Came the nineteenth century and the popularity of these rhymes began to spread across the globe. Some of the earliest and most popular rhymes are” Twinkle Twinkle little star, Mary had a little lamb.” and these are still today the first ones that come to a parents mind

As years have passed by the meaning and purpose of these rhymes have changed. Rhymes are more of rhythmic words put together. They are taught to children in the age group of 3-7 years to teach them alphabets, numbers, basic vocabulary etc. This makes learning a lot of fun for the child. Teachers use child friendly mucis and actions to teach these and thus quicken up the learning process and make it extremely interesting for the children.

These rhymes are the first few things small children learn to speak. They are taught how to sing and recite those even before they enter school by the elders at home. The manner in which these small and cute kids recite these versus is simple adorable. Their sweet sound is very melodious and soothing to the years. Some of the most common and popular rhymes are

• Twinkle twinkle little star,
• Mary had a little lamb
• Hickory Dickory dock
• Jack and Jill
• Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall
• Baba Baba black sheep
• Oranges and lemond
• Ring a Rng o Roses
• Rain /rain go away
• One two buckle my shoe

In India apart from the above self composed Hindi rhymes are also used. Prayers and bhajans are also frequently sung. The aim is to get the child to sleep as well as teach him these prayers at an early age.

Nursery rhymes are basically simple words put together to bring a smile on a child s face. Children love to recite these short and sweet versus and in turn win hearts of everyone around them with their innocent expressions and the sheer happiness they get after reciting the rhyme correctly. They are small and melodious songs chants of which keep the parent and the child happy.

Folktales have been an eternal part of Indian culture since ages. India being a land of diverse cultures, languages, dialects and religions, there are a wide range of tales and short stories emerging from different walks of life. Many of these stories are based on mythological legends and epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Bhagvad Gita full of didactic stories inspired from lives from great souls.

Most of these ancient Indian stories are full of moral values and thus are perfect for children who have to be taught and instilled with the values to shape their future. The interesting stories range from the remarkable ‘Panchatantra’ to ‘Hitopadesha’, from ‘Jataka’ to ‘Akbar-Birbal’.

Hitopadesha
The Hitopadesha- originated around a thousand years ago is a remarkable compilation of short stories. It is composed by Narayana Pandit, In Indian Literature, the Hitopadesha is regarded more or less similar to the Panchatantra It was written in Sanskrit and had a pattern of prose and verse. They are written in simple easy to understand language and have also been translated in numerous languages for readers all round the world.
Jakata Tales

The Jataka Tales were written in 300 BC for the mankind to gain knowledge and morality. Since then they have been developed into enjoyable and knowledgeable stories These Buddhist tales were originally written in Pali language and were later translated into different languages around the world. The luminous fables of ‘Jataka’ are intended to impart values of self-sacrifice, morality, honesty and other informative values to people.

Panchatantra Tales

Panchatantra are one of the legendary and popular short stories from India composed in 2^nd century BC. These tales are the result of the joint efforts of Vishnu Sharma along with many other scholars. Like Jataka, the purpose behind the creation of Panchatantra was also to instill moral values and governing skills in the youth of that era. These tales too followed the pattern of prose and verse. Written in Sanskrit, the Panchatantra tales boasts of various animal stories. The grand collection has many extraordinary stories that are loved by people of every age group.

Indian folktales are a part of the oral storytelling tradition. In fact it has been the most popular way of spreading awareness in ancient India and has also been used by religious Gurus; like Gautama Buddha, Mahavira, Sai Baba to enlighten their deciples. The diversity of cultures is very well reflected in the folk tales as well as each state or region have their own set of tales based on courage, friendship, good deeds performed by people etc. Gradually with time as the publishing tradition has caught on most of these tales have been printed as books. Folk tales have been a great tool to imbibe and inculcate values and morals in children over several years now and create a bondage to the great Indian tradition.

However strongly kids dislike studying from books, they form an indispensible part of a child’s education.

Learning books for children are available in a wide span of categories like :-

• Early learning- which include numbers, alphabets and colours
• A step ahead- which includes picture books on animals, fruits, vegetables, modes of transport etc
• Moving forward- which includes fiction story books with moral lessons
• Learning more-which includes simple math based calculations in a pictorial manner, tables etc
• High up the way- Includes books on complex stuff like mythological stories, world history, current affairs etc

Classification of books can also be made on age basis like :

• Babbies and toddlers
• 3-6 years
• 6-9 years
• 9 and above.

In the ancient times when education was not allowed for everyone especially girls books had more value than now. Even during those times outdoor sports like cricket, kabaddi etc were a major distraction, children were more focused on learning. With passing time and more and more kids going to school, text books and other forms of educational books are loosing their worth.

In the modern era video games and the idiot box are a major distraction. Also majority of the children have access to internet and are given mobile phones at an early age. These are major distracters. Surfing on the net, downloading movies chatting with friends are the top priorities for today’s child. On a brighter side most of the books are now available on the internet in the form of e-books. This is a new way of learning and is being rapidly adapted by many schools. Parents too advocate this form of learning as kids today are all well acquainted with computers. With the number of nuclear families increasing e- books and internet learning are becoming popular as neither of the parent has the time to teach their child.

