Stories from Bengal - Rumana Yasmin

For centuries, children in Bengal have looked up at the moon and imagined Chaader Buri – the magical grandmother who spins stories from glowing moonbeam threads. Now she is ready to take you on a journey. Stories from Bengal is an illustrated exploration of the myths, legends, and folk tales of a remarkable region. Written by Rumana Yasmin and illustrated by Farah Khandaker, the book takes readers aged 7–12 on a richly layered journey through Bengali storytelling: where stories come from, why they matter, and the extraordinary characters and creatures that live inside them. Across 16 thematic chapters, readers will encounter princes and princesses, heavenly creatures, and ghoulish ghouls. They will find Bengal's earliest hand-painted picture books – the Patachitra scroll paintings carried by wandering storytellers – and the ancient Buddhist poems of the Charyapad, one of the oldest texts in the Bengali language. They will play a timeless dice game enjoyed by gods and goddesses, and discover creation stories told by the Chakma, Khasi, and Santal peoples, each a world of its own. But Stories from Bengal is more than a collection of tales. It explores how stories endure and why they matter: passed down in grandmothers' voices, sung by boatmen on Bengal's great rivers, inscribed in ancient manuscripts, and preserved in the sacred stitches of nakshi kantha – the embroidery tradition in which Bengali women have sewn their stories into cloth for generations. The illustrations, created by Farah Khandaker and inspired by nakshi kantha embroidery, bring this living tradition into every page. Fish, tigers, rivers, goddesses, and mythical beasts emerge from intricate, pattern-filled spreads, making the book a visual celebration of the art form it honours. Stories from Bengal is part of the Threads of Tales project, produced by Bok Bok Books in collaboration with HerStory Foundation, Bangladesh, and funded by the British Council's International Collaboration Grants. A celebration of one of South Asia's most extraordinary storytelling traditions – for curious readers everywhere.