Watch | These illustrators create children’s books set in the Northeast of India

A video featuring the second part of Picture this, a new series on children’s book illustrators in India by Menaka Raman.

Canato Jimo and Pankaj Saikia write and illustrate children’s books. They create books set in the Northeast of India that show children navigating everyday issues and situations. For example, like their first wobbly tooth, showing the new kid around school, and playing pranks on each other

Why is this important?

Most children’s books set in the Northeast have largely been retellings of folktales, or mythology, and there’s little that talks about contemporary life. While they both feel that folklore and oral traditions should be remembered, Saikia says context is important.

Jimo admits that while working on his wordless picture book “Snip!”, his first thoughts were centred around folk tales as well. Jimo says that they were a huge part of their upbringing and culture.

Set in Nagaland, Snip! eventually became a book about two siblings making mischief while their parents are out at work.

What drew Jimo and Saikia to picture books?  

For Jimo, it was coming across How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers. Saikia always enjoyed telling stories through comics and illustrations.