PVLF 2026

Interview with Sarita Saraf & Priyanka Pachpande

A children’s book blending Krishna’s playful tales with numbers, using rhyme and bilingual storytelling to make early learning joyful, cultural, and engaging.
on Apr 21, 2026

Frontlist: With World Book Day celebrating the joy of reading, how do you think children’s books shape a child’s earliest connection with stories?

Sarita: The world over, a child’s earliest connection to stories is through his family-- his mother, his father, his grandparents or even teachers. In India we had a tradition of Kathaakaars, storytellers--who used to go from town to town regaling the town dwellers with tales from our epics. We, as storybook creators do the same thing, except that it’s through the written word along with illustrations.

Frontlist: What inspired you to create Numbers with Krishna, bringing together early learning and mythology?

Sarita: Krishna is a beloved of every Indian, be it child or adult! Tales of his childhood are known to almost all, so teaching Numbers through someone so dear itself becomes a joy! And it also refreshes some of the episodes of Bala Krishna’s Leela in their hearts and mind, nourishing them with love and harmony and joy of collective living.

Frontlist: Rhythm and rhyme play a strong role in your book. How do they enhance a child’s learning experience?

Sarita: There is a rhythm in Nature, in the rising and falling of the tides, the rising and setting of the rising and setting of the sun and moon, in the changing seasons, in the growth of plants and blooming of flowers, even our own bodies have a rhythm, our heart beats, our sleep cycle. Rhythm brings peace and joy in our lives, that’s why poetry gives so much joy! Also, children as well as adults want to memorise poems because of their rhyme and rhythm. Tt imparts a joy to be able to recite them. Rhyme and rhythm are an important aid to music, singing, and dancing.

Frontlist: Your book simplifies stories of Krishna for young readers. How do you retain their cultural and spiritual essence while keeping them accessible?

Sarita: Well, by using stories from our epics we not only make our books interesting, attractive, but also serve to preserve our culture. Each episode also has some spiritual dimension, it allows the parents to use these episodes as a base, keep their child spellbound by embellishing it with further details!

Frontlist: The inclusion of both English and Hindi adds a unique dimension. How important is bilingual learning in early childhood?

Sarita: According to educationists, a 5-year-old child is capable of learning 4-5 languages, let alone two! India is a unique land where innumerable languages and scripts are in use. So bilingual books help Tall over and Hindi in quite a few states. Currently at AdiDev Press, our forte is English and Hindi. But we are beginning to explore other languages. We have brought out books in Tamil and Malayalam. We are working on bringing out Punjabi book as well.

Frontlist: Krishna’s life is filled with many stories. How did you decide which moments would best connect with young readers?

Priyanka: Stories of his childhood, Bala Leelas are the most apt, because children can easily identify with them: his attractive smile, his love for his mother Yashoda, his naughtiness with the gopis, his games in the fields with the cows and gopas, and his heroic vanquishing of demons! All these varied stories stimulate the various aspects of his being, physical, emotional, mental, vital and spiritual.

Frontlist: As both a writer and editor, how do you approach creating books that are educational yet emotionally engaging?

Sarita: To create books that stimulate a child integrally is the best. So, plenty of research needs to be done to accomplish that! There are a lot of number books in the market that count apples and oranges and trains. Children certainly learns their numbers, but we have missed the opportunity to touch the other aspects of their personality.

Frontlist: In today’s screen-driven world, what role do you believe like Numbers with Krishna play in nurturing a love for reading?

Sarita: As far as a screen-driven world is concerned, we have to keep PAPER alive! It’s less taxing for the eyes, does not ruin children’s sleep, in fact helps them unwind. Any kind of story book would be wonderful! Books like Numbers with Krishna help teach children their numbers without being didactic. Children may choose this book to hear the tales of Krishna’s childhood but would end up enjoying the stories AND learning their numbers!