My first Hanuman Chalisa

Stories were a central part of Chitwan’s childhood. Her grandmother had a wonderful imagination and could weave a story to accompany every bite of food, while her English-medium-educated mother made bedtime magical with her stories. Chitwan’s lifelong love affair with children’s picture books that began in childhood continued through her time as a young student in Boston and London pursuing bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education. She spent endless hours browsing the children’s section in the giant bookstores there. She especially loved books that were subtle and magical and uplifting, that were beautiful to touch and feel, that inspired without being preachy. She wished to see books of this calibre with themes from home, with pictures of Indian kids and Indian places. Then, when she had her own kids, Adi and Dev, she decided to stop wishing and start doing. And that’s how AdiDev Press came to be.