Stuti Sareen grew up in a room that was part of a children’s library, and always harboured a dream to publish children’s books. A dream that the 30-year-old founder of the Varanasi-based artist community Mysticeti has brought to life with Bapa Wants Fish (₹1,180).Structured like a chapter book while carrying the visual richness of a picture book, Stuti says it has been created for educators, parents, children, and book collectors alike.
A page from ‘Bapa Wants Fish’
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Read more | Support your local artist, says Naga illustrator Canato JimoSet in 1990s Orissa, the story moves through family rituals around food, neighbourhood dynamics, and an unexpected cyclone. “Through a joyful and child-centred lens, it explores themes still less commonly addressed in children’s publishing, including uncertainty, emotional complexity, and mental health concerns,” says Stuti of the book. Authored by her and illustrated by Alankrita Amaya, it has a limited print run of only 100 hardcover copies, and is printed on recycled cotton waste paper.
