Pickle Yolk Books is a multi-award-winning Indian publisher of picture books in English. The titles, aimed mostly at readers between 4 and 8 years of age, encouraging curiosity, independent thinking and a questioning spirit among them.
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The Middle is a story of a journey within a journey. A voracious reader, Azma, whose mind is full of questions as she reads, finds that the more books she consumes, the more the whys and hows in them consume her. One night, a torn scrap of paper floats into her room, carrying an incomplete line within its crinkles. She desperately searches for any missing words to complete the lonely phrase but failing at each attempt, she finally turns to writing her own beginning and end. The pages of The Middle are filled with surreal creatures - formidable, terrifying, looming – and these represent the fears and doubts of a mind struggling to make sense of the worlds captured within those books that only partially satisfy her as a reader. Azma embarks on an incomplete journey, ready to create its origin and end, finally realising the answers to all her impossible questions can only come to her when she writes her own version of the story. It is only then that the haunting creatures begin to soften and harmlessly melt away into themselves. Richa Jha’s lyrical prose and Eva Sanchez Gomez’s breathtaking visual poetry come together to narrate a tale that is both stunning and thought-provoking. For all the restless creative souls out there, The Middle presents an all-familiar trajectory of creating something new.
Aadya looks just like her mother (Aai)—same little nose, same delicate ears, same big eyes, and identical thick, long hair. But one day, Aai goes away to a big hospital with a promise to return before Aadya learns her next Math lesson. The long-awaited return shocks Aadya because now her mother looks completely unlike her. She wonders if Aai will ever greet her with her usual, cheery, ‘Hello! Mini-me.’ Or will Aadya have to take matters into her own hands just to hear that again?With lyrical prose and a tender touch, Aai and I is an empowering story of the bond between a mother and a daughter, and of the little one finding her own identity as she finds herself no longer 'looking' the same as her mother. Mamta Nainy captures with elan Aadya’s innocence, impatience, and dilemma, and Sanket Pethkar’s vibrant, gorgeous artwork brings to life a typical Indian household in the state of Maharashtra.
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Sid is a lonely boy who detests idle, lonely trees. He has good reasons though. At least he likes to think so. He does not notice the friendship between the dangling leaves, dancing to the song of the wind. He ignores countless birds returning to the safety of their comfy homes, nestled in the soft spots of rough branches, after a long day of collecting worms. So when he is called a brainless tree for missing a save in soccer at school, it is easy for him to decide he never wants to be a tree, until one morning he wakes up to have transformed into one. Srividhya Venkat spins a delectable fantasy around thinking twice about what you wish for, or not and depicts the transformation of Sid’s lonely life after he embraces the excitable voices of kids twisted in his vines and the ecosystem hovering above him. Nayantara Surendranath’s eccentric combination of art collage and digital creation expresses the refreshing quirks that breathe life into the tale.
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Little Shilu loves to dance around naked. She wants to be like the animals; like Pirate, her cat. When her grandmother Nannu says she can’t because she is now a big girl, Shilu gets down to understanding why she can’t. Peppered with Nannu’s loving chiding, intimate grandma-granddaughter bonding over conversations, and a heart-to-heart between the mother and this little inquisitive daughter, this book is a reflection of the wild and free nature of childhood. Rhuchi Mhasane’s soft evocative illustrations rendered in pencil with watercolour, and put together digitally, create a dreamlike charm. Richa Jha’s gentle, affectionate and lyrical text takes the reader into the mind of the little girl who can’t wait to get the answers to her ‘Why can’t I?’
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Mom and Dad completely lose the plot the day the Wifi stops working in the house. In a role reversal of sorts, it's up to little Shivi to get her bored and tantrum-throwing parents to see that there is a perfectly wonderful life to be enjoyed beyond their screen-craze. Mithila Ananth’s zany, whimsical digital illustrations with a minimal neat colour palette and a touch of quiet humour throw into sharp focus Richa Jha’s funny story done as a second-person narrative. Together, they draw the reader right into the centre of this book’s relatable universe.
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“This is a TRUE story. It’s about my world” There’s smoke in the kitchen. Dad acts normal but Mom is worried her head might explode. Even so, the biggest problem is global. You-Know-Who has been at it again and the world must be put right. Today! Big brothers are mean. Big brothers spell trouble. And Big Brothers are not to be trusted, especially if they turn your world upside down. Or is it downside up? In this book where the parallel crazy worlds with their upside-downness and downside-upness weave a fantastic, troubled, creased co-existence, nothing is what it seems like and everything is up for wonder. Ken Spillman adroitly plays around with words and situations both believable and unbelievable, while Silvana Giraldo spins a splendidly broken-but-beautiful world to bring alive an Orwellian dystopia into this picture book.