The above scenario best describes the situation in the well developed cities but in small towns and villages books continue to be the main source of gaining knowledge. Though slowly and gradually the internet is making its mark in the rural areas educational books are very important.

Thus it is very clear that books are becoming less important with changing times. In order to ensure that the e-books do not completely take over books have to be made more interesting, and colourful, more interesting and diverse covering a lot many topics and not just the clichéd ones.

Drawing is something which children learn to do before they enter any form of schooling. Parents bring various drawing and colouring books for their child to acquaint them with the basic shapes and alphabets and numbers.

As an when a child grows up the kind of drawing books he uses change. It starts with the most basic level of drawing and colouring shapes, alphabets and numbers.

The next level is that of colouring fruits and vegetables and basic objects like trees, water sky buses etc this happens when the child starts understanding what object is what colour.

On level higher is when the child starts drawing things by himself and then colouring them. This could be drawing anything that is a part of his imagination.  It could involve sceneries, human beings, animals, birds etc

During these stages many children discover their talent for drawing and sketching and to improve upon that join classes. In these classes a variety of drawing books are given to children which have different and more complex pictures to draw.

There are books only for human faces, human figures, cartoons, animals, still life, abstract pictures, detailed sceneries and many more. There are books which have only pencil shading and some others which require colouring and painting in a special manner.

There are plain drawing books available for those children for whom drawing is just a hobby. These kids use a combination of colours and styles and just create something beautiful out of their imagination on a white sheet of paper.

Drawing is a creative way of expressing your ideas, thoughts and opinions which every child is taught from the early days. It is something which requires a lot of deep thinking and insight and is not meant for anybody and everybody. Drawing books are just a medium which helps children to nurture their talent and improve upon their skills.

The practice of storytelling exists even today but the way it is performed has undergone a drastic change. Over the years as life has become more hectic and challenging elders don’t really have the time to sit with their children and tell them stories. Grandmother tales have been replaced by special story books for children. With more and more nuclear families coming up children are taken care of by nannies or day care centres. These nannies and teachers read out stories from these books to the children but its not like it use to be.

These story books are based on various themes like bedtime stories, stories related to certain famous characters, books based on different festival stories, Another form of story books is also the comic strips like tinkle and archies which are popular amongst children in age group of 10-15 years. Some of the most commonly read children’s story books are:-

• Cinderella
• Hansel and Gratel
• Rapunzel
• Ali-Baba and Chalis Chor
• Little Red Riding Hood
• Snow white and Seven Dwarfs

Now in the internet age even small children are tech savvy and use Google to download e-story books and read by themselves. Online story books for kids as a concept is fast gaining popularity. Another way to relive these stories is watching them on the big screen as many of them are being made into movies the most recent one being Alice in Wonderland.

Stories and story books have been a large part of a kids childhood memories and will continue to do so. The form in which the stories about these fascination characters are presented might undergo numerous changes but these stories will always be a child’s friend.

Broadly children’s books can be divided into 2 main categories in terms of content, use as well as age.

Generally kids till the age of 8 years or so prefer the second set i.e. books which are fun, meant for basic learning like alphabets, numbers, activity and picture books  and ones above 8 years have to concentrate more on the study and education part.

Books are a part and parcel of every kids childhood. They are a source of learning in a simple and easy manner and also help them develope basic habits. These are the kinds of books that are available for children

Education books-

Books which are informative and increase a child’s knowledge about subjects like history, geography, math and many more which are a part of the school curriculum.

Picture books-

These are books mainly for small kids. They teach a child about different kinds of shapes, alphabets, numbers etc.These books contain more of illustrations, comic strips as a means to provide entertainment to kids.

Activity books-

They are types of books which contain interactive content such as puzzles, crosswords, pictures to colours etc. aimed at children above 3 years.

Story books and bestsellers-

These are books which contain stories for children. These stories are with or without a moral. These books are used by nannies and parents to put children off to bed.

Drawing and painting books

As the name suggests these books teach children how to draw and paint. These can also be sub divided according to the age of the child. There are ones which are meant for toddlers to scribble and just have fun and then there are other meant for grown up kids which help them develop and learn their actual drawing skills.

Every child whether he/she likes or not has to use the above categories of books at some point in his/ her childhood. There are very many children who love reading books and learning from books and quite a few who absolutely don’t like the sight of books.

Now in the internet era all these books are available in the form of e- books and are easily accessible as most of the children have computers. Also majority of the kids are tech savvy and do not have to depend on parents or teachers. They by themselves know how to download the online version of the books read and use them.

Not much has changed in the relation between kids and books. They were and are a part of every child’s growing up days. The only difference between now and then is that now online version of the books are becoming more and more popular and easily accessible.

