Rashmi Sirdeshpande

Photo of the picture book A Map for Falasteen

Internal art from A Map for Falasteen. An image where a little girl wears a key around her neck - a key to their old house in Palestine.

Internal art from A Map for Falasteen.

Everyone needs to read A MAP FOR FALASTEEN by Maysa Odeh and Aliaa Betawi. Heartbreaking and heart-expanding, it’s a beautifully written and stunningly illustrated love letter to Palestinian identity. 🇵🇸 💛 #picturebooks #kidlit

Well that has made my DAY. 🦖 📚 💛

Absolutely.

Relating so hard to this 💛. Tiny plans I make that my nervous system perceives as cast-iron promises.

Relating so hard to all of this, Viv. All of it.

Puffin to publish Rashmi Sirdeshpande's 'fresh new colourful and energetic' picture book Puffin has acquired a "fresh new colourful and energetic" picture book from author Rashmi Sirdeshpande.

South Asian Heritage Month is just around the corner and I have NEWS! Announcing SUPER UMA with the amazing Nakul P. A ‘fresh new colourful and energetic’ picture book with ‘JOYFUL SOUTH ASIAN REPRESENTATION.’

@puffinbooksuk.bsky.social

www.thebookseller.com/rights/puffi...

Events done for the day. Gorgeous school. Did events from Reception to Year 6. So many questions. Utterly exhausted. Time to recover.

I think the put down your phones and pick up a book soundbite was about parents/carers putting down their phones and reading TO their kids so yes, feels shamy.

Not me convincing other authors at breakfast that we should just have chips and dessert for dinner today just because.

Oh you star! I actually have electrolytes with me and forgot! THANK YOU.

Two days of school and library author events during a heatwave. Preparing to MELT. 😳☀️

That’s really sad.

Presumably this only applies to England, as education is devolved in Wales and Scotland. I'd like to know if the devolved governments are stepping up to match these ambitions.

That’s brilliant! But I do wonder (perhaps dangerously) whether it would have had the same reaction if the MC had been a kid of colour for instance.

I guess what I mean is that publishing tends to view SOME experiences as universal and others as… not so universal.

Tbh I am travelling and melting so not looking for a fight. Not sure why I posted it. Should probably have just wondered INTERNALLY.

Loving that for Lottie Brooks but also makes me wonder… do we think a POC main character can achieve that?

Perfectly expressed. Any meaningful drive to re-engage children with reading for pleasure must look to invest in existing professional hubs of literature- libraries & school libraries. (And resurrect the ones we lost). And their staff.

I think a lot of people did! But the choice children and young people have today is incredible and getting better every year. As long as libraries and similar spaces are well-funded and beautifully curated.

An important read from @bookwormvaught.bsky.social.

“We are not given the reality of chronic pain, of structural inequality, of lives that do not improve with perseverance. We are offered a fable, and it is one that says hardship is a personal test, not a social issue.”

I can’t wait to see it!!

I'd love to see them recruit Regional Reading Ambassadors for this - children's authors sent to schools and libraries to host book clubs, run reading workshops and activities around books, make kids feel like reading isn't just another step in becoming a Good Little Employee once school is done

Haaa THISSS

Hahaaa please be super successful. Selfishly because I would quite like my my very British book to work everywhere too. 😂

The undercover librarian? Covert librarian? Completely unofficial and possibly slightly rule-breaky librarian?

Nothing like seeing a bunch of kids talk about books they are genuinely excited by. The passion! I wish everyone could experience that at least once. I think it would change things.

Yes!!

Sadly I’m seeing a lot about the way English etc often have to be taught today (because of schemes/checkboxes) sucks the fun out of reading and writing for lots of kids. Makes it all work no joy. But full agree re more broadly about humanities being sidelined when they’re so critical!

Big yes to this. Would be great to see all kinds of people modelling loving books. Incidental book-lover rep all over the place. Cross-industry connections and inspiration.

Haha LOVE that. More power to you!