This community has been the driving force behind shaping Rajveer’s reading journey. Most of the books mentioned below are thanks to the wonderful KBC family. RV loves his books and we spend a significant part of our day reading. It’s interesting how some have remained as his regular picks for a few years while many are basis his changing interests. We sincerely believe that books help in fostering imagination, sparking brilliant conversations, introducing our bright young readers to various topics, addressing issues and of course keeping them engaged!
- A book with pirates : Funniest Story Book Ever! by Richard Scarry.
This book has a story called Uncle Willy and the Pirates. Everyone knows our love for Scarry and this book is no exception. It has some super funny and engaging stories with all of Rajveer’s favorite Busy Town characters. This one’s sure to keep your bright sparks engaged and laughing. - A book with siblings : Healthy Eating with Zayn and Zoey.
This was our first Z&Z and one of our favorites. It was RVs first introduction to concepts of junk food, balanced diet, important food groups and their significance and of course in understanding a very important message ie healthy can be tasty!
ONLY KBC MEMBERS HAVE A SPECIAL COUPON CODE KBC15 which will give you 15% OFF when you order directly from the ZAYN AND ZOEY website. Simply click this link that takes you to the Zayn and Zoey shop on their website. - A book with grandparents : Pickle Mania by Srividhya Venkat.
It’s a delightful story about a little girl called Nitya who wants to eat red pickles like her grandparents do, only to realise that they are too spicy for tots. Thus she decides to make her own pickle which is just right! Rajveer loves the concept of something made specially for children. Also since he enjoys pretend cooking he enjoys the part of the pickles being made by Nitya’s grandmother with Nitya playing a dutiful helper as well as master taster! - A book by your favourite Indian author– Gajapati Kulapati books by Ashok Rajagopalan
This was tough to choose since we love many Indian authors. We decided this by virtue of maximum books by the same author and that turned out to be Ashok Rajagopalan since we have the entire Gajapati Kulapati series. This one is a big hit with most kiddos including mine. Given our lovable protagonist, Gajapati (an elephant) and some funny sounds and repetitive words which the little ones find hilarious and they are bound to make you read these aloud multiple times! - A book by Mark Sperring- The Most Wonderful Gift in the World
I’ll be honest we didn’t have any books by Sperring and ordered basis this prompt and so glad we did. We got a few and our favorite so far is The Most Wonderful Gift in the World. It’s a lovely story about friendship set around Christmas time, making it more magical! Rajveer enjoys the story and loves the name Bunny Boo Boo! - Any Indian language book- Sapno Ke Pankh- Choti si Asha by Surbhi Mittal and Abhay Sahare.
It’s a heart warming story about a little girl, Asha who loves puppets and puppet shows and wants one for a competition. And how her wise grandmother helps her fulfill her dream and learn an important lesson. It’s a simple yet touching story and I am glad we chose this as our first Hindi language book. - A book set outdoors or in nature: Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
This is one of the prettiest books we own. It’s a lovely story inspired by the Lupine Lady, Hilda Hamlin. It contains a beautiful message on living life to the fullest and leaving back a legacy by finding your own unique way of making the world more beautiful! Rajveer really enjoys reading this one and I hope he finds his own special way to make this world better. - A book about bugs – My Little Golden Book about Bugs by Bonnie Bader.
It’s a simple yet effective book to introduce your kids to the world of bugs. The colorful illustrations as well as fun facts are quite helpful and informative. This is out first bug book and I am sure won’t be our last given how much Rajveer has enjoyed reading this one and learned from it as well. - A book set in winter- All the Way Home by Debi Gliori.
Not only are the illustrations divine, the story is heart warming and this combination will ensure multiple readings. Papa Penguin and baby egg are whisked away by a strong gust of wind. And how Papa Penguin wants to bring his precious egg back home before Mama returns and their journey in the Arctic before being taken back home by a special someone! Read this book to find out who! We have had this book for a while now however it still gets picked every few weeks! - A biography : Martin Luther King Jr-Little People, Big Dream series by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vagara.
