Multicultural children’s literature from across the world – stories, poems, folktales and books in English for kids, and stories in Hindi and poems in Hindi too. Original literature in English for kids from around the globe and book reviews and recommended reading lists for children.
432 items in this section. Displaying page 17 of 44
The Cloud That Refused To Cry
It was a stifling hot day in the second week of June and the animals of Jhilmil forest were miserable. The bumblebees no longer droned but sighed. A tail heavy with perspiration made Billori, the squirrel, sit sadly on a patch of dry earth, as hard as a turtle’s hide. The Cloud That Refused To Cry [Illustrations by Kusum Chamoli] In another corner of the forest, just outside his cave, was Gabru the lion, his tongue hanging out....
The King and the Squirrel
Once upon a time, there was a king who was very proud of his matchless position. He was young, well-read and intelligent and none of the youths of his kingdom equaled him in strength or valour. Moreover, he was the richest man in the kingdom. One day, while strolling in his garden, he said to his wise, old minister, I am sure no one would ever dare to boast before me. I am glad that I am superior to everybody in every respect....
Little Blue Daisies
Little Blue Daisies [Illustration by Shinod AP] Little blue daisies in my flowerbed First came the ladybird red red red Fly away ladybird said the daisy blue Poor little ladybird flew flew flew Then came the grasshopper green green green He hid in the leaves not to be seen Hop away grasshopper, said the daisy blue Poor little grasshopper Went hop, hop hop Third came the bumblebee black black black...
Divaswapna – An Educator’s Reverie
I waited eagerly for the school to begin. I was eager to take my class and start my work; eager to put my new plan into practice; eager to bring about peace and order in the class; eager to make classroom teaching interesting and win over my pupils. I felt my pulse throbbing. The bell rang. The boys entered their classes. The headmaster took me to my class and introduced me to the pupils. “Listen boys!...
The Silent Passer-by
When I was a child, I didn’t have hair on my head, just some stubs. I liked to watch my friends play. I would join them now and then, but I preferred watching. Every day, we would see an old man walking by our playground, carrying an umbrella. He had big ears and a bald head. The moment my friends saw him pass by, they would shout, “Hey, deaf and dumb, what’s the time?” They told me that he could neither hear nor speak....
The Gifts
Seema and Reema were highly excited. Their uncle was coming today, from Mumbai. It wasn’t the actual arrival that excited them, it was the thought of the gifts he would bring for them. There would certainly be gifts, of that they were sure. No self respecting uncle would arrive at a brother’s house without gifts for his eight year old and nine year old nieces. But there was nothing they could do but wait. So they waited....
The Spirit of Christmas
Tony counted the notes and coins. He had Rs. 163 in all. He put the money in his pocket, the money he had saved from his part time job. Today was Christmas eve and he had some important shopping to do. As he walked towards the market he thought of Christmas eve the previous year. How lovely everything had been. His father, Jacob Kurien, and he had decorated the Christmas tree. He had gone with his mum, Janet and dad to the church to attend the midnight mass....
Over in the Meadow
Over in the meadow, In the sand, in the sun, Lived an old mother toad And her little toadie one. “Wink,” said the mother; “I wink,” said the one; So she winked and blinked In the sand, in the sun. Over in the meadow, Where the stream runs blue, Lived an old mother fish And her little fishes two. Over in the Meadow [Illustration by Anup Singh] “Swim,” said the mother;...
The King who Played Marbles
The little kingdom was plunged in darkness. There were no festivities, no sounds of music or laughter. Grief was writ large on the faces of the people and the lamps in the palace burned low. Outside the curtained bedroom of the young ruler, the men and women who worked for him stood and sat in anxious postures, full of sorrow. Many were weeping softly. The king was ill. He was on his deathbed. The short illness that had struck so suddenly but a week before, had been pronounced beyond treatment by the doctors who had come their heads together and tried every possible medicine… but death was stronger than their medical knowledge....
The Bridge Builder
An old man, going a lone highway, Came, at the evening, cold and gray, To a chasm, vast, and deep, and wide, Through which was flowing a sullen tide. The old man crossed in the twilight dim; The sullen stream had no fears for him; But he turned, when safe on the other side, And built a bridge to span the tide. “Old man,“said a fellow pilgrim, near, “You are wasting strength with building here;...