Off We Go! To Kolkata, to Kolkata

By Arthy Muthanna Singh and Mamta Nainy (Illustrated by Priyankar Gupta)

A journey to the city of joy.
Get on board with Mithu on a colourful tour of Kolkata and dive headlong into a swirl of sights, smells and sounds. From monuments to parks to bridges to markets to streets to foods, this book unfolds the magic and mystery of the City of Joy—one page at a time!

About the Author
Arthy Muthanna Singh is a children’s writer, freelance journalist, copywriter, editor and cartoonist. She has a diverse range of experience in the publishing industry, a large part of it spent at Limca Book of Records. She has authored over thirty-five books for children. She conducts creative writing workshops and dreams of moving to Goa some day.

Mamta Nainy is a children’s writer based in New Delhi. She spent some years in advertising before an apple fell on her head while she was sitting under a mango tree, and she had her Eureka moment. She has been writing for children since then. She loves travelling but when she’s too lazy to do it, she makes do with reading. She can usually be spotted next to a pile of children’s books, chuckling to herself!

Priyankar Gupta (Illustrator) is a pre-visualizer and a creative consultant in the field of media, advertising and broadcast design. He has worked with various publishing companies across the globe as an illustrator for children’s book and books for young adults. He has been a mentor in various design schools across the country, teaching various forms of visual narratives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Speaking Tiger
• Release date: Jun 10, 2019
• ISBN: 9789388874540

Book preview

It’s that time of the year again…When I visit my Dida and Dadu in Kolkata for Durga Puja and stay on for a week, which makes it seven full days of fun!

I’ll tell you why: First, coming to Kolkata means no school, no tuitions, no homework. Second, Dida and Dadu keep heaps of gifts for me. Stuff that no one else ever gives me. Like old books from ancient bookstores, clay horses, and rare coins. Third, Dida makes the yummiest things for me — coconut laddoos which have bumps of her fingers, crisps that are rolled out and dried in the courtyard, chops and cutlets for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I do not know what is more fun — to think about all that I will eat, or really eating it all!

After an overnight journey, our train chugs into the Howrah station. Out of the window I see people everywhere — people with their luggage getting in or off the train, friends and families waving goodbyes to their loved ones, and many coolies dressed in red shirts and white dhotis.

I remember Dadu telling me once that the Howrah Station is one of the oldest and the largest train stations in India. It started its operations in 1854. The huge station has 23 platforms where almost 300 trains arrive and depart each day! And you know what? It’s