Wall books

The Enduring Ark, Joydeb Chitrakar and Gita Wolf, Tara Books, R800.Ages 7+

Wall Book: From the Big Bang to the Present Day, Christopher Lloyd and Andy Forshaw, Pratham Books, R125. Ages 3+

Richly illustrated  books that  fold open to  become wall  posters have  recently lined  the shelves of  bookstores  across the city. The Enduring Arkby Tara Books is  one such work and is illustrated  in the Bengal patua style of scroll  painting. Written by Gita Wolf and  illustrated by Joydeb Chitrakar, the book is an Indian version of  the Biblical tale of the great  flood. Looking at it, you will be  hard-pressed to imagine that this  is not an Indian story. The patuastyle  animals such as the tiger  and cows, the beautifully rendered  ark and the landscapes  make the story come alive. We  can’t wait to put this book up on  our office wall.

Another release, The What on  Earth? Wall Book: From the Big  Bang to the Present Day, is also a  fold out children’s read. This  one’s a great accessory for the  kiddy room. Published by  Pratham Books, this is an Indian  edition of the international title  by the same name. Written by  Christopher Lloyd and illustrated  by Andy Forshaw, the book’s a  short history of the planet and its  people. It’s a mini-encyclopaediaat-  a-glance and kids will love trivia  such as “Young Ichthyostegas  try out life on land”, “Archaeopteryx,  the first bird, is an offshoot  of the theropod dinosaurs”  and “Rosa Parks sparks US civil  rights movement”.