Sadiq Wants to Stitch, by Mamta Nainy and illustrated by Niloufer Wadia, (which was shortlisted for the Neev Book Award 2019 along with The Tale of Babban Hajjam, Thukpa For All, and The Clever Tailor) received an Honorable Mention at the awards ceremony.

The Neev Children’s Book Award aims to recognize outstanding children’s literature from India. Books are shortlisted for this award if they “display an understanding and respect for a young child’s sensibilities” and “provide the reader with a visual experience.”

The Neev Literature Festival is an annual event that aims to take children’s literature seriously, and inculcate the joy of reading through a focus on how and what children read. Their aim is to create a culture of well-read individuals, who read all-time classics that are age-appropriate that get referenced into their world, now and in the future! They say their ultimate mission is to get children to “Love to Read, Read to Love”.