Work in progress 1 | Where’s Mari?

I’m working on a book for young readers between the ages of 4–8. Using detailed illustrations to depict busy street scenes of the city I live in, I aim to create an authentic record of life and livelihoods in modern day India.

We know that stories and characters are a great way to get children interested in subjects like conservation and ecology; I wish to encourage readers 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 could teach many crucial and universal lessons.

The book will be in a search-and-find format—predominantly visual—with text used sparingly to drive the narrative forward and pose open-ended questions and talking points to the readers.

Work in progress 2 | A Neighbourhood Walk

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.