From India West
This year, Bharat Babies, a publishing company whose CEO is Indian American Sailaja Joshi, hopes to put out eight cultural storybooks to be sold online and in retailers across the country, with “Hanuman and the Orange Sun” as their debut offering.
The idea for Bharat Babies first came about in 2013, when Joshi — who holds degrees from Northeastern University, Harvard and Simmons College — was having a difficult time finding developmental books to put in her newborn daughter’s library that featured her own Indian heritage.
To fix this gap in children’s literature, the Bharat Babies team does social research and comes up with story ideas and manuscripts that are both interesting and culturally appropriate for children. The illustrators work to make beautiful pictures that catch children’s eyes as well as maintain accuracy.