How these new bilingual books by AdiDev Press may help children learn more

Zysha Ferro found Hindi text in the book easy to read

The Indian publishing industry, especially for young and very young readers, is packed with new titles that hit bookshelves every week or even sooner. So how do parents decide what books work best for their little one, especially when it comes to educational titles? Recently, we received a set of three board books by AdiDev Press that were written in Hindi and English. Pagdi for Sinh, One Elephant, Two Monkey and Animal Band are verse books that will introduce young readers to Indian clothes, wildlife, and musical instruments.

We reached out to Borivli resident Suszy Ferro to see what her nine-year-old daughter Zysha thought about this set. "Children and animals have an instant connection, and that's precisely why these new titles made for a fun read for Zysha," shared Suszy. She continued, "Chitwan Mittal's witty writing and Ambika Karandikar's robust illustrations brought a smile across her face as she saw some of her favourite animals like the lion, rhinoceros and even a crocodile dressed up in Indian attire. She also enjoyed seeing farm animals go shopping."

Ambika Karandikar's illustrations reimagine animals in Indian attire

The parent felt that the bilingual nature of such short reads also helped introduce her daughter to a few new words in Hindi. Her daughter found the Hindi language in the book easy to read because the matras used are simple. "The Hindi-to-English translation is spot-on as well. There aren't too many shortcomings in the books, but if I have to pick one then I feel some Hindi words - around four or five - were a bit lengthy and difficult to explain to my little one," she revealed.

"Overall, I'm sure her Hindi vocabulary has been enhanced after this reading experience, and that's a priority for any parent," Suszy signed off.