Little steps to inclusion

The title is illustrator Somya Garg's first book project

Among the mogra, gulab, champa and chameli, it is the friendship of Uma and Sunaina that blossomed. The two eight-year-olds, who hate mathematics and love science, have a special bond with flowers: Sunaina lost her eyesight when she was six and has the most beautiful garden that she can sense, one that Uma can't stop giving a running commentary on. It is this adorable relationship that is the subject of Flowers for Sunaina, an e-storybook for children published by Upasana Makati, founder of White Print, India's first English lifestyle magazine in Braille.

The book authored by Vandana Naidu, edited by Ahalya Naidu and illustrated by Somya Garg, is aimed at helping children embrace an inclusive world in 17-odd pages. The team began work in early May and the first draft was ready for editing within a week. Post the lockdown and once the printing press opens up, they intend on releasing a Braille version and hope to put out a print version at some point in the future, too.

The idea of the title stemmed from Makati's search for children's literature that incorporates inclusion. "I realised there wasn't much and even the few titles that I did browse through just reflected tokenism - where you have one character on a wheelchair," Makati shares. The lockdown proved to be an ideal time to put a book out into the world with kids spending more time on their screens. She wanted a narrative to change the perception of children with visible disabilities and tell the reader, "Hey, this is normal."

Flowers for Sunaina took shape as Vandana Naidu stumbled upon a couple of sites that addressed sensory gardens for the blind. "My work with Upasana in the past has made me aware of issues related to the blind and I am always on the lookout for new ideas that we could use to promote inclusion. Luckily, I also found an article about such a sensory garden in Worli, and I could confidently go ahead and build on the theme," says the US-based writer in an email. She also asserts that she wanted to talk about how senses are more than just sight. "I want readers to re-evaluate how amazing the human body is and appreciate all that goes into creating a memory,"
she says.

Somya Garg, Vandana Naidu and Upasana Makati

This was also Garg's first book project as an illustrator and the bright palette compliments the cheerful storyline. She informs us that she worked on it for over 200 hours. "Three thoughts drove the whole design process after I read the story: the book is for kids, which means the visuals should be bright and eye-catching, the beautiful and simple message of inclusion incorporated by developing unapologetic characters, and my own love for art," she says. Garg also states that as a fan of animated movies and cartoons, working on the title was close to working on a script; she enjoyed the process which involved ideation, storyboarding, sketching, colouring and eventually putting it all together like a puzzle. And Makati hopes that this finished product now leaves a broad smile on every child's face as, "Every child needs a warm hug right now."

Log on to https://pages.razorpay.com/flowersforsunaina (On request, an accessible, screen-reader friendly, image-described document will be shared for a child with visual impairment or low vision)
Cost Rs 199

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