that will end up being read over and over again to become a lifelong favourite.
Sudeshna Shome Ghosh is the Executive Publisher and Head of children’s books at Speaking Tiger Books.