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A lone bird hungry for magic pecks at alphabet shapes. It looks through glass windows of book stores and glances at the t-shirts of pedestrians with the hope of solving the mystery hidden behind those letters. Soon, the words become familiar and the bird determinedly starts collecting scraps of paper to build a nest, wanting to hatch its ideas with warmth and nurture them through potential and free imagination. The unusual combination of Ken Spillman’s simple yet eloquent prose and Malavika PC’s inspired images combine in perfect harmony to express the powerful story of The Magic Bird. The bird reminds the reader of the extraordinary components which create something as ordinary as language, and the value of spreading our wings to take stories to others.
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Ani’s life has turned dark ever since his mother left. The little specks of light, Grandma, Dobby and not even ice cream can get through the haunting walls created by Ani’s growing fear. Struggling to let others love him, he anxiously waits for his mother to return, delving deeper into the darkness and refusing to see the splashes of colour around him. Tanu Shree Singh’s poignant tale of a child waiting for his mother, a cancer patient, is told with exceptional depth and economy of words. The masterful hand-drawn digital, textured illustrations of Sandhya Prabhat depict a jarring juxtaposition of Ani’s dark world and his brightly coloured surroundings, mellowed by the gentle narrative which beautifully captures the essence of the tale.
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The lonely writer Lekhan huffs and puffs every time the noisy street he lives in brings a new disturbance to interrupt his tales. Desperate to find a solution, Lekhan devises a plan which slowly leads him away from all the giggles and pitter-patter and chitter-chatter. The only problem remains is that his stories are silent, they do not cry anymore. Nor do they smile anymore. Richa Jha’s narrative sprinkles magic in the tedious effort to find and express into words, the soul of a story. Ruchi Shah’s vivid and curious illustrations bring to life an artist’s journey towards inspiration and drawing the best of their art from the world around them.
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Daddy wasn’t Daddy until Ria popped out of his pocket. Or so he says. Giggi and Daddy is a light-hearted tale which through an innocent clash of narratives between a father and his daughter explores the evolving definition of what it means to be the ‘Best Dad in the World’. Richa Jha takes the reader on a jolly fun ride of tall tales and a fancy imagination, and an adorable Daddy-daughter duo. Mithila Ananth’s blend of simple uncomplicated lines and textured backdrops that ooze perfect comic timing make this book a hilarious visual treat.
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Mommies come in all shapes and sizes but that is not all, they come packed with all sorts of personalities too. The narrative of Mommies challenges the norm of reducing an independent, unique being to gender and just the title of a ‘Mom’, and explores beyond the conventional views of what motherhood should be. Richa Jha delivers a strong statement through the purity of a child’s voice and forges a bond between all the vastly different mothers from across the globe, united by their love for their child. Priya Sebastian’s artwork reflects the depth of a simple narrative and manages to capture the diverse beauty of each and every figure of motherhood.
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Duster the dog is more a cat. He loves the naps, the flaps, and the fish. And he doesn’t like to announce arrivals, to play fetch, and to dig for bones. Especially, certainly, not the bones. His human craves dog love. Will the two ever be right for each other? Richa Jha brings forth a tiny tale of love and companionship and strikes a chord in the hearts of all the pet-lovers in the world. Neeti Banerji breathes life into the world of Duster and her illustrations reflect the love and understanding Duster needs in his journey to forge a bond with his human.
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When Gopu’s father (Baba) falls sick, the visually impaired Gopu knows he would have to step out alone. He negotiates the crowds, the markets, and the traffic of the city of Calcutta, all by himself, to reach his grandma’s house to get her to cook Baba’s favourite fish curry. Does he succeed in bringing it home to him? In this book, Richa Jha writes as much about the courage of Gopu as she does about the sounds and smells of a bustling metropolis. Sumanta Dey brings alive the city of Calcutta between the covers of this book and makes the readers feel they are walking alongside Gopu.
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When Miss Vee Noonie falls in love with garlic, there is pandemonium in the house. She is a vampire, after all. Her parents do their best to urge her to stay away from it. Garlic, they tell her, is fatal for vampires. Freethinker Vee’s research tells her that’s not true and she leaves no stone unturned in convincing her folks. Does she succeed? Richa Jha celebrates a young thinking mind’s spirit of inquisitiveness, questioning the given, persuasiveness and non-conformist free will in this pacey picture book that is packed with sharp dialogues, intense passion, and chic humour. The breathtaking sweep of Kunal Kundu’s detailed etching and dramatic artwork lingers on till long after the book has been put aside.
