Through Tales for Tweens, Chennai-based Florish Books tells inclusive stories for children about sustainability, climate change, gender identity and other relevant topics of the day.
through tales for tweensChennai-based Florish Books tells stories for children about sustainability, climate change, gender identity and other relevant topics of the day.
Constable Jinsey Jose is on the hunt for the stolen buffalo. “One of the finest constables of Erumanoor”, who “does not like to use any pronouns when identifying himself”, Jinsi encounters many obstacles in his quest – the most friendly of the villagers, who think that someone Why would a thief bother with such an ugly animal when there are so many beautiful cows?
tales for tweens book cover | photo credit: special arrangement
The true value of this lovely buffalo becomes clear at the end of the story, which links it to the broader picture of agriculture in India. Meanwhile, Jinsey’s mystery-solving adventure fits right in with the rest of the story. tales for tweensThe latest collection of simple yet intentionally inclusive stories from Chennai-based Florish Books that paint a picture of villages, cities, hills and islands around India, embracing everyone as they are, without any fuss Of.
Take Prateek, for example, a confident and energetic little school cricketer who goes by the pronoun zee/zir. Or Bhaiya, an older brother who spends his days carrying the weight of the demon Dukduk (a metaphor for depression), who has attached himself to the child’s back and refuses to leave.
“There are days when the dukduk is small and floats like a kite. Then Bhaiya gets up from the bed and plays… On other days Dukduk seems to be holding Bhaiya. He doesn’t even let Bhaiya get out of bed,” says the story, originally written by Sanjana Kapoor, and adapted by Deepak Varuvel Dennison and Pavitra Murugan for this collection. The story does an impeccable job of stripping the child of his depression-induced behavior: it is never Bhaiya who is angry or indifferent or indifferent, but the dukduk monster that is making him so.
Deepak Varuvel Dennison | photo credit: special arrangement
Each of the 11 stories has a text of inclusion, or deals with a topic relevant to the time. It is the same with all the books published by Florish founded by Deepak in 2020. A teacher by day, Deepak works with school children in different parts of Tamil Nadu, and is constantly on the lookout for stories that help children become more aware. from the world around them. Florish’s books are often structured using input from other teachers, and always tackle a relevant topic – sustainability, gender identity, body positivity and more.
“For Tales for Tweens, we took most of the stories from Storyweaver of Pratham Books, which publishes stories under a Creative Commons license. We then did what we always do with a potential story: put it through our inclusiveness index. Play, developed by our volunteer Medhavi Haseva. The index checks the story for any inherent or unintended bias in the story, which we correct with small rewrites. We also make the original images more inclusive,” Deepak explains on a call from Kalpakkam, where he is currently working in a rural school. So a character can be made gender neutral, a parable can include dark-skinned people or a child has dyslexia. Maybe without his bigger role in the story, or in society for that matter.
an example for a rainbow world
, Photo Credit: Illustration by Nilofer Wadia
The exception to this process is the first story, a rainbow world, “Surprisingly, we couldn’t find a single Creative Commons story for kids that deals with gender identity. So we just wrote our own,” says Deepak. The story is special for both Deepak and Pavitra. Pavitra says, “It Sets the tone for the rest of the book, and simplifies complex concepts for kids, “Another favorite of mine is a story about school elections that not only explains why you shouldn’t vote for the most attractive candidate.” but also does a good job of breaking down the confusions of a teenage mind step by step.”
Pavitra Murugan | photo credit: special arrangement
In keeping with Creative Commons rules – and because the original writing and illustration for each story is beautifully done – each story begins with due credits to the authors and artists in addition to a detailed glossary of credits at the end of the book.
Deepak finds the surprisingly rewarding part of the process is the parent’s feedback. “We’ve realized that parents appreciate stories more when it relates to a concept they already know. But with topics like gender identity a rainbow world, they get a little shocked. I consider it a good thing; It is a learning curve for them too,” the teacher indicated.
tales for tweens Available on the Florish Books website and on Amazon.