Books

Beyond Blue and Pink

Challenging gender stereotypes from spacewomen to arty boys

Rati Girish | 12 Dec, 2023

(Illustration: Saurabh Singh)

WRITING ABOUT gender for children is a tricky proposition. You don’t want to introduce tropes of pink and blue to young minds, nor do you want to come across as pedantic. Striking the right balance is important, while driving home a crucial message. Three recent releases walk this tightrope perfectly.

We cheered and felt immense pride on seeing saree-clad scientists as the face of ISRO’s uber-successful Mangalyaan mission in 2014. But it is 2023 and a great time for a reminder! Menaka Raman who has previously written books that break stereotypes (Loki Takes Guard, about a cricket-crazy girl) and the Indian space mission (Topi Rockets from Thumba), asks a pertinent question in How to Reach Mars and Other Impossible Things; Why don’t we accept that women can be
scientists too?

With this book, Raman takes us back to 2012—a few years before the successful launch of Mangalyaan—and introduces us to Rabia, a curious 6th grader, passionate about science and eager to understand the workings of the universe. Her teacher sets their class a homework assignment to draw a scientist. When Rabia draws the scientist as a woman, she is teased and taunted by her classmates. But then, the class goes on a field trip to ISRO and Rabia knows this is the perfect opportunity for her to prove her classmates wrong.

Raman uses her characteristic humour to break down complex scientific concepts and make them fun to read. She introduces the scientists who worked on the Mars Orbiter Mission and adds a titbit about their contribution to the project. Award-winning illustrator Rajiv Eipe drives the point home with his brilliant illustrations and an interesting switch between illustration styles, keeping the reader glued to the book. Adults will enjoy this book too. Look out for the quirky pop culture references, from Bengaluru auto drivers to potholed roads.

How to Reach Mars and Other Impossible Things gets many things right. Releasing it following the successful launch of Chandrayaan means Indian space missions are in the public eye. Presenting this as a picture book makes it fun for young children who will return to it many times. It is packed with scientific information, but at the heart of it is the simple proposition that women can be scientists too and that a change in thinking can be brought about in simple ways.

Who doesn’t love a good rangoli or kolam, but think about the person creating the kolam and you will find yourself picturing a female figure. Kolam Kanna wants to change that perception.

Kolam Kanna is about nine-year-old Bharathi, a shy, playful boy with a passion for creating kolams. It is time for the exciting Kolam Kondattam Kontest at Pravin’s Paradiso apartments, a residential complex where his mother works. He is eager to participate, but isn’t a resident. He is only there because he plays with his friends—Tabassum and Alagu—while he waits for his mother to finish work. His friends encourage him to participate and emboldened by various enthusiastically hatched plans, he agrees! He now has building bullies and the very strict Resident Welfare Association to tackle before he wins. Then there is the small issue of telling his Appa that he is participating and cannot be there to help with chores. Will Bharathi participate and realise his dream of taking his parents for a five-star meal? Or will the scary Mrs Subramaniam throw a spanner in the works?

Kolam Kanna is the third book—after Pinkoo Shergill, Pastry Chef and Gobi Goes Viral— where author Vibha Batra explores gender typical notions with respect to professions. Each of these books is set in a different city and through adorable traits she makes the eponymous characters endearing and memorable.

Batra sets Kolam Kanna in Tamil Nadu where kolams are a daily morning ritual for many families. Bharathi’s character is etched against Tabassum, a ten-year-old ‘ninja look-alike’ who loves playing cricket. Batra creates situations for Bharathi that young readers can relate to. Facing playground bullies, playing in staircases while dodging strict residents, and tackling herculean tasks with a confidence boost from friends. Kolam Kanna is perfect for middle-grade readers just starting to read short novels. The story is fast moving, engaging, and will drive home one main point—boys can be creative and draw kolams too.

Based on real events, I Kick and I Fly is the incredible story of 14-year-old Heera who dares to dream and change her destiny. Born into a family from the marginalised Nat caste in a street called Girl’s Bazaar on the outskirts of the city’s red-light area, her future has already been planned by her father and the local goons. Girls born in the area are sold into the sex trade to the highest bidder and the money is used by the family to pay off their debts. Heera grows up watching girl after girl suffer the same fate and is determined to change her situation. She realises she is good at wrestling and a chance encounter introduces her to Kung fu. She meets Rini, a women’s rights advocate who runs a hostel for vulnerable girls and begins to learn Kung fu
from her.

Heera throws herself into training and as she gets stronger and better at Kung fu, she begins to realise it isn’t wrong to dream of a better life for herself and her family. She does well at school and with the help of her mother, brother Salman, and Rini-di .She is soon selected for an exchange programme and an international competition in New York. While she celebrates, she finds out a friend is missing. She suspects that she has been sold into the sex trade by her own family and is now determined to find her. She decides to embark on a daring rescue mission and find her friend, overlooking all danger.

This is not an easy book to read. It will tear into you and paint pictures that are difficult to forget. Heera is clearly the underdog and you will find yourself cheering for her every step of the way. As you read, you will realise the growth in characters and find yourself accepting situations you never thought possible. Author and award-winning journalist and activist Gupta vividly explains what it means to be born a girl in Girl’s Bazaar and through the book we watch Heera break through every obstacle—whether it is defending herself against goons twice her size with Kung fu or forcing her mind to stay calm despite the madness all around her.

I Kick and I Fly is an inspiring read for teens and young adults. Underneath the complex layers is the idea of what a boost in self-confidence can do for someone when they are being tested by the world. Pick up this one if you are looking for a book to move you to tears.