When Sunil is sent to stay with his Uncle Vish, he doesn’t know quite what to expect. All he knows is that it’s a long way from the city to the jungles of Madhya Pradesh, and that his Uncle’s job is to protect the tigers that live there. Befriended by a little Adivasi girl called Jungu, Sunil soon has to face some tough questions. If the tigers are to survive, then the people must be moved out of the forest. But what will happen to Jungu and all the other Baiga villagers? Don’t they have a right to be there? And meanwhile, there’s a very real, very dangerous gang of poachers to be caught. Vithal Rajan’s delightful tale of an unusual friendship between a city boy and an Adivasi girl introduces children to the magical world of the Baigas, teaching them tolerance, respect and the importance of protecting the natural environment. Published by Zubaan.

Escapades of self-serving do-gooders, national leaders, babus, and other frauds, Indian and International.

Inspiring, informative, ingenious...meet twenty-five of India’s most celebrated female scientists. From astrophysics to zoology, learn what it takes to make a career in science. Who were they encouraged by? What did they struggle against? What motivated them to chose their particular field? What are the key questions at the cutting edge of modern research? What are the Big Questions that they are striving to find answers for? Why chose a life in science at all? Each of the women in this essential guide gives a short overview of their life and career. The profiles are accompanied by “Know-it-ology”—a brief introduction to their particular field of research. Each of the scientists describes her own “Eureka Moment”. Including: Sudha Bhattacharya (biochemistry), Renee M Borges (tropical biology) Priya Davidar (ecology), Shobhana Narasimhan (physics), Rama Govindarajan (fluid mechanics), Sulabha Pathak (microbiology), Manju Sharma (botany), Joyanti Chutia (plasma physics), Sulochana Gadgil (meteorology), Priyadarshini Karve (energy studies), and many more... Published by Zubaan.

A vampire piggybacking on a king's back while spinning stories and riddles! Poor King Vikram! Tasked by the sorcerer Shaitanish to bring him a corpse, he finds that a vampire named Betal has taken residence in it. He’ll come along only if King Vikram lends a willing ear to a series of riddling tales. There’s the one about the world’s most sensitive ladies: Queens Touchmenot, Itsratherhot and Oohmyhead. There’s the tale of the four foolish brothers Nin, Com, Poo and Oops. Each tale is crazier, funnier, madder than the last, and even if King Vikram doesn’t enjoy the journey - you sure will! The story of Vikram and Betal is over a thousand years old. See this much-loved traditional tale come alive with Priya Kuriyan’s fabulous illustrations. Published by Zubaan.

Be transported into dystopian cities and alternate universes. Hang out with unicorns, cyborgs and pixies. Learn how to waltz in outer space. Be amazed and beguiled by a fairy tale with an unexpected twist, a futuristic take on a TV cooking show, and a playscript with tentacles. In other words, get ready for a wild ride! This collection of sci-fi and fantasy writing, including six graphic stories, showcases twenty of the most exciting writers and artists from India and Australia, in an all-female, all-star line-up! Published by Zubaan.

In A Small, Sleepy Town In Northern India, Three Children Gaze Out Onto A Rain-Drenched Street, Waiting For A Most Unusual Guest. Their Father S Younger Brother Is Coming To Stay. Who Is Younguncle? What S His Real Name? Was He Really, Truly Kidnapped By Monkeys When He Was Little? Can He Really Make A Noise Like A Sewing Machine? Will He Ever (Heaven Forbid!) Settle Down And Get Married? When He Finally Arrives, Sarita, Ravi And The Baby Know Instantly That Their Lives Will Never Be The Same Again. Meet India S Newest And Most Engaging Literary Creation, As He Outwits The Local Hoodlums, Rescues The Town S Finest Milk-Cow, Evades The Baby S Schemes To Eat His Shirts, Flummoxes Unwanted In-Laws, Plucks The Hair From A Sleeping Tiger S Tail, And Generally Turns The World Upside-Down.

As if being the new kids isn’t enough, Padma and Kannagi Shankar quickly find that New Dawn High School isn’t exactly a regular school. They have weird subjects like ‘Pot of Gold’ and ‘Maths and Beauty’ and some of their classes are taught by students! But it’s more strange than bad, and the sisters start to enjoy themselves and make new friends – until a discovery in the library and a few unpleasant encounters lead them to question their presence at the school in the first place. With their parents far away, and their Thatha not being the easiest person to talk to, the girls are forced to find solutions of their own – but will they work, or will the bullies win?

Rishabh the rat and Shashee the spider are quite happy with the way they are: rummaging around in Venkat Thatha’s wonderful, musty, dusty, rare herbs shop. Until, that is, they stumble upon a magical powder and find themselves transformed into human children. It’s not easy being a kid: there’s school, and homework, wearing clothes and—yuk!—having to use soap... but even worse, their very home and the entire city are under threat from an evil moneylender and property dealer known as the Shark. With the help of other children, friendly cockroaches, cheeky mosquitoes, and a very Big Bandicoot, they set out to prove that no problem is too big even for the smallest of creatures. “Riddle of the Seventh Stone [is] a unique take on ordinary events and creatures that we take so much for granted; things that get extraordinary in Sahu’s gifted hands.” —Shreekumar Varma “Monideepa Sahu’s delightful debut book should be prescribed reading for all school age children. I for one have decided to put it firmly on my list of gifts to keep in stock, and am eagerly looking forward to her next!”—Saffron Tree “...a fun read, even for this adult reader, so I’m sure children would thoroughly enjoy the creepy bits as well as the Indian setting. What a welcome change!” —Hasmita Chanda Published by Zubaan.

It is 1888. As Central Asia reels under the intrigues of the Great Game, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson sail to India on a secret mission in the service of Empire. The accountant of a Hindu monastery has been brutally murdered, and the head priest is the prime suspect. But as both detective and doctor soon discover, their Indian autumn has only just begun. They are plunged into a series of adventures that take them from Madras and Pondicherry to the princely courts of Hyderabad, the uncharted jungles of the Central Provinces, pine-scented Nainital, and the bustling metropolis of Calcutta. Even as Holmes unravels sinister plots, Watson busies himself helping Ronald Ross track the malaria parasite and advising a schoolboy called Dhyan Chand on the finer points of hockey. The six stories in Holmes of the Raj are delightful vignettes of life and politics in colonial India. Vithal Rajan breathes life into historical characters, as Holmes and Watson meet Lord Ripon, Madame Blavatsky, Francis Younghusband, Kipling and Kim himself, Vivekananda, Aurobindo, Ramanujan, Motilal Nehru, Tagore, Jinnah, and many, many others. Sprightly, colourful, and remarkably faithful to Conan Doyle, this is an unforgettable collection.