The Conception
Growing up in India, we enjoyed many stories as part of Indian folklore, from epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana that have been told millions of times to some less well-known but excellent short stories. These were originally passed over generations by word of mouth and later written into books and picture books. We grew up listening to them through our grandparents and caregivers and loved them a lot. They were remarkable works of literature that appealed to all generations.
As I became older and a father, I started looking for them for my son. In searching for that, I realised these stories fell into two categories. They were very religious or simple narrations. They were too preachy or lacked good illustrations to capture a child's imagination. There was very little that would attract a young 4 or 5 year old child. This is not to say there weren't any such books, but they were hard to find. One such good book was Ganesh's Sweet Tooth by Sanjay Patel and Emily Haynes, which my 4-year-old and I liked.
The lack of these books manifested into conversations I had with my wife and friends where I kept pondering: there are so many good stories, but why don't we have good books for younger children? In the age of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, these stories can't be just retold like they were in the 1990s. They needed to be adapted to the modern generation and made palatable. Today's generation has too many choices for entertainment, and the presentation of these works of literature needs to game up to that level.
As it happens with these conversations, one thing leads to another, and I started contemplating doing something along those lines. I had a few ideas for stories. Typically, most of my ideas would stop here, and I would have moved on to the next big thing in my mind. But for some reason, I continued to be motivated to do more. I started researching how best to write a book like this. I had no publication experience, but in today's world, there is no shortage of information on YouTube and other such sites.
One thing to my benefit was that there was no content shortage in this realm. Indian folklore has several well-written stories, and the core of the content was already there. It was more a case of figuring out how to present it. That's when I discovered Upwork, a platform for connecting different skill sets. You can find illustrators, book editors, and other specialists from across the globe. I spent a few weeks researching the costs of publishing books, what is needed to make the illustrations, and the technical requirements like ISBNs. The more I understood, the more the picture became evident. I crunched numbers to understand what it would cost me and started noting down tasks and timelines. I put this together into a business case deck, shared it for feedback, and committed to seeing it through.
The Execution
Armed with conviction, we wrote a couple of draft stories: one I drafted, and one my wife contributed. I then needed an illustrator. I had no artistic skills, but I could explain what I wanted in words. Using Upwork to recruit, the selection proved tricky. Many Indian artists already knew these stories well, while international artists brought impressive, diverse portfolios. I worried familiar artists might bring existing stylistic biases, whereas unfamiliar artists might struggle to capture the spirit. Ultimately, a fresh take with no previous knowledge proved most beneficial.
I drafted the book with sample reference imagery to set the tone, adding modern literary touches. I ran a paid trial on two pages with three candidate illustrators. Two were competent, but the third delivered vibrant artwork that aligned with the vision immediately.
Working page by page was deeply rewarding as concept sketches evolved into finished art. An unexpected delay occurred during the Ukraine war, as the illustrator faced severe disruptions. This shifted our timeline by 6 to 9 months, but staying with her was essential, and her dedication remained exceptional.
The narrative also presented creative choices. The episode forms a chapter in the larger Ramayana epic. In the original, it leaves open threads regarding Sita's rescue. Reading early drafts to my 5-year-old showed that children expect a complete narrative payoff. I took artistic license to create an accessible, self-contained conclusion for young readers.
I self-published through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). KDP handled distribution logistics smoothly. While the formatting process had a steep learning curve, I eventually hired a specialist to finalize the files. The book launched 19 months after initial conception.
About the Illustrator
Artwork and illustrations by Yelyzaveta Anysymova.