A Children's picture book and a poem for each week

Mar 09, 2024

Hello,

Hope you have a restful weekend or atleast some moments of pleasure and rest. Last few days I spent in the company of some of the most amazing librarian practising love through children’s books and libraries. The week in training was a coming together to respond to the question ‘ How are/can libraries be spaces for nurturing mental health and accessing justice ?’ A week of loitering in the gentle but sometimes harsh invitations of this question, group discoveries of how problems operate, loitering walks in Cubbon park, finding know-hows of navigation, laughing as a way to know solidarity and drawing ‘what love feels like’.

All along this I reminded myself each time when I felt joy or just plain old sadness - to eat a dosa. how can I not ? Im in Bangalore, a city filled with just magical corners bustling with the crackling sound of the sprinkled water hitting the hot tawa. That’s my sound to pleasure. just what I need to stop time from moving or take me back to Sunday mornings at my Mum’s, while Disney hour would start on Doordarshan along side hot dosas with my mother’s world famous fantabulous chutney and sambar. Aiyoooo what a joy this is, just to be transported in time.

Here’s a book that transported me recently to early 90’s of growing up in a small suburb of Bombay in my mother’s house :

My Home Holds us All Written and Illustrated by Siddhi Vartak, Published by Pratham Books.

https://storyweaver.org.in/en/stories/478574-my-home-holds-us-all?mode=read