A few years ago when Julia Donaldson stopped at a Mumbai bookshop on a promotional tour, it was packed with excited children and equally enthusiastic parents. The British author’s books, which blend rhyming, lyrical words with colourful illustrations, are a treat for all ages, really. 

Donaldson's next picture book is expected to be released in 2022, it was recently reported. Titled ‘Welcome to the World’, it will include sketches by the veteran illustrator Helen Oxenbury. It is themed on how newborns experience new senses, people, and places around them for the first time.