Let’s gather around Nani

Jishaan carefully listens to the story, Haathi aur Khargosh

The unfolding of summer vacations for a child can seem fragmented without a nani or dadi voice-drawing fabled lands. Her entrancing intonations, her playful scorn and her parliament of wise owls or silly geese make for riveting adventures. But will childhoods shaped in the last two years bear similar impressions?

Three-year-old Jishaan Jain likes engaging with on-screen narratives. He got hooked on catchy visuals and fast-moving images in the pandemic. But can he imagine storytellers as starlings through vocal textures and words? Kini Aur Nani, a podcast that tells stories for kids in Hindi, lures young listeners with calming cadence, and ferries them to images of being tucked into bed by their grandmothers. Jishaan hasn't picked his favourite between Nani and Kini, but he jumps excitedly to meet his friend - Jhumru Rabbit. "He is fond of animals. He can recall the English names for these animals and that's what spurs his curiosity," his mother Mahima, reveals.

In Rohit Jasoos, writer Nutan Raj describes Rohit's dilemma when his uncle's favourite tie disappears from his room, briefly catching our little reviewer's attention. But, he scrolls from one story to another without waiting for the previous one to end. Mahima reasons, "It is the absence of visuals. He is accustomed to images in motion; interpreting sounds while latching on to curiosity takes more patience, and he hasn't practiced that." We realise that while the absorbing Hindi narration adds to fundamental vocabulary, some words are not accessible to a new-age kid. Jishaan knows "prithvi" as Earth, and "dhenchu-dhenchu" as a donkey's cry. Without some amount of explaining, he loses track of the tale. The three-year-old was glued to his mum's expressions when she enacted the stories alongside. He laughed, reacted and was keen to know if the sharks in Ek Shark ki Kahaani were angry with humans, and if humans were actually invading their homes.

Mahima feels her son can learn English as part of school curriculum or even later but he must learn Hindi and his mother tongue, Marwari. She believes this series can teach the language organically while highlighting complex concerns and simple emotions.

KINI AUR NANI PODCAST

AGE GROUP: 3 to 6 years
TYPE: Audio storytelling
PRICE: Free on Spotify
RATING: 2.5/4
LOG ON: spotify.com