Visiting bookshops in the Capital one is bound to notice a vast choice of illustrated children’s classics displayed prominently. Curious about this deluge in the market, I enquired from the owner of Famous Book Store in Connaught Place. “With the copyright expiring for many novels, the space is flooded with books from Indian and foreign publishing houses alike.” He pointed out a stack of books from different publishing houses catering to varied age groups.
Back in pre-liberalisation India, one remembers pouncing eagerly on the English readers from among the huge pile of prescribed class textbooks. It was part of the curriculum of junior and middle wings to read abridged versions of classics, kindling a love for such stories and egging many to read more works of the same author. Why? Simply because the characters, plot line and descriptions were interesting and enjoyable. Unfortunately not many lending libraries had such abridged versions in their collection, and those few on sale were expensive.
Cut to the current generation of schoolgoers, and you find a changed scenario. Attractively produced volumes abridged from celebrated classics provide a good alternative for children who are addicted to television, computers, video games and other distractions, as they help them discover reading as a fun pastime. Snehalata, a housewife buys these books regularly for her son and daughter, aged 14 and 10 respectively. “I do not mind stretching my monthly budget as long as both of them stay away from the ‘idiot box’ and the video games. Not only has their language improved but it has also opened up their minds, which is reflected in their conversation and thoughts,” says the beaming mother.
Most of us are familiar with the Puffin Classics and Puffin Modern Classics meant for children between five and 12 years. Notable titles among their collection are “The Adventures of Robin Hood”, “Wuthering Heights”, “Pride and Prejudice”, “The Count of Monte Cristo”, “Little Men” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”. These books concentrate on the enjoyment of the story, without added character sketches and questions at the end. Similarly, for children above five they have Ladybird Classics with illustrations that carry no caption. Some of the stories available in this series are “A Christmas Carol”, “Alice in Wonderland”, “The Jungle Book” and “Peter Pan”. All the books are produced in-house.
Another Indian publishers in this segment is Om Kidz, with a collection of 31 titles, including “King Arthur”, “The War of the Worlds”, “Robin Hood”, “Heidi” and “The Wizard of Oz”. Two new titles are being introduced every month as they have several in the pipeline, say officials.
Participation in international book fairs by the company officials brought to light the immense popularity abroad of such works, especially those which were not just abridged but also adapted and illustrated. Says Jyotsna Mehta, the company’s Managing Editor, “Our publications are abridged, adapted, reducing two lakh words to 20,000 and simplifying the language. The illustrations on alternate pages make the reading engrossing for the child.”
Laying emphasis on the word “adapted”, she explains, “The authors of that era used a certain style and language which today’s child may not be familiar with, hence the adaptation comes into being.” Though maintaining the essence of the novel, it makes the story comprehensible without compromising on the original text or the idea. “We wanted these stories which have stood the test of time to reach and inspire the kids who do not have access, interest or understanding of the original classics because of the language, complex ideas, plots and the length of these pieces,” she adds.
The publishing house is particular about content writers for these series. “They are mostly freelancers but are a dedicated resource for classics,” says Jyotsna. Ensuring that the writers not only have an English literature background but also an in-depth understanding and skill of adapting classics is an important prerequisite. “They are required to make the setting of the narrative easy for the children to understand; tone down the dialogues; simplify the ideas and context,” says the editor adding, “They must know what to adapt and what to let go and ensure an easy flow of reading.” Last but not least comes adherence to the wordage to ensure the page count of 240.
The adapted version is then compared with the original work to guard against distortion of facts. “Our prime concern is that each title should stay true to the original, reflecting its essence while making it comprehensive for the children. In fact we try to retain the original quotations as much as possible and have the difficult ones rewritten for easier understanding.”
Drawings are incorporated for easy registration of the narrative. The in-house illustrators are briefed by the editors for this. “All the drawings are carefully scrutinised by us and those that do not match the storyline are rejected with fresh ones made,” maintains Jyotsna.
Some feel abridged versions do not serve any purpose, since children are unable to appreciate the content, context, language and style of the prose with many never trying out the original on growing up. In fact they believe cinematic or TV versions of the classics serve better. Negating this, Jyotsna replies, “Stories on screen may or may not be true to the original and thereby there is a risk of wrong interpretation by the young viewers. The abridged and adapted works are better for introducing such stories with innate complex ideas, plots and difficult language. Also, these will rouse the reader’s curiosity to read the original for in-depth understanding.”
There are several other publishers who too bring out titles catering to young readers, and books by Pegasus Abridged Classics, Navneet Classic Readers, Immortal Illustrated Classics abound in the market.
The Penguin series have been immensely popular over the years and based on feedback from the market, have been reprinted. Parul Kaushik, Product Manager, Children Division, says, “The books have been in production for several years and are re-printed on a regular basis. They have been re-jacketed/rebranded a few times in the past, the most recent being the refreshed new look launched for the Puffin Modern Classics this year.”
Claiming the series has received a phenomenal response, Jyotsna is optimistic about the future and feels that with competition in this segment, parents and kids will have better options. Parul, refusing to comment on the competitors asserts, “Puffin Classics remain one of the most recognisable and best-selling backlist series through the years. We continue to see steady sales for our classics year on year. The future of the series continues to look bright.”
