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Let Katha Books Introduce Kids To New Cultures, Grasslands, Hygiene & Much More
Perfect list to spend the summer vacay learning!
Walk the Grasslands with Takuri
By Nima Manjrekar and Nandita Hazarika
Art by Maya Ramaswamy
A Pygmy Hog named Takuri, who lives in the lush green grassland, takes children on a journey of the grassland while making them meet his friends from different species on the way. He talks about where their habitat is and why they are in danger because of hunting.
In the book, Takuri majorly focuses on various grasslands that cover the Earth’s surface and what they are called in different continents.
“Grasslands are factories of grasses, and the grass is so very important to save the top layer of soil,” he says. He also adds about the grass being strong and undefeatable.
Takuri also talks about the Pygmy Hog species, his family and the conservation program for them. In the end, he suggests an activity list for the kids that they would enjoy doing, like a trivia quiz & make a mask.
Sonam's Ladakh
Pictures by Manish Lakhani
Let the kids journey through the magical land of Ladakh and explore some amazing facts with Sonam, a 10-year-old who belongs to the nomadic Changpa tribe. She shows the beautiful Ladakh through the breathtaking photographs provided by Manish Lakhani.
Sonam introduces the readers to the exotic wildlife of the area, the wool weaving traditional talent of her tribe, the agriculture they do and many more facts that were unknown to a lot of us until now. She even takes kids to the beautiful monasteries, the starry nights, and the frozen waterfalls.
Along with the picturesque views, the book also discusses one of the major issues of the 21st century – Global Warming and the ill effects it has on the environment. In the end, there is a list of activities for children to do and learn more about climate change, pollution control, etc.
Daddoo's Day Out
By Prabhjot Kaur
Daddoo the little frog who lives with her ‘Ma,’ decides to have a day out all by herself exploring the world.
While at it, she comes across other animals, some seem friendly to her while others appear frightening like the big green alligator. She sees a lot of new colours and shapes but realizes by the end of the day that leaving home without her mother was not a good idea.
She befriends a sweet dragonfly and requests to be taken home. Upon reaching home safely, the dragonfly asks Daddoo to never leave alone ever again.
At the end of the book, there's a section called 'Fun Frog Facts' that shall amuse the young readers further.
The 'Supergirls' series
By Shlagha Borah
Art by Sonal Gupta Vaswani
It is a series set of four books, compiled and edited by Geeta Dharmarajan, Founder/Director of Katha. Each one of them is unique, real, and inspiring.
a. Supergirls Lead The Way
This book in the series raises a major issue – hygiene and cleanliness, why it is important and how to keep clean. It tells kids how unclean toilets and spreading of diseases like diarrhoea go hand in hand and why it is essential for them to maintain hygienic conditions and wash hands properly to avoid getting sick.
b. Supergirls Make A Difference
After discussing hygiene in the preceding book, the next in the series talks more about planning and implementation. While keeping in mind the comprehensive power of the young readers, it has been laid out in a very captivating but rather easy way. It also talks about water conservation and how to store water in closed, clean containers to avoid any contamination.
c. Supergirls Play A Trick
This book pays more focused attention to sanitation by teaching little ones the importance of it. It warns the children to be sure of cleanliness in order to circumvent diarrhoea, an illness that kills many children every day in India.
d. Supergirls Find A Solution
This last book in this series is a much-needed one as it talks about a still tabooed topic – Menstruation. Puberty and menstruation are topics to be discussed with pride and openness and this book does the same. It teaches girls about the changes in their body and how sanitary napkins are important in menstrual hygiene. Illness due to unhygienic condition during menstruation is not an unheard thing and it is equally important to address this at an early age.
Click on https://books.katha.org/ to access the books by Katha.
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