This is an archive article published on September 26, 2021
Two new children’s books, Aai And I and The World Awaits, explore identity and acts of kindness
If Sanket Pethkar’s earthy hues sparkle Mamta Nainy’s South Asian references in one, Nomoco’s bright colours light up Welsh spoken-word poet Tomos Roberts’ — whose The Great Realisation went viral last year — cheerful, uplifting words in the other
Aai and I by Mamta Nainy & Sanket Pethkar Pickle Yolk Books 32 pages; `350 Appropriate for: 5+ years
Aai and I
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In a Facebook post addressed to Indian parents seeking reading recommendations for their children, author Venita Coelho spoke eloquently of creating “a landscape of belonging” by giving children stories set in a familiar milieu, to allow them the opportunity “to learn that heroes and heroines come in many more shades than white” and to discover writers who “reflect their reality back to them”. Mamta Nainy and Sanket Pethkar’s book serves as a perfect example of all that Coelho promises from contemporary Indian writers of children’s books.
Aai and I is the story of a little Maharashtrian girl, Aadya, who awaits her mother’s return from the hospital where she’s gone for an urgent surgery. It’s the day of her return and the little girl can’t wait, her anticipation spreading like a warm glow to everyone around her — from the family pet Nimki to her Ajji, busy preparing kande pohe just the way her mother loves it. It’s Ajji who always tells Aadya how closely she resembles her mother, a fact that she takes great pride in. But now, when her mother returns after surgery, there’s something that’s not quite the same about her any longer. Can Aadya figure out a way to make things go back to before?
From its use of names of endearment to food to the way the English language gets moulded on Indian tongues, Nainy’s story is alive to the nuances of the local and the regional. Aadya’s search for her identity, though, is a universal story. Nainy brings in a tenderness to Aadya’s engagement with what makes her who she is — a repository of larger legacies of family and community but also her own unique empathy and innocence that lends her a personality that is entirely her own.
Pethkar’s illustrations, in a palette dominated by earthy mustards, yellows, greens and blues, sparkle with references that can only be found in South Asian homes — jhoolas and pressure cookers; kolams and nauvari-sari drapes and unruly tresses with the most gorgeous curls.
The World Awaits by Tomos Roberts & Nomoco HarperCollins; 32 pages; `499 Appropriate for: 5+ years
The World Awaits
In April last year, a video by London-based Welsh spoken-word poet Tomos Roberts had gone viral with over 60 million hits. Titled The Great Realisation, it spoke of what life had been before the pandemic and how it could be transformed for the better afterwards. The unprecedented success of Roberts’ post-pandemic bedtime fable, that he’d created for his younger siblings, led to the video being turned into a picture book. Now, Roberts, or Tomfoolery as he is known as in the online universe, is back with another picture book in verse. The World Awaits picks up on the themes of kindness and thoughtful action that had made Roberts’ previous book so uplifting and speaks of how every act of consideration, however tiny or insignificant, makes a difference. “In our core is a plus and minus,/ and they’re eternally at play./ They give us the power/ to add goodness to the world,/ or to take some good away,” he writes.
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Tokyo-based Nomoco is known for her illustrations in a range of media, including silk screen, inks and lithography, and much of the book’s charm derives from the pop of bright colours that light up Roberts’ cheerful words.
Paromita Chakrabarti is Senior Associate Editor at the The Indian Express. She is a key member of the National Editorial and Opinion desk and writes on books and literature, gender discourse, workplace policies and contemporary socio-cultural trends.
Professional Profile
With a career spanning over 20 years, her work is characterized by a "deep culture" approach—examining how literature, gender, and social policy intersect with contemporary life.
Specialization: Books and publishing, gender discourse (specifically workplace dynamics), and modern socio-cultural trends.
Editorial Role: She curates the literary coverage for the paper, overseeing reviews, author profiles, and long-form features on global literary awards.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent writing highlights a blend of literary expertise and sharp social commentary:
1. Literary Coverage & Nobel/Booker Awards
"2025 Nobel Prize in Literature | Hungarian master of apocalypse" (Oct 10, 2025): An in-depth analysis of László Krasznahorkai’s win, exploring his themes of despair and grace.
"Everything you need to know about the Booker Prize 2025" (Nov 10, 2025): A comprehensive guide to the history and top contenders of the year.
"Katie Kitamura's Audition turns life into a stage" (Nov 8, 2025): A review of the novel’s exploration of self-recognition and performance.
2. Gender & Workplace Policy
"Karnataka’s menstrual leave policy: The problem isn’t periods. It’s that workplaces are built for men" (Oct 13, 2025): A viral opinion piece arguing that modern workplace patterns are calibrated to male biology, making women's rights feel like "concessions."
"Best of Both Sides: For women’s cricket, it’s 1978, not 1983" (Nov 7, 2025): A piece on how the yardstick of men's cricket cannot accurately measure the revolution in the women's game.
3. Social Trends & Childhood Crisis
"The kids are not alright: An unprecedented crisis is brewing in schools and homes" (Nov 23, 2025): Writing as the Opinions Editor, she analyzed how rising competition and digital overload are overwhelming children.
4. Author Interviews & Profiles
"Fame is another kind of loneliness: Kiran Desai on her Booker-shortlisted novel" (Sept 23, 2025): An interview regarding The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny.
"Once you’ve had a rocky and unsafe childhood, you can’t trust safety: Arundhati Roy" (Aug 30, 2025): A profile on Roy’s recent reflections on personal and political violence.
Signature Beats
Gender Lens: She frequently critiques the "borrowed terms" on which women navigate pregnancy, menstruation, and caregiving in the corporate world.
Book Reviews: Her reviews often draw parallels between literature and other media, such as comparing Richard Osman’s The Impossible Fortune to the series Only Murders in the Building (Oct 25, 2025). ... Read More
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Aai and I
The World Awaits
