Children’s Books in India: Real Worlds and Ideal

Worlds

Deepa Agarwal

Childhood As an Age of Innocence

“But trailing clouds of glory do we come

From god, who is our home:

Heaven lies about us in our infancy!”

William Wordsworthin “Ode, Intimations

of Immortality”

Children’s Reality in India

Vast social and economic divides.

Tradition and religion are powerful forces.

A host of problems affect the young but books ignore them.

Most Children’s Books Ignore Real Life

Problems

The reasons are: Conservative

mindset means that taboos still linger.

‘Hidden censorship’ prevents authors from being realistic.

What’s Right, What’s Wrong

Focuses on real issues: Lack of access to good

education Child labour Gender discrimination HIV/aids Disaster Hunger Some writers and Some writers and

reviewers found it reviewers found it unsuitable for childrenunsuitable for children

Scan0013.jpg

A Parent Found This Depiction of a Teacher

Objectionable

Scan0013.jpg

Shanti’s Friend

Exploitation of a child domestic helper not an acceptable topic.

Changes were requested because it was felt it might upset readers.

The child had to be transformed into a poor

relation.

The Panchatantra “The Monkey and the

Crocodile” The theme of

friendship betrayed. In the end the monkey

parts company with his false friend, the crocodile.

In a contemporary story the traitor would repent of her/his actions and the relationship be restored.

King Vikram and the Vetal

Gruesome setting. Gory ending. Extremely popular

with children, parents and publishers.

The Death of the Saintly Prahalad’s Wicked Father

Hiranyakashipu

Writer and critic Nandini Nayar comments: “I cringed at Prahalad’s calmness in the face of the horrible death his father suffers.”

                                                            

         

TargetEncouraging Realistic

Stories A number of

stories that addressed the real problems real children faced were regularly published in this magazine.

Manisha Chaudhry, Editor with Pratham

Books Says:

“It really depends on the treatment of the issue. The authenticity and empathy that the writer

feels or exhibits a lack of. Children sense out insincerity very fast. I would not reject a manuscript because it deals

with a painful aspect of reality. If it brings up something in a way organic to the book and talks to children naturally, I'd go for it.”

Suresh Reading at Pratham Library

“No adverse reactions from the children or the Bal Sakhis (children’s friends), librarians or parents.

I can say this with some certainty as we get feedback through questionnaires and at meetings…”

Pratham runs 4000 libraries across 14 states of IndiaEach library services 150-200 children.

Angry Riverby

Ruskin Bond

An amazingly calm portrayal of a village girl, Sita coping stoically with calamity—the destruction caused by a flood.

A Village by the Seaby Anita Desai

A sometimes painfully realistic story about two poor children Hari and Lila trying to survive in adverse conditions and growing in strength and maturity.

Growing Upby

Devika Rangachari

A realistic depiction of middle-class life.

Credible characters Real life situations Actual problems

children face.

No Guns at my Son’s Funeral

By Paro Anand The making of a boy

terrorist in Kashmir Compelling, even

terrifying clarity. Climax as brutal as

any television image of a terrorist attack.

End strikes a positive note.

Paro Anand’s Comments

“We don't live in an ideal world. Today's young are more willing and able

to confront reality and deal with it. Found it too much to handle when the hero,

Akram is made to kill a puppy and a kitten during his training. 

Human deaths were somehow easier for them to handle than the animal deaths.” 

What Do Children Say?

Q. Should stories always have happy endings?

A. Purva,11—not always…they should show humans as they truly are.

Saloni, 9—sometimes…I wish books would be more real.

Children Say…

Radhika, 10—sometimes…they usually show the world as a better place than it is.

Tanya, 8—always…they should show the world as a better place but make us think.

Dhruva, 9—sometimes…sometimes they do have children who seem real like us.

Nandini Nayar, Writer and Critic Comments

To write books that conclude with all strings tied off neatly, no loose ends visible, is unrealistic.

This does not happen because of the kind of 'safe' topics that writers in India stick to.

Children are protected from reality, so serious subjects are a taboo. And so is anything like a reality check in the form of open-ended books.”

Alison Lurie in Don’t Tell the Grown-

ups “Though there are

some interesting exceptions, even the most subversive of contemporary children’s books usually follow these conventions.

Alison Lurie in Don’t Tell the Grown-

ups They portray an ideal world of perfectible

beings, free of the necessity for survival and reproduction: not only a pastoral but a paradisal universe—for without sex and death, humans may become as angels.

The romantic child, trailing clouds of glory, is not as far off as we might think.”

THANK YOU!