Mumbai:   In this day and age of Sony PSPs, Nintendo Wiis & Xboxes galore, the children of today (and tomorrow) are losing out on the most advanced interactive experience they have: the power of the human mind to give and receive experience. Not too long ago, children would be read to at bedtimes, or hear stories passed on from their grandparents. For a lot of us, these are some of our most cherished memories. Among the experiences we are missing out on today is the art of storytelling and the living energy of the written word.

‘Growing up in Pandupur’ is a collection of stories for children, set in the fictional town of Pandupur in South India. The authors blend the unique culture of this place with the universal pleasures and pains of growing up in today’s world. “Watching our own kids grow, we realised that kids today face new challenges, and a lot of growing pains, so we wanted to write a book that teaches them strength,” say the authors. Thus the stories in the book explore the lives of children in Pandupur, and deal with incidents like bullying, sibling rivalry and the joys of having a pet, as well as more complex subjects like the death of a family member.

Through Pandupur’s children, Adithi and Chatura Rao weave a web of stories-life-lessons in growing up: laughter and tears, insecurities, small kindnesses and surprising friendships, stories that will resonate in the hearts and minds of children everywhere.

The collection of stories has been reviewed favorably everywhere.

“Pandupur’s proximity to the forest also defines the kind of stories that unfold in the book, with the Dhun River serving as a carrier of stories and songs. Though Growing Up… is a children’s book, the Rao sisters haven’t flinched from depicting some of the more complex realities that a small community might have to deal with.” – Priya George, Time Out

“Smoothly written and with lively illustrations on every page, these stories on a broad range of contemporary themes will by turns surprise, charm, draw tears from your eyes or make you smile.” – Monideepa Sahu, the Deccan Herald