BENGALURU: In 2024, children’s literature continues to evolve with new trends and themes that reflect the changing interests and needs of young readers. Mohan Pattipaka, assistant editor, Telugu, National Book Trust, says that the last six to seven years have seen quite a shake-up in children’s literature. Over 600 children’s books have been published in Telugu, and books in Kannada, Tamil, Hindi, Marathi and Bengali have also shown good results. Interestingly, most of them are written by children themselves.
The themes they choose to write about aren’t limited to their lives at home or school but also deal with serious issues such as parental divorce. Last year, 13-year-old Saira Kashigai of Hyderabad, discussed such a theme in her book Butterfly, published by Anvekshiki.
Books that deal with diversity and inclusion are also equally popular, focusing on protagonists from various cultural backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, and abilities. “Books that help generate awareness among children about fundamental rights, children’s rights, gender identities, equality, personal body and sexuality are also becoming increasingly popular,” Pattipaku adds.
Let them fall in love
As storytelling formats change with the entry of the visual medium, books also have to keep up with such trends and enhance the size and expression of the pictures they use in their books. “For pre-school and primary school children, picture books have always been a necessity. Since we focus on teaching Telugu with the help of such books, we also have older kids engaging with them,” says K Suresh from Manchi Pustakam.
It is not the age, but exposure that matters. However, for him, these trends come and go. What sustains a continued interest in books is a persistent effort to cultivate a love for reading among children. “We have always believed that children should choose books themselves and they rarely get an opportunity to do so.
Storybooks that are funny and full of playful elements, are significant in developing an interest in books among children,” he says.
Timeless stories
Children also prefer storybooks that require them to think logically and deploy problem-solving themes. “When we went to school, Panchantantra was quite popular. Now, amidst the internet-savvy generation, children do not need moral stories but need something much more meaningful,” says Mohan.
Some names that are popular among kids, are “Dr Siri’s puzzle books, Aksharalato Aata, Ramendra Kumar’s Boond and Rabindranath Tagore’s timeless stories such as Gharwapasi and Kabulliwallah,” he adds.
Graphic novels, a hit
Some of the new and upcoming trends also hint towards the popularity of graphic novels. Sudeshna Shome Ghosh, publisher, Talking Cub says, “Among readers from age eight to older teens, graphic novels are quite popular as are books with lots of line drawings, like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Big Nate etc.”
Comics like Amar Chitra Katha remain bestsellers though. “Our illustrated poetry books series is a big draw and includes poetry by Ruskin Bond, Tagore, and others accompanied by beautiful artwork that also has a contemporary touch. Easy-to-read, non-fiction books like biographies are popular, like in our Incredible Lives series where we cover the lives of iconic Indians,” she adds.
Sudha Murty’s Grandma’s Bag of Stories continues to be a best-seller, says Mansi Shetty, a marketing professional at Penguin. “Besides Japanese Manga, Indian graphic novels like The People of Indus, Maithali and The Minotaur, focusing on immersive world-building, adventure, and detailed artwork have also seen a rise in popularity. To help children get ‘hooked’ on books, we have a series of ‘hook books’ for ages five to seven. These include books like Wet Paint by Asha Nehemiah and the recent release, I Won’t Wash My Hair by Aparna Kapur,” she adds.
Human-animal ties, tech, are new trends
Hinting at what new trends we might get to see in the time to come, Trisha De Niyogi, COO & director, Niyogi Books, explains: “According to research, there are nearly 31 million pet dogs and 2.44 million pet cats in India. Thus, we envision more books on human-animal relationships, wildlife and environmental awareness. Science and science-inspired fiction are perennial sellers and we will see technology being integrated more efficiently in children’s books – both picture books as well as young adult literature.”