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When Noorie’s sister Zoya dies, everything in Noorie’s world becomes silent. She knows her sister has gone forever. But what’s with Mummy’s silly lies that Zoya will always be around, by their side? And what is she to do about Zoya’s best friend Dhara, who just won’t leave Noorie alone? Boo! When My Sister Died is a story about finding strength in love and loss. Gautam Benegal blends a playful watercolour and wash-style with a somber digital crosshatch to bring together warmth in the memories of the sisters’ togetherness and the intensity of Noorie’s grief. Richa Jha’s spare and simple text keeps the story poignant, believable, and full of hope.
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»Ich lebe im - Vielleicht/ Bin eine stumme Frage ...« Die so schreibt, ist eine poetische Maskenspielerin, eine, die in ihrem ungewöhnlichen Leben viel gefragt und noch mehr gewagt hat: Emmy Ball-Hennings (1885-1948). Aus der kleinbürgerlichen Enge Flensburgs treibt ihre »Weglaufsucht« sie mit Wandertheatern durch Deutschland, auf die Bühnen europäischer Varietes und Cabarets, in die Abgründe von Drogen, Prostitution und Gefängnis, in die schrille Berliner und Münchner Vorkriegsboheme. 1915 emigriert sie mit Hugo Ball nach Zürich und begründet mit ihm das »Cabaret Voltaire« - die Keimzelle des Dadaismus. Irrlichtert durch die politisch-journalistische Emigrantenszene um Ball und Ernst Bloch in Bern, begegnet 1920 Hermann Hesse, dem Freund fürs Leben. Die Namen ihrer Freundinnen und Gefährten lesen sich wie eine Enzyklopädie der europäischen Avantgarde.Bärbel Reetz hat sich auf Spurensuche gemacht und Einblick in bisher unbekannte Briefe und Aufzeichnungen genommen. Mit ihrer Biographie wirft sie ein neues Licht auf das ungewöhnliche Leben der Emmy Ball-Hennings.
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Im Dezember 1920 treffen sie sich erstmals im Tessin: Hermann Hesse und Emmy Hennings mit Hugo Ball, die, enttäuscht von den politischen Wirren und konservativen Tendenzen im Nachkriegsdeutschland, entschlossen sind, unter südlichen Himmeln ihre »Flucht aus der Zeit« anzutreten.Die Briefe des exzentrischen Paares, das in der Berliner und Münchener Bohème Aufsehen erregt und 1916 mit der Gründung des »Cabaret Voltaire« in Zürich den Dadaismus begründet hat, und die des Autors des Demian berichten von den Bedingungen ihres Schreibens, von Reiseeindrücken und Begegnungen mit Menschen, die die Kulturszene der zwanziger Jahre prägen. Sie belegen heftige Diskussionen um Religion und Psychoanalyse und dokumentieren ausführlich die Beziehung Hesses zu seiner zweiten Frau Ruth Wenger.Nicht zuletzt ist der Briefwechsel eine Fundgrube für die Entstehungsgeschichte von Siddhartha bis zum Steppenwolf, von Hennings' sensitiver Lyrik und Prosa sowie Balls zeitkritischen und theologischen Werken.
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Fanta Groselha da autoria de Makena Onjerika é um retrato sombrio dos sem-abrigo e da vida dos meninos de rua em Nairobi. O conto centra-se em Meri, cuja história é contada por um coro de narradoras sem rosto e sem nome que são também suas consortes. Navegam pela vida sem rumo certo a pedir esmolas, a roubar aos peões, a esquivar-se às autoridades, a venderem o corpo. Fanta Groselha é um conto cativante pela sua coragem, humor e inventividade linguística. O seu forte sentido de lugar faz com que seja uma experiência de leitura imersiva e gratificante.
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Os escritores de cartas à mão armada da autoria de Olufunke Ogundimu é uma estória sobre uma comunidade nigeriana que recebe cartas de assaltantes à mão armada a anunciar a sua chegada e uma lista de pertences que tencionam levar. Os assaltantes também enviam cópias destas cartas à polícia, aconselhando as suas potenciais vítimas a não se incomodarem. Usando o pronome colectivo "nós" para implicar uma voz narrativa coroada, Ogundimu retrata efectivamente, com um sentido de humor peculiar, a confusão colectiva e a determinação de civis indefesos e o estado lamentável do policiamento no país.
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Olufunke Ogundimu explora neste potente conto a sua escrita afrofuturista, num 2087 aterradoramente próximo, quando tudo muda, menos a barreira entre quem tem e quem não tem. Onde os pobres ficaram do lado fora de onde é fácil negar a realidade, num mundo distorcido de quem acredita que mudança climática é fake news. Até o planeta terra atingir o ponto de ruptura e mover as areias dos grandes desertos arrasando fronteiras nacionais, cidades, assoreando rios e oceanos impondo novas formas de viver aos humanos.
