Monday, August 31, 2015

Chennai Book launch: The Dragon's Toothache

If you're a regular visitor here, there is a good chance that you've heard all the noise we have been making about our new book. We're pleased to announce the book launch of The Dragon’s Toothache!

Event Details

Date: September 5, 2015
Time: 11 am to 12 pm
Address: No 11, 3rd Avenue, Indira Nagar, Chennai 600 020
Phone: 044 4211 6417 / 044 2443 3544


Should you be in Chennai, do join us for the launch. Feel free to pass the invitation along to anybody who might be interested. We look forward to seeing you!




Saturday, August 29, 2015

In the Spotlight: Say Hello to Rayika!

When, where and why did you start illustrating?
I started drawing when I was two. My kindergarten teacher still takes complete credit for discovering my creative side. Apparently, my smiley-faced, googly-eyed frog, perched on an oversized mushroom won her heart.
Professionally, I started illustrating when I was in college – first for a project and then for Pratham Books. It gave me an avenue to combine both my interests – storytelling and drawing. Giving shape to characters and words is such a rewarding process! You combine your imagination with that of the author’s and weave this magical journey that had absolutely no existence.

Do you remember your first illustration? Have you kept it in-between a book or under the mattress? May we see it?
I don't, but it's a well-remembered family anecdote. For my first school interview, the two-year-old Oshkosh B'gosh dungaree wearing  little girl was asked to draw a flower. I did, but proceeded to colour it black. When asked by the interviewers why I had coloured a flower black, I said 'load-shedding' (interruption of electricity supply). The first preserved artwork I have (courtesy my super-encouraging family) is from an art competition I had won when I was five. 



"The first preserved artwork I have from 
an art competition I won when I was 5."  

Who are your idols?
Children's book illustrators I admire are Oliver Jeffers, Maurice Sendak, Eric Carle, Quentin Blake and Bruno Munari. But, honestly, it's a never-ending list. I think I'm the only non-parent who spends so much time with children's books! 
My other idol – my grandmother. Helping her out with alpanas (rice powder floor decors used in Bengali pujas) as a child, is what shaped my current style and sense of aesthetics. 

The Dragon’s Toothache is a fantastic book, visually. Take us through the visualization process you followed for this project.
I think what made the book alive for me was the process of creating the characters. The journey started first with the little girl, and then the dragon, followed by the characters interacting with one another and everybody else. I made up stories while I drew them – reasons for why she wore a ghagra-like skirt, how she had a collection of matching bangles, everything! 

Rayika's illustrations

The next big challenge was understanding the anatomy of mythical characters like dragons! How does one imagine the inside of something that doesn't exist?! So, I took inspiration from creatures similar to dragons – dinosaurs, elephants, whatever I could find, including my favourite animation How to Train a Dragon.  
The interaction that followed with the characters and the scenes came organically after that. 

What would you do if you bumped into a dragon (not necessarily with a toothache)?
I've always wanted a dragon as a pet! I have one – Maximillian (lovingly called Max). He's a mixture of all the dragons I've ever made/seen. And he's adorable!


Is that Max? 

This question seems to trouble most illustrators: what is your favourite colour?
Clearly you don't expect an actual answer for this! I will tell you this though – my wardrobe is divided into hues of clothes based on my mood. So I have a set of happy clothes – shades of yellows, oranges, blues; dull clothes – greys and browns; and neutral clothes (everything that don’t fit into the other colour categories). J  

Saturday, August 8, 2015

New Release: The Dragon's Toothache

What could be stranger (or more exciting) than bumping into a dragon on your way back from school? How about bumping into a dragon who desperately needs your help?!

We have heard of damsels in need of rescuing from dangerous dragons. We have heard of knights riding majestic dragons to save a village. Skip through the pages of 'The Dragon's Toothache' and go on an adventure when our brave heroine takes on a challenge, makes new friends and goes on a fun adventure. Does she manage to help the dragon? Does she get gobbled up?

Annie Besant’s quirky tale coupled with Rayika Sen’s fantastic illustrations will have you giggling in no time.





Karadi Tip: Avail a 10% discount on the first twenty orders. Hurry and order your copy here:http://www.karaditales.com/FormProduct.aspx?SeriesId=41

Keep an eye on our Facebook page for exciting Fall Release updates from across the seas.

Here is a little sneak peek:





Snippets from Karadi Headquarters

We invited Annie to celebrate the right way - with cake!





Say hello to Annie.



Say hello to Rayika.