Where’s Mari?
Work in progress
This children’s book (for ages 6-12+) uses rich, detailed illustrations and an interactive search-and-find format to allow the reader to explore and learn about the cities they live in. The books storyline follows the adventures of the wandering titular cat, Mari, and will address topics like sustainability, conservation and climate change through the intricately layered narratives found in an urban Indian city. The books illustrations serve as an authentic record of life and livelihoods in modern day India with depictions of nature, busy street scenes, and domestic interiors for children to explore in detail. We know that stories and characters are a great way to get young readers curious about the world, and I wish to encourage them to observe the patterns of life in our environment.
The interplay between the built structures of a city and the natural world, in a constantly changing landscape, is full of stories that teach crucial and universal lessons. The book will be in a search-and-find format—predominantly visual—with text used to drive the narrative forward and pose open-ended questions and talking points to the readers.
Rough sketches of people doing various activities, to form part of one of the book spreads
A Neighbourhood Walk
Work in progress
This set of richly detailed flashcards is inspired by nature walks with my son in our neighbourhood. I realised that there is a gap in depictions of the local Indian visual environment in children’s products. For example, most of his books and cards would show animals, vehicles, foods, and even people, that were often not found around us. While it is important for children to be exposed to other cultures, I do feel its crucial, especially for a child growing their vocabulary, to see depictions that reinforce what he or she sees in their everyday life.
