Once, walking in the hills of Gholvad, observing the shapes of the trees, artist Mehlli Gobhai told poet and writer Jerry Pinto, “You see how it is all geometry. Life has geometry underlying it.” Gobhai found art everywhere, Pinto notes in The Secret Life of Mehlli Gobhai (Pratham Books). The artist is best known as one of the leading abstractionists in India, but he was also an illustrator of children’s books. He wrote and illustrated several titles such as Lakshmi: The Water Buffalo Who Wouldn’t, The Legend of the Orange Princess and Ramu and the Kite, among others.

Mehlli Gobhai

To honour his work, Bandra-based MCubed Library presents the Mehlli Gobhai award for the Best Work in Children’s Book Illustration every year. This will be the fourth year of the award. “[Gobhai] was a painter with a giving heart,” Pinto tells us. “His generosity was manifested when he left, in his will, a quarter of an estate to artists’ charities. I thought it would be a good idea to create an award for children’s book illustrations,” Pinto shares, fondly recalling his earliest encounter with Gobhai at the latter’s exhibition, Hinged by Light, held at the Pundole Art Gallery, Fort, in 1994. “I went to the MCubed Library [with the idea for the award] because I love this space, the library, and what it’s done, being a safe haven for children to come in and experience the joy of books.”

Vibha Kamat, the space’s co-founder, reveals, “We received 39 titles this year, and shortlisted four books.” For a book to qualify, the team keeps a check on certain conditions. For instance, the book must be published in the previous year, and a publisher is allowed to send only a limited number of books. “A key condition is that the winner cannot apply for the next three years.” Over four years, a diverse range of books have made it to the shortlists, from stories that explore children’s relationships with their grandparents, to those that exemplify their curiosities and their adventures in the wild. “The important thing to be kept in mind is: What is the dialogue that is set up between the words and the images. Do the two amplify each other? Do the images set up an alternative narration? Do they point the child to something more than what is said?” These are some of the starting questions, Pinto adds, which help the team select the best ones from the lot.  

Here are the 4 shortlisted titles for the fourth edition. The winner will be announced on July 15.

Illustration courtesy/Ogin Nayam

When the Sun Sets: Ogin Nayam’s warm wordless story (Pratham Books) shows us what the Sun does after a hard day’s work. The Sun has been reimagined as a woman. The narrative begins with her walk back home, after which we see her unwinding — reading a book, knitting a hair-tie, sharing a meal with the clouds, and going to bed. Nayam’s use of soft, subdued watercolours reflects the Sun’s mood accurately.

Illustration courtesy/Aditi Anand

What Happened to Grandpa: When Nandini Nayar’s young protagonist Neha realises that things are slipping away from her grandfather’s memory, she takes it upon herself to keep the memory alive (Puffin Books). Aditi Anand’s illustrations lend this tender story a sense of transience that translates what’s said between the lines — the protagonist’s state of being actively present for her grandfather.

Illustration courtesy/ Krishna Bala Shenoi

The Scent of Roses: In Adithi Rao’s story (Duckbill), little Sajad has big feelings when his Abu disappears one night. The book follows his journey as he deals with these feelings. Krishna Bala Shenoi is a master portraitist whose monochromatic illustrations are evocative, and capture heartwarming as well as the darker moments.

Illustration courtesy/Barkha Lohia

Thoma and Thresia: Meenu Thomas takes young readers to Kuttanadu, Kerala, in her new book published by Eklavya. Thomas and Thresia —two garden lovers — go about their neighbourhood, hunting for the dragon fruit plant thief. The precision in Barkha Lohia’s illustrations is unmissable. She brings earthy tones to Thoma and Thresia’s life along the Malabar Coast.

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