Janaki Sabesh Instagram – When my daughter @dhwanisabesh and I wrote Paati’s Rasam, we had no idea that we will be soaking in the warmth and love of children & adults from all over the country for our book.
Last week, was the announcement of the winner of the @jarulbookawards and we were evidently amidst a sea of joyful children. The ‘Children’s Choice Award’ was to be declared. About 10,000 children had voted for their favourite among the top three nominations – “Paati’s Rasam”, “Sometimes Mama Sometimes Papa” and “Giggi and Daddy”. We had these two equally brilliant books contesting for the position, alongside Paati’s Rasam.
And when they finally announced Paati’s Rasam as the winner, the young audience sprang up from their seats letting out squeals of delight. Yes! Paati’s Rasam won the 2023 National Jarul Book Award.
After the felicitation, I had a great time talking to children as they shared their dreams of becoming an author, spoke of how much they loved the book, and that they would love it if we could visit their school. The warmth I was receiving in these conversations was proof enough that Paati’s Rasam had won the hearts of children. In fact, there was a child who came to me during this event, wanted to hug me, and shared how she had associated the story of Paati’s Rasam to the loss of her pet.
So grateful for this recognition from the National Jarul Book Awards, held at the American School of Bombay. A heartfelt thank you to the children who voted for ‘Paati’s Rasam’ and the parents, teachers, and all adults who have welcomed this book into your homes.
A big thank you to @shobhavish of @karaditales, our publisher, who believed in the story! Thank you to Vaijayanthi @vay.jay who did the storyboard, & Pallavi Jain @this.beleaf our illustrator, who wove magic into the book! It has been such a gratifying journey so far with this book, and we are sure it will continue to touch more hearts globally as well.
What felt more special for me is that I wore my Amma’s koorapudavai, which felt like a warm hug for celebrating our success. Swipe to see videos and pictures of us soaking in the warmth of children’s love and cheers for us. | Posted on 01/Feb/2023 21:33:49
