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 3 of 44
The Puppy that wanted to Play
Bruno, the little, brown puppy wanted to play! He needed a friend. “Come play with me!” said Bruno to the white cow. “No! No! No!” replied the white cow, shaking her head. “I have work to do. I have to give milk for Tinnu and Minnu. Milk for their family, too. Go away. I have WORK to do! MOOOOOOOOO!” The Puppy that wanted to Play [Illustrations by Shiju George] Bruno went to the brown cock....
If I Could Fly
If I had a pair of wings, with which to fly, I’d soar straight away, up into the sky. I’d carry a brush, and paints in colours bright, So I could paint every fluffy cloud in sight! I’d paint them purple and yellow and green- They’d be the prettiest you’ve ever seen! I’d paint rainbows in the sky every single day, So I can watch them when I work and play. And when the moon and...
Forgive and Forget?
Amar and Alok , two friends, set up a business venture together. Both invested a lot of money in the business and spent all their time trying to promote it. For a few years everything seemed to be working out fine. Then Alok wanted to diversify. He persuaded Amar to invest their profits in another venture. Amar wasn’t so sure – what if the venture failed? – but agreed after much persuasion by his friend....
Toys For a Big Boy
Ronit Subramanian was seven years old and he was the tallest student in his class. It made him feel very proud. But when he remembered some of the things he used to do as a small kid, he felt a little shy. He wished his mother would not tell those stories to her friends again and again. Last week his mother’s old school friend had come to see her. They were meeting after 10 years. Ronit was just back from school but his ears pricked up when he heard his mother say in that goofy tone, “You know what my Ronit used to do as a baby?...
Limits of the Mind
Ekalavya was a little boy, born in a poor family, many many years ago. His people lived a little away from Hastinapura, the capital of the Kuru kings. They used to clean other people’s dirt for a profession. And for this reason they were shunned by society. Ekalavya and other kids of his group knew they too had to follow their parents’ professions. Their parents often told them, “You are not meant to go to school....
The Wooden God
Bablu hated the ritual of prayer and fast that his family had been observing for as long as he could remember. The entire family had to wake at dawn and have a dip in the village pond, even if it was in the middle of the bitterest winter. A chilly winter day would find a shivering Bablu trying hard not to think of the million ice-cold needles that would pierce him when he entered the pond to bathe....
The Boy with a Catapult
Our class at school has an odd assortment of boys. There was Harbans Lal who, when asked a difficult question, would take a sip out of his inkpot because he believed it sharpened his wits. If the teacher boxed his ears he would yell, “Help! Murder!” so loudly that teachers and boys from other classes would come running to see what had happened. This caused much embarrassment to the teacher. If the teacher tried to cane him, he would put his arms round him and implore, “Forgive me, Your Majesty!...
Whatever Happens, Happens for the Best...
Once upon a time there was an old man called Sthira, who lived alone in a village. He would go about his business alone, even in his old age. He was a nice, friendly man who was liked by all the people in the village. They would often come over to the old man’s house and express their sympathy that his only son had gone so far away to study. They wondered aloud if his son would ever return....
The Good Turn
Every time Gina walked down the lane where she lived, some neighbour or the other would remark that ‘The Brat’ was off to some place. The six-year-old was the only child of her parents and they spoilt her totally. Even when she was a small child, her parents had never refused her anything. And she, in turn, always made sure that she got what she wanted. One day Gina’s mother, Nitya Mehta, suddenly noticed that her daughter was not ready to share anything with her friends – be it a book, a toy or something to eat....
The Butterfly in a Bottle
Poltu was wide awake in his bed. He had had a marvellous dream in which he had won the football match in the inter-school competition. He was getting ready to receive the trophy when the alarm rang. So loudly that it jarred him awake. But Poltu wasn’t too unhappy at the intrusion. He ran straight to his study table. There, in an empty jam bottle, was the treasure. A colourful little butterfly. How difficult it had been to catch it....