It is essential for children to learn shapes, forms, and the basic motor skills to function in this fast-moving society. The publishing house of Bani Sansad brings Illustrated Nursery Rhymes with this very concept. Compiled and edited by Santinath Adhikary, the book contains 10 children’s rhymes, poems, and limericks.

The book comes with fun activities like maze puzzles, colouring pictures of visually appealing images, and joining dots to form an image. Twinkle Twinkle comes with counting stars on the following pages, which are very engaging and create a stepping stone into books for kids in the technology-driven world today.

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Kuhoo Mitra is an artist and illustrator with a passion for children’s books, Illustrated Nursery Rhymes being her first published work that showcases her illustrations and designs. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Receiving a merit-based tuition scholarship from the college for all four years of study, Kuhoo attended Modern High School for Girls (MHS) in Kolkata before going to New York to pursue her dreams. She won a Regional Winner award in an All-India art competition hosted by INTACH in 2017. In June 2024, Kuhoo held her first solo exhibition at Calcutta Rowing Club in Kolkata. She exhibited artworks in various mediums and on various subject matters.

In conversation with The Statesman, Kuhoo Mitra delved into the book of illustration as a genre. Here are the excerpts.

How do you think this illustrated book would help children?

I think children relate more to pictures, especially full-bleed illustrations. Growing up, many of the books I had were very text-heavy. If there were any images, they were usually small and/or in black and white. In contrast to that, I think these full-page images will engage the children more and will allow them to feel as though they are themselves a part of the fictional world.

Additionally, each poem in the book has its own activity. This makes the book interactive and promotes learning through fun.

What makes illustrations for children special?

I have tried many different kinds of paintings and illustrations over the years. What attracts me to children’s illustrations is their whimsical quality and the way reality and fantasy meet. When I illustrate children’s books, I often lose myself in these magical worlds and feel like a child myself.

Do you plan to continue children’s illustrations transcending into stories and novels?

I do plan to continue illustrating children’s books. I grew up reading lots of children’s books myself, and at a very young age, I already knew that I wanted to do something like that myself when I grew up. I would love to illustrate stories and novels for children if and when I get the opportunity.

Imagination plays a very important part in shaping a child for their future endeavors. There is nothing more personal and introspective than books, and the habit of reading becomes fun and interactive through books like Mitra has illustrated.