Two friends, Kumbi (a tiger) and Teesta (a monkey) from the forests of Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh set off on a Disney-esque quest across the country, to find their roots. A story as old as it gets, but in Roots, a children’s book by Avantika Swali, the roots are traced through India’s rich textile and craft history.
Written simply by the 17-year-old debutante, the book is easy for kids to flip through. Along with brief descriptions of local arts, the book itself resembles a work of art with beautiful, earthy, jewel-toned illustrations by Joohi Mehta. Kumbi and Teesta are joined by an elephant named Raaho and a mouse named Vayu and together, they take readers along to meet Madhubani artists in Bihar, and to the ikat weavers’ pit looms in Odisha to teach kids the process of handweaving. They then set sail across the Bay of Bengal (sneaking in a geography lesson there) and travel all the way to Maharashtra to learn about Warli art. Each stop on their voyage is a glimpse into the cultural heritage of that state via a craft—abla aka mirror work in Gujarat, block printing in Rajasthan, phulkari in Punjab, and zardozi in Lucknow.
Swali’s own education in crafts began at a young age, through her mother, Karishma Swali, the creative director of Chanakya School of Craft. The teenager is also the co-founder of conscious fashion brand Moonray, has launched ACE, a not-for-profit organisation that focuses on children’s education, and a mobile library aimed at democratising cultural experiences for kids. “India’s crafts are living traditions that carry the stories of who we are and where we come from,” says Swali.
And while the book targets children aged four and above, so they learn about indigenous arts and crafts early on, most of us adults could learn a surprising fact or more, too.
