Who knew the Bard of Bengal wrote funny children’s stories too? The Invention of Shoe (Niyogi Books) is a children’s book, translated into English from the satirical Bengali poem by Rabindranath Tagore, originally titled Juta Abishkar. Translated by Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee, and illustrated by Sekhar Mukherjee, it reimagines the invention of shoes through the humorous story of King Habu, who demands the scholars in his kingdom find a solution to the problem of the Earth’s dust touching his feet.

Rabindranath Tagore. Pic courtesy/Wikimedia Commons