BENGALURU: Writing a book for children is no child’s play, you need to be at your interactive best. When Anushka Ravishankar (58) moved to Chennai in 1996, little did she know that it would be the right place at the right time.
Her first children’s book, Tiger on a Tree, was translated to Japanese, Korean and French languages and sold over 1,000 copies in the US. Sharing the stage alongside other speakers at the Bengaluru Poetry Festival, which concluded on Sunday, Ravishankar gave some insight into her style of writing. “It is mostly a glimpse of something which strikes me as funny. I get inspired by the illustration at times but otherwise, it’s a natural inclination,” said Ravishankar.
Often being termed as the Indian Dr Seuss, Ravishankar feels the comparison is unfair. She added, “I feel quite embarrassed at times. Dr Seuss was a children’s author of the rarest kind.”
While authoring a children’s book, one must understand a child’s mind, and Ravishankar feels that the child within has given her the edge. She claimed that it isn’t an effort but rather a natural inclination that lets you see through a child’s perspective. Talking about the children’s book industry, she feels the change over the years has been heartening. Ravishankar has collaborated with artists from India, South Africa, Italy, and Switzerland. Today Is My Day, a collaboration with illustrator Piet Grobler, is her favourite. She said, “I have just finished a book in verse for Tara Publications and the dates are yet to be announced. There are also books for Duckbill Publications, which will be out in quick succession.”
When it comes to her audience of little ones, Ravishankar said, “Children don’t have too much information, unlike adults. They have a very unfiltered view of the world.”