When flags tell a story
Apicture book titled Fascinating Flags for
Fun (Kamarkat Publishing) by Shweta Subbiah Balakrishnan and Adhruth Subbiah Balakrishnan turns the spotlight on flags in an interactive way. What started as a fun holiday activity for Adhruth, a grade I student, along with his mother Shweta, turned into a book that has documented 70 flags.
“We looked up government websites of countries to read up more about flags,” says Shweta who runs @the_reading_elf on Instagram where she posts reviews of children’s books and also gives recommendations for children. The book packs information continentwise followed by activities like draw your own flag, cake recipes, and a points to ponder section that puts forth question like the significance of a gun that features on the Mozambique flag. “There is also a revision chapter to brush up memory. The book can be enjoyed by parents and children. Did you know that India’s and Niger’s flags look similar?” asks Shweta adding, that she finds South American flags fascinating because of the imagery.
A peek into a new world
“Flags are a peek into history, geography, colours, symbols, and cultures of countries. It’s reflection of people and their struggles. Along the way, we learn about apartheid, colonialism, and exotic birds like quetzal that can be seen only in South America. It features on the Guatemala flag.”
As you browse through the pages, you also spot similarities between the flags of Bangladesh and Japan. “It’s picture book with stories,” describes Shweta who grew up with stories of independence from her grandfathers. She believes reading helps ignite minds. “Albert Einstein’s quote ‘If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales’ is more relevant now. As a family, my husband (City Police Commissioner V Balakrishnan) we read a lot. There’s a book out there for everything, on friendship, good touch bad touch and more. It’s a companion for life. ”