Pridhee Kapoor Gupta is a publishing entrepreneur producing books in South Asian languages
Pridhee Kