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.
433 items in this section. Displaying page 7 of 44
Juan Tamad and the Flea-Killer
One weakness leads to another. So it was with Juan Tamad’s laziness. As his body was lazy, so was his mind. Truth being often hard to tell, he took recourse to lies, which came easy to him. Telling lies became his second nature. One day his mother sent him to town to buy a cooking pot. It so happened that the townspeople were afflicted by fleas. Nobody knew where they came from. They crawled up one’s legs and body and lodged themselves in the hair until one itched like mad....
The Eagle’s Tale
Did you hear the wind sigh As it brushed past the neem tree high? The wind met an eagle ready to cry What’s the matter? Smile – at least try. Said the wind to the eagle I’ve hurt my wings, I can’t fly That’s why I’m ready to cry The Eagle’s Tale [Illustration by Shinod AP] Said the eagle to the wind Is that all? What are we here for Said the neem and the wind with a...
How The Coconut Came To Myanmar
Myanmar (then called Burma) is known as the golden land of gold dome pagodas and swaying coconut trees. Coconut trees were originally called ‘gon-bin’ in Myanmar language, which translated in English means the mischief-maker’s tree. Why it is known by this most unusual name, is because once centuries ago, a raft carrying three people landed on the Burmese coast. The people on board this raft were taken to the king. On questioning them the king learnt that they had been banished from their own kingdom because of the crimes they had committed....
The Sparrow's Nest
Oh, why does the sparrow build a nest in the rain? Won’t the downpour wash the nest away? Asked the child, to her grandmother. Monsoon is a time when there are lots of worms, and that means food for the little ones! That’s why sparrows build a nest in the rain, said the grandmother with a smile The Sparrow’s Nest [Illustration by Anup Singh]
Milk! Milk! Milk!
Morning, afternoon, evening, night Kappu wants milk all the time He drinks six bottles in a day And always feels contented and gay. Bananas and biscuits mashed in milk Are things that Kappu loves to drink As soon as he finishes drinking a bowl His mommy gives a kiss on his nose. Milk! Milk! Milk! [Illustration by Shinod AP]
Adal-Badal: The Exchange
It was the hour of twilight on the day of the Holi festival. A group of village boys, gathered under a neem tree, were playing, throwing dust at one another. Amrit and Isab came walking arm-in-arm and joined them. Both were wearing new clothes stitched that very day, identical in every respect: colour, size and material. The boys were in the same class, at the same school and lived in houses facing each other at the corner of the street....
Cypress Street
I took a stroll down Cypress Street The hot sidewalk beneath my feet. The one thing that stood out the most Where trees once stood there were lamppost. I’d never seen so much concrete No Cypress left on Cypress Street. According to my Great Aunt Gem There used to be a lot of them. They cut them down. They took their wood A treeless street is plum no good! Just like a treeless neighborhood So tell the Mayor next time they meet…...
Parrots in My Garden
When it’s early morning Before it’s really light A flock of parrots flies across Looking trim and bright They swoop down on the juicy grams Which I love to throw They are not afraid of me The way they come and go! Soon my lawn is clean and clear Of every little grain Parrots in My Garden [Illustration by Sudheer Nath] And then the parrots leave the place To fly back once again....
Silence is Golden
Once upon a time, a Chinese student once went to his teacher. He asked his teacher a question: “Sir, is there any good in talking a lot?” The teacher replied: “Toads and frogs croak night and day, but no one pays any attention to them. But the cock crows at a certain time of night and wakes up everyone.” Silence is Golden [Illustration by Sudheer Nath] The teacher smiled at his student and said, “This proves that no good is achieved by talking a lot....
Excerpts from Snake Trouble
Grandmother was tolerant of most of his pets, but she drew the line at reptiles. Even a sweet-tempered lizard made her blood run cold. There was little chance that she would allow a python in the house. “It will strangle you to death!” she cried. “Nonsense,” said Grandfather. “He’s only a young fellow.” “He’ll soon get used to us,” I added, by way of support. “Lock that awful thing in the bathroom,” she said. Excerpts from Snake Trouble [Illustrations by Mickey Patel] “Go and find the man you bought it from, give him twenty rupees or twice as much, and get him to come here and collect it!...