shyamala's world

Author and illustrator Ashok Rajagopalan's has arrived with a new adventure for his adorable elephant, Gajapati Kulapati. It's the fourth book in the popular picture book series from Tulika Publishers.If you have enjoyed the previous books, you will love this one too!       1. Has Gajapati Kulapati aged in the new story? No, Gajapati Kulapati never ages. In fact, nobody in the series ages. That village exists in a timeless dimension, you can say. 2. Did the popularity of the previous GK books make you more conscious in choosing the right plot for this book? Yes, I always have the fear of the story not living up to reader expectation. The theme is easy to choose; it's usually something to do with issues kids or their  parents have: colds, tummy aches, allergy to baths ... But the way the story is to be told is most important. It has to create a laugh-out-loud funny, noisy, feel-goodexperience. That requires some work. 3. Do some/all of the minor characters from the pr...

Author and illustrotor Ashok Rajagopalan is out with a new chapter book for kids. Published by Tulika Books, Ha... Ha... Hasya is a humorous, entertaining book about chaos between Devas and Asuras. 1.This is your first mainstream chapter novel for kids. Did you enjoy writing it?           Very much, thank you for asking! Writing funny stories is fun. I laughed at my own             jokes while writing Hasya. 2. How long did you take to finish the book? Was the entire book written in a  few weeks?         This is awkward, but I’ll tell you the truth. I wrote the first three chapters about ten years  ago, but shelved it to concentrate on my illustration projects. Then, a year ago, I submitted the three chapters with chapter outlines for the rest of the book t...

There is always some confusion in the minds of authors when it comes to writing illustration notes for manuscripts of children's books. Experienced  children book illustrator and author of the famed Gajapati Kulapathi series, Ashok Rajagopalan, gives some gyan on the same.  1.         What kind of children books require illustration notes from an author? Any book where a picture has to give specific information may require illustration notes. Sometimes the note may only be helpful references for costume, architecture, etc. For some books, the author, respecting the reader's intelligence, and not wishing to spell everything out verbally, may intend to convey some information through text, and some through visuals. Then a note is needed. 2.         Do illustrators in general welcome illustration notes from authors of fiction pictorial books?  From an au...