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Learning to Be with Women in Sports 

AdiDev Press has come out with another stellar series under the “Learning to Be” concept. Each new edition builds on the legacy of the older ones! This time round, the focus is on Indian women in sports. 

The box set concept is unique and the latest in the already outstanding series once again brings to board four exceptional Indian women, who have carved a niche in the sports world.  All the books are presented in words by Pervin Saket. Four different illustrators take up the task of wonderfully rendering the text and the concept into clear vivid and vibrant illustrations that appeal to the youngest of readers. 

Trust With PT Usha talks not only about the master runner herself but the relentless efforts of her coach and the teamwork that saw her through her career. Usha’s life is brilliantly illustrated in the double spread that presents her biography. The rise of the little girl with talent, nurtured by her coach as he grooms her to perform on the international canvas is presented through verse. 

Resilience with Bhakti Sharma takes us through the champion swimmers’ journey as she braved deep chilly oceans. Not only her body but also her mind was resilient enough to face the rough waters! 

Adaptability with Arunima Sinha talks about the journey of the Padma Shri winning national Volleyball player. Not only that, she was also the first amputee to climb the Mount Everest! The ordeal of being pushed off a train and loosing her leg, did not stop this brave heart from scaling mountings, quite literally! 

Transformation with Chandro and Prakashi Tomar is the story of two grandmothers who were over sixty when they made their sharpshooting debut! These women, home makers and simple village women, fought patriarchal resistance! Their story is one of grit. They set an example for the women in the village, and beyond, becoming beckons of hope for women in a male dominated society. Their story is the inspiration for the movie Saand Ki Aankh.

Applications

At home and school, the series is especially relevant for toddlers. The series introduces concepts of hard work and illuminates how success can look different for different people. It also introduces women role models in sports, an area where more examples are welcome!

Book discussions at school could use this series for conversations around difficulties faced by the women and how they overcame them, with older children.

All these four books talk about women who fought different kinds of challenges, but yet, emerged victorious. Thanks to these efforts by AdiDev Press the stories of these women and their inspirational examples will be crystallized for the youngest of readers!

Dhanishta Shah

Dhanishta is a Counselling Psychologist and a freelance writer. She is the Founder of Bookedforlife.