Our editorial intern, Nandini Ranganathan, writes about the innocence of children portrayed in Letters to Krisha, written by Parinita Shetty and illustrated by Sahitya Rani. 

No two children are the same, but all of them are innocent. Letters to Krisha, by Parinita Shetty, captures this innocence as accurately as possible.  

The book, written as a series of letters, is a collection of incidents that transpire in Krisha’s school when she is undergoing an operation. Krisha’s friends write to her in her absence to keep her informed of the goings-on, and the letters brim with the endearing qualities that are almost always unique to children – insatiable curiosity, easy acceptance, zero judgement, straightforwardness, etc. We can’t help going “Aww!” while reading some letters and bursting out laughing while reading others.  

The heart-warming theme is brought to life by the endearing, vibrant illustrations of Sahitya Rani that let us associate a face to each of Krisha’s friends, opening a world of opportunities to look for other quirks they possess. The writing and the illustrations fit like the pieces of a puzzle and pave the way for a beautiful reading experience. 

What makes the book unforgettable is the attention to detail – the writing is not always aligned; the handwritings are different; even the shades of the papers on which the letters are written differ. The letters, corrected by Miss Zarina before they are sent to Krisha, bear red ink marks and eraser smudges that invariably remind us of our struggles while getting introduced to English. The children of 3A make the same mistakes we did – confusing spellings of homonyms, forgetting silent letters in words, making up their own spellings based on the pronunciation, and so on.  

Apt for children aged 7 to 9, the book is a treasure trove of details that can be uncovered with every new read as it celebrates everything that makes children, well, children. They will relate to some aspect of all of Krisha’s friends and ask curious questions, just like the kids in the book. 

For those of us who are a little older? It makes us look back on our school days with a wistful smile, as it brings back memories of friends similar to those writing the letters. This stirring book just might make us dial up one of our friends we haven’t talked to in a while!