Connecting our children to South Asia, one book at a time (guest post from Kitaab World)

January 10, 2017

In many languages, the word ‘Kitaab’ means book, our mission is to connect the world to South Asia, one book at a time, hence the name “KitaabWorld.”

KitaabWorld is a passion project that grew out of our desire to expose our children to fun and engaging books and toys related to South Asia, which comprises of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It is a region teeming with a lively tradition of storytelling about its diverse histories, cultures, languages, religions and traditions.

As avid readers ourselves, we were very concerned with the lack of South Asian children’s books on our kids’ reading lists. We searched high and low, but sadly found these books amiss in libraries, bookstores and schools. So we thought there has to be an easier way, and set out to find South Asian children’s books.

We discovered a whole new world of captivating books, global authors and wonderful stories, only many of them weren’t easily accessible in the US. We sought to solve that problem by creating KitaabWorld, a curated bookstore for South Asian children’s books, toys and games!

We hope to open a window to stories – some old, some new but definitely ones that expand everyone’s worldview. To make these diverse books accessible to teachers and librarians, we created curated book bundles and a lesson plans page as well.

Here are some unexpectedly awesome South Asian books we discovered along the way and highly recommend:

Chaat & Sweets – A scrumptious board book featuring South Asian snacks and sweets. (Board book, 0-3 years)

Seven Blind Mice – A 1993 Caldecott Honor Book featuring a classic Indian tale of seven blind mice’s discovery of an elephant! (Board book, 0-3 years)

Gajapati Kulapati – What happens when an elephant catches a cold? Read this book to find out! (Picture book, 2-7 years)

A Silly Story of Bondapalli – A fun food story that takes you to a rollicking adventure to Bondapalli town! (Picture book, 3-7 years)

Room in your Heart – A lovely heartwarming tale about generosity from Bhutan. (Picture book, 3-7 years)

The Boy Who Asked Why – A young Ambedkar questions the social injustice around him which in turn changes the course of Indian history. (Picture book, 4-8 years)

The Great Race – Can anyone beat the fastest deer in the forest in a race? Read on to find out! (Picture book, 4-8 years)

Monkey Photo – What would happen if a monkey got hold of a camera? Some serious (or not!) candid animal shots for sure! (Picture book, 3-7 years)

Rickshaw Girl – A tale of a young Bangladeshi girl’s transformative journey, coming soon to a cinema near you. (Chapter book, 7-11 years)

Raza’s Bindu – A child friendly introduction to the world of renowned South Asian artist S H Raza and his art. (Art activity book, 7-11 years)

I Saw A Peacock With a Fiery Tail – A beautifully illustrated book that combines Indian folk art with an old English poem. (Poetry, 7-12 years)

Mayil Will Not Be Quiet – As with most teens her age, Mayil will literally raise the roof! (YA, 12+ years)

Dear Mrs. Naidu – A 2016 SABA Award Winner, this young girl’s fight to get basic education under the Right to Education Act in India is a great book about social justice.(YA, 12+ years)
As a special thank you, use discount code MCCBD10 for 10% off your first order on Kitaabworld! Coupon code expires February 15, 2017.

Go HERE to learn more about the multicultural and South Asia book for kids from Kitaab World.

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