Audio books are available in the form of cassettes, CD’s, digital downloadable formats like MP3, MP4, Windows Media Audio and advanced audio coding. Amongst the above CD is the most popular form. The digital downloadable versions are gaining popularity at a quick pace. With access to computers increasing, more and more downloads are being done. Sometimes audio book format is available simultaneously with book publication.

Audio books can be abridged or unabridged. Abridged are those where text content has been removed by the abridger where as unabridged are word for word of the text matter. Abridged ones are criticized for being incomplete versions of the original. At times audio books come as fully dramatized version of the printed books with a complete cast, music and sound effects.

CD’s and cassettes are more expensive than a printed book because of the recording cost involved and thus have a lesser market penetration. Downloadable content is less expensive as compared to hardbacks and with increasing use of computers its penetration in the market is high but the overall use of audio books is less as compared to audio books. In the long run though Digital content will have an edge over printed books because the cost involved is less, no storage problems and also no packaging and transportation problem In order to combat this fast growing concept of audio books, publishers have started providing this as an auxiliary service along with the printed texts.

Audio books are of maximum use to the blind. They provide the opportunity to learn a lot of things which they would otherwise find difficult. Audio books can be a great learning tool because of their format as compared to a video programme or a printed book. In case of an audio book one can easily multitask and thus it saves a lot of time. One can listen and learn while performing their daily household chores, while driving and exercising. It can be used as an alternative to listening to radio while travelling.

With audio books it is also possible to replay the content again and again to understand the content better. Also one can listen to the audio book and read the printed version simultaneously which will help one follow the content better and make learning easy. This technique can be useful for learning a new language. Biggest advantage of using audio books is that it improves the listening skills of an individual and thus help one become a better person.

Specific types of activity book include coloring books and puzzle books, information based, books based on real life situations, art and craft books and many more A book is normally referred to as an activity book if it combines a variety of interactive elements and does not fall neatly into one of these more specific categories

These books can be general or theme based. They can be based on themes like how to handle fire, first aid kit, playground rules, comic strip, picnic, a visit to the zoo, discipline and manners etc. These theme based books serve dual purpose. Not only do they provide kids with fun filled times but they also train and prepare children to handle and be prepared for difficult situations in an easy going and light manner.

Activity books are the building blocks of a child’s mind. They help in developing his/her imagination and thus keep the mind sharp. These books help children to express themselves in a creative manner at a very early age. Activity books are also informative and thus used by all parents for grooming their kids.

Thus activity books are a mixture of all. Fun, entertainment, learning’s, creativity, imagination, colors are all found in one single book, A simple crayon, marker , scissors is all a child needs and he/she can engage in the various activities. The best part about these books is that they are easily available and that too in lots of varieties. A parent has a large number of options to choose from, a book that suits his / her child.

From a child’s point of view activity books are their best companion to kill time. They can sit with a group of other children and just have a gala time by playing and interacting with one another. In the bargain these kids develop new skills and habits, make mistakes and learn along the way.

Kids’ story books have a complete range of tales and short stories which emerge from all walks of life. Tales from Panchatantra, Hitopadesha, Jataka, Akbar-Birbal, Tenali Rama etc make for fascinating stories books for children. These are Hindi story books for children but there is no lack of quality English story books for children. Aesop’s fables, Sindbad’s first Voyage, The Arabian Nights, Cinderella, and Sir Gobble etc are all time great children English book. The charm of these books has remained eternal and that shows the popularity of evergreen children stories books.

Arrival of internet has facilitated the availability of children story books online. Several websites offer free story books for children which one can read with the comforts of his home. Some sites also offer children’s books download option using which one can download and save free children story books. That’s definitely wonderful news for parents and children who love to read great story books. Children’s story books are full of moralistic values. They help in instilling right values in the children. Some of these stories have been passed from generation to generation.

Indian story book for children are instrumental in connecting modern day kids to our great culture and tradition. There are plenty of children fiction books and stories based on real events that serve as great example to the kids. Stories definitely make for a great educational tool.

Children story books with pictures are usually very short and concise. Along with the words, picture books use illustrations to tell the kids what the story is all about. By combining words with pictures, kids manage to learn things faster. This also helps them in learning words quickly. A visual image has a longer presence in the mind of humans and that’s why children are able to remember and memorise things clearly. Picture books also act as learning books. Kids’ educational books have proved to be a boon for parents and teachers.

Online picture books are also available to children. These books help children in developing creativity and imagination. They also learn to express themselves. By looking at pictures, kids learn to tell a story in their own words and this is a significant development. Picture books for kids make them go to their favourite books again and again and this helps in developing book reading habit.

Parents should always buy children picture book because it proves crucial in teaching alphabet to the children. Many picture books use rhymes and fun illustrations to teach the alphabet. This way, kids remember things for longer duration. Eloquent pictures allow children to explore and expand beyond words.

Some of the popular picture books in India are;
Same and Different
Where’s that Cat?
The Mountain that Loved a Bird
Brahma’s Butterfly
Dancing on Walls
The Story of Divaali
The Conch Bearer
I is for India
Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet
India Tales
The Jungle Book
Monsoon
Sacred River