Such a lovely book, illustrated and written to engage kids yet drive home an important life lesson of peacefully changing the world to become a more just and fair place for all where you are judged by your character and nothing else. I wasn’t sure if Rajveer will understand the delicate message of not being treated fairly and discrimination but the book beautifully simplifies it and you will be surprised with the lovely discussions it has the potential to spark. I highly recommend this book and this series and don’t be surprised if your kids start using “I have a dream” often post reading this one! - A book set in another country- What’s For Lunch Papa Penguin by Jo Williamson.
This is a fun book which starts in the Antartic and then takes Papa Penguin and Pippin on a world tour to bring back some interesting food items from around the world to enhance their café menu and ends in irony! You have to read this hilarious book to find out!!
This book can be ordered from Scholastic India via our kbc storefront as well. Scholastic India always has special offers on. - A book about making the best out of a sticky situation- After The Fall by Dan Santat.
A very fresh and unique take on Humpty Dumpty after his “great” fall and how he musters up his courage to overcome his fears and transform into the best version of himself! It’s a lovely book and Rajveer really likes reading this often. - A book with a bird on the cover- Sneaky Beak by Tracey Corderoy.
This is a very funny book and Rajveer loves how sneaky, Sneaky Beak is. It effectively drives home an important message of not buying things you do not need. And that clutter and materialism can in fact alienate you from your loved ones. I realized while writing this there is another similar book on a similar-ish concept of decluttering called Kiki and Jax which also has a bird on the cover! Such a coincidence. Both very different in terms of the storyline and treatment but equally effective and engaging. - A non-fiction book- Usborne Look Inside your Body.
I’ll be honest, Usborne is our go to for so many topics including what’s sleep, what are clouds, look inside a hospital and many more. This particular flap book dispenses some awesome facts about the human body in a simple manner to our young readers. Flaps help keep things more interesting. Rajveer loves showing off his wisdom about the human body, all thanks to this wonderful book. - An inspiring book- Engibear’s Dream
There are so many books we find inspiring. Top of the mind for us is Engibear’s Dream. It’s a book which inspires you to not give up on your dreams, keep going despite failures and keep learning from them and getting better with each attempt till you succeed! Rajveer finds some of the epic fails quite amusing and we use Engibear as an example of not giving up, when he makes a mistake and wants to stop doing something! - A book that helped address an issue- How Full is your Bucket? For Kids by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmayer.
I remember we’d bought this one close to Rajveer starting physical school last year. This book beautifully demonstrates the concept of feelings via an imaginary bucket and how when we are good to people it helps make us and others happy. This helped Rajveer in easily explaining how he felt and made it easy for us to address teething challenges during this important transition time since he had words to express his feelings via the metaphorical bucket . The book also helped him understand the impact of his actions on others which we thought was a wonderful realisation especially since starting school meant he would be have to interact with more people than he ever had, thanks to the pandemic. We’ve had many wonderful conversations thanks to this one. - A book published by Parragon Publishing: We got The Birth of Rama and End of Ravana.
They both have 70 short stories each. We have covered a few stories by now which I simplify to make it more age appropriate for Rajveer. He has been enjoying getting to learn about Gods, sages and rituals. - A book with a human-animal duo: Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell.
Rajveer chose the little girl (we have named her Harriet) and the wolf pup as his favourite human and animal duo. They are in one of our favorite books called Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell. It’s set in a cold blizzard but it’s a very warm story about helping those in need despite odds. It’s a book about friendship and kindness that transcend boundaries and all these important messages are communicated purely by beautiful illustrations and no words. - A book with a vegetable’s name in the title: Thatha’s Pumpkin by Lalita Iyer.
This was simple for Rajveer to choose! It’s a book about magic of growing things and sharing. And how sharing can lead to outcomes you didn’t quite expect thus never miss an opportunity to share since your kindness multiplies and comes back to you, making everyone happy! Rajveer enjoys the simple story and grins when Thatha asks for his big portion of pumpkin and receives a microscopic one. - A book with the letter Z in the title: Who’s Afraid or Z? Not Me by Lubaina Bandukwala:
A super funny book which carries an important message that everything (and everyone) has their own importance and we should never underestimate anyone or ignore them. The irate and animated Z is amusing while teaching our little readers to treat all equally. - A second hand book: Star Wars Droids
So if you are a Star Wars fan or come from a family of Star Wars fanatics then this book is a must buy! It’s got different droid sounds on the cover and the text inside tells you a little about 5 droids! Rajveer’s favorite is C3P0 saying “We are doomed” and quipping back with ” We are not doomed, C3PO” and laughing! - A book with stars on the cover: Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers.
This book has some of the loveliest illustrations we have seen. It also conveys an essential message about being kind to Planet Earth, each other, to animals and the role we can all play. About how time is precious so we must make the most of it. Also that we may look and talk different but we are all people and we are never alone! This book is an absolute must have for your little ones. We love it! - A book about books: Wanted! Ralfy Rabbit, Book Burglar by Emily Mackinzie.
It’s a delightful and funny book which via Ralfy and Arthur demonstrate love for books but also that you can’t take what doesn’t belong to you . Also, if you really want something there’s always a right way to achieve it. This book will fuel your child’s imagination, make them laugh, learn a lesson and identity with Ralfy at some level if they happen to love books too!
All of Emily Mackinzie’s books are just as funny and engaging! - A book with a villain: Cats and Robbers by Russell Ayto.
We love this book with 3 villains!!! It’s a super funny book with some fun illustrations and easy, sometimes repetitive text which catches Rajveer’s attention. It’s a thriller where you need to read to find out if our 2 Spy Cats are able to outsmart 3 intruders who come into their house!! We love this one! - A book that has a royal character: The Grand Chapati Contest.
The first book that came to our minds was The Grand Chapati Contest. This one owing to its size and lovely content is a regular in my bag when are on the go to a restaurant/ cafe! Rajveer loves making chapati every day and I mean every day! He makes his dough ball, flattens it and uses the chakla belan to make a “round ” shape before lunch each day and gives it to our cook to cook it – then shares this one with whoever is present in the house! Thus buying this book was a no brainer. He proudly shows off his chapati to all and asks “Fit for a king?” Buy this book for your fluffy, puffy, round and soft chapati lovers. It touches upon reality, not having enough and things changing when you act upon it and seize a golden opportunity!
- A book that focuses on cooking or baking: How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman.
This one takes you a delightful adventure around the world to source the best and freshest ingredients for your apple pie! Then process the ingredients to be mixed in the batter. It’s educational and entertaining and we absolutely adore this one! Rajveer loves to ask what’s the character’s name in all books and wherever there’s no name he likes to come up with one. He has named the unnamed adventurer Sharasvi! And calls it his Sharasvi book! Hope you enjoy it as much as we do! - The most engaging Activity Book: Usborne- Wipe Clean, Travel Activities.
This book of ours is super well traveled and accompanied us on various adventures. It’s engaging and fun. This one can keep our little tornado busy while honing his attention, focus and fine motor skills. - A book you gift often: Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller.
This is without a doubt Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller. It’s a beautiful book that talks about acts of kindness and how each act goes out in the universe and makes the whole world kind and beautiful. It beautifully conveys how each seemingly small act of kindness can go a long way and mean the world to someone else. We’ve had some brilliant discussions thanks to this book. Each act sparks an example and something our munchkins can easily identity with and want to practice. It’s undoubtedly one of our all time favourites to read and gift! - An early chapter book you enjoyed: Unicorn and Yeti- Sparkly New Friends.
I was confused what was the definition of early chapter books thus reached out for help asking for recommendations. From the fab recommendations we got would love to mention Acorn Books-Unicorn and Yeti- Sparkly New Friends. It’s a fun story about friendship and how friends help you see you are already pretty cool the way you are, via 2 adorable creatures.
This All ACORN books as well as different books in the UNICORN & YETI SERIES can be ordered from Scholastic India via our kbc storefront as well. Scholastic India always has special offers on. - A book you got from kbc recommendations: Library Lion by Michelle Nudson.
I didn’t know what to choose for this one since most of our books are from recommendations by this wonderful community. Would like to mention, Library Lion by Michelle Nudson. This is one of our favorites for sure. The beautiful illustrations, text, characters and the whole book are all just so endearing. Library Lion has to be our favourite, most loveable lion amongst all our Lion books. The charming , old world library makes you yearn for something as delightful in your city! We sought out the closest library to visit post reading this book. Rajveer also loves saying “No running ” whenever someone is running in the house to let’s say open the door etc and chuckles. The book also in a very charming way communicates sometimes it’s OK to bend/ break rules if it’s for a good reason! It’s a must have in your library!
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