Kesar and the Lullaby Birds
Author: Aditi Oza
Illustrator: Debasmita Dasgupta
Publisher: Yali Books
I am a big fan of books produced by Yali books because they make me think and feel deeply. Kesar and the Lullaby Birds delivers as promised in all areas – the research, the nostalgia factor, the setting, the story, the beautiful illustrations, and the rich back matter!
Kesar’s baby sister, Kamal, is having trouble sleeping and everyone else is having trouble pacifying her. One day, Grandma visits to help decorate the house. When Kesar looks at the gifts Grandma has brought, she is inspired. She knows just what to do to help Kamal fall asleep, and it works!
It feels like Aditi has weaved her childhood into this beautiful tale and Debasmita with her illustrations brings so much joy to the story. I also loved the special artwork Aditi put together in the end pages, her self-portrait as well as the well-researched back-matter. The book is a wealth of resources for classroom teachers looking for folktales and diverse stories in their curriculum and will be treasured by families everywhere as a read-aloud. And a special mention to the lovely little birds in the book, I will let you all read the book to discover that part!