News & Reviews

International conference on ‘literacy through literature’

AWIC recently organised an International Conference on ‘Literacy Through Literature’ from February 6-8, 2014 at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

Deeply committed to bringing out good books for children of all ages, AWIC released three books at the International Conference on Literacy through Literature, written by AWIC members in different genres. These included Chahchahate Geet – a picture book of poems for the very young; The Stranger and Other Curious Stories – a collection of ‘strange’ stories and Children of the Magic Pen – a play.

Chahchahate Geet is an endearing collection of 20 short poems for the very young, and is the outcome of AWIC writing workshops and assignments for all its members. The varied selection of poems is full of rhythm and fun. Be it colourful butterflies or forgetful grandparents, hot jalebis or the greedy zoo lion, tiny tots will be familiar with the subjects of the poems and will enjoy their simple humour. The lovable illustrations by well-known illustrator Jagdish Joshi add to the appeal of this colourful picture book.

The Stranger and Other Curious Stories gives you goose bumps but make you wonder all the same. The imagination of all the authors of this collection seems to have taken wing for everything that happens here is truly ‘strange’. Taposhi Ghoshal’s black and white sketches bring in an additional eerie element into the stories as well.

While, Children of the Magic Pen is a magical quest which draws book characters from various children’s classics like Treasure Island, Panchtantra, Alice in Wonderland, The Feluda Mysteries, etc. and they embark on an exciting treasure hunt to Magic Castle across the sea. The play was part of a three-day ‘International Conference on Children’s Libraries – Building a Book Culture’ organised by the Association of Writers and Illustrators for Children (AWIC), at the India International Centre from 4-6 February 2010.

Japanese Cat ‘Angel Cat Sugar’ lands in India

Aadarsh Pvt Ltd, is set to represent the most exciting and charming fictional feline character Angel Cat Sugar (ACS), a Japanese character in India. Angel Cat Sugar is a popular character by the original creator of “Hello Kitty”, Yuko Shimizu. Angel Cat Sugar was first introduced in Japan in year 2002. Since then this cute character has made a phenomenal impact on the licensing world by ruling over everyone’s heart.

Angel Cat Sugar is a white female kitten with a crown on her head, angel wings on her back and is the princess of Angel World with the secret right to the kingdom throne. With the power to heal hurt feelings and make everyone happy, she is shy and quiet and prefers music, books and outdoor activities.

According to NK Krishnanand, head – licensing & publishing, Aadarsh Pvt Ltd, “Angel Cat Sugar will guide children to believe and fulfill their dreams and to stay happy in any given circumstances. Angel Cat Sugar with its global reach is sold in more than 40 countries worldwide with an astounding global market size of around $30 million per year. In publishing, Angle Cat Sugar’s books are sold by Scholastic in the North America. The activity books are also published in Thai, Dutch, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Canadian French. The picture book series in Japanese are translated in various countries, which are adored by all.”

ACS with its staggering range of merchandise categories like publishing, stationery, baby goods, plush dolls, toys, gifts, apparel, bedding, bags, board games, shoes, umbrella, mobile contents & PC/Nintendo Games is indeed a customer delight.

Review: I am Unique

At an age when children are becoming conscious of themselves in relation with their friends and the rest of the people around them, Bina Kapoor’s I am Unique is a series of short stories that will help reinforce the fact that each child is different but special. As an author for children, Bina fulfils her mandate in conveying values in a non-teachy manner through the stories. The stories are especially for children feeling inhibited because of some or the other personality factor that makes them different in their peer group; like being short or too tall, or being quiet.

The books will do well for the city kids who’re rarely exposed to animals other than dogs and cats in daily lives as they stand to gain good information on a variety of other animals in the series from the last page giving ‘Interesting Facts’ about the animal on which the story is based. For example, in My Nose Is So Ugly, an interesting fact is that the elephant’s trunk has two tips that work like fingers. Not many of us would know this surprising fact, so this page is an added bonus.

The stories can easily be read by the 7-9 years age group and can also be read out to younger children. The language and vocabulary is appropriately simple, the pace swift and situations well thought out.

The pages are fully illustrated and colourful. Children can learn about various animals and birds as they read the stories. The pages are of smooth-textured thick paper, and big print makes the books easy to read. The book is published by Vishv Books.

–Abha Iyengar

Purple Turtle lands in Netherlands

Purple Turtle licensed by Aadarsh Pvt Ltd is World’s cutest Turtle and now it will be represented by Bruno Publications in Netherlands. Bruno Productions is a part of Bruno holding B.V. It is an independent licensing agency based in Netherlands with more than 25 years of experience in the licensing industry. They represent various national and international characters brands and works with licensors throughout the world.

NK Krishnanand, head- licensing and publishing, Purple Turtle, says, “Purple Turtle believes that books helps in guiding and developing a child’s brain and plays a vital role in his growth. We are pleased that we will bring greater education and better learning facility to all the children in Netherlands through our association with Bruno Productions.”