Once upon a time, in a kingdom far way, there lived a princess who cried at the drop of a hat. Meet Kundhavai, whom the people in her kingdom referred to as cry baby. The little princess, like most children her age, was having a hard time dealing with big emotions. Help arrives from her aunt. How does Kundhavai manage to do away with her ‘cry baby’ image? The picture book Thottachiningi Ilavarasi by Tamil children’s publishing house Emmozhi Publications narrates the story through endearing illustrations.
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Brought out in August this year, the book features text by Coimbatore-based J Nivethitha, who is also the founder of Emmozhi, and illustrations by Saara, who is based in Tirunelveli. “I’m a huge fan of the Ponniyin Selvan books and hence chose the name Kundhavai for my princess,” says 33-year-old Nivethitha, adding that there is no connection between the Chola princess and her protagonist.
J Nivethitha, founder of Emmozhi Publications | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
The book, that is suitable for children aged five to seven, and even for parents, helps children identify and respond to their emotions. “My son is five years old, and I have seen how parents and children of a similar age struggle with meltdowns when faced with certain siuations,” says Nivethitha. She wanted to present a tool that will, in a fun way, show children how to “express themselves better and as well as set boundaries.”
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Emmozhi is a Covid baby. Nivethitha started it in 2020 and Thottachiningi Ilavarasi is her fifth offering. “It all began when I was looking for quality board books that introduced Tamil to children, for my son,” says Nivethitha adding that she did not find that many options in Tamil. “This is the case especially with books for pre-schoolers,” she points out. Nivethitha decided to bring out such titles herself to “fill this gap”.
Princess Kundhavai | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Emmozhi’s titles include board books on Tamil vowels and consonants, a set of Tamil word puzzles, and Paapa Paapa Kadhai Kelu, a paperback featuring stories from poet Bharati’s Puthiya Aathichudi. Nivethitha is drawn to the Tamil language, and is now writing a book for children for another publisher, also for the five to under 10 age group.
For details, visit emmozhipublications.com