Hugging a copy of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, a book almost as big as himself, three-year-old Ekaash pads across the terracotta-tiled courtyard and settles into a tiny chair. Minutes later, he swaps it for The Very Hungry Caterpillar. A few months ago, his mother says, books barely held his attention. Today, reading has become his favourite activity. This is the transformation Kathatitam, a children’s library in Gachibowli Lane, Hyderabad, was founded to nurture.
Since opening in August 2025, Kathatitam, which means “going beyond the story”, has welcomed more than 250 children, many of whom have gone from reluctant readers to enthusiastic ones. Founded by Shilpa Kiranveer and her husband, Kiranveer PN, the library grew out of years of parenting their four sons. “Whenever I wanted to teach my children something, I would pick up a book and help them learn. I created this space for children to experience stories,” says Shilpa, founder of Kathatitam.
With its village-style decor, the fifth-floor library replaces conventional reading rooms with charpai cots, rangoli-painted walls, wooden pillars, potted plants and an open terracotta courtyard. Children browse everything from The Gruffalo and The Magic Faraway Tree to Gajapati Kulapati and Amar Chitra Katha comics. Shilpa, also a theatre artist, often performs the stories. “I enjoy conveying messages through stories. I feel that it grounds me every time,” she says. During the performances, children draw scenes from what they have read, explore Indian art forms, and discuss emotions, friendships, and change. “It’s good for children to grow with their roots,” Shilpa says.
The library sits somewhere between home and school, offering children a space to process experiences they may not yet have the words for. Before recommending a title, Shilpa often speaks with parents to understand what a child is going through. She recalls a girl who had recently moved from Odisha to Hyderabad and was struggling to adjust. Instead of handing her an unrelated title, Shilpa chose stories about children navigating new cities. “This helped her learn to adapt to change,” she says.
The sessions are intentionally small, with just five or six children at a time. Afternoons are reserved for one-on-one reading support. On one shelf sits a pile of picture books meant for preschoolers. “I have a child who is in Grade 6. She’s having difficulty reading English. So, I’m teaching her comprehension... I’m sitting with her and reading small picture books,” says Shilpa
The changes Shilpa witnesses rarely fit into report cards. A shy child begins speaking up. Another writes more confidently. Someone else simply learns to listen. Looking ahead, she hopes to work with schools, train teachers, support parents and expand Kathatitam’s collection of Indian books. “I am motivated by the change I see in children. The change is different in each child... But I believe in sowing the seed,” she says.
Shilpa’s idea of success, however, remains simple. “How I measure success is when I see children pick up books on their own, read, and put them back in the same rack where they picked them up from,” she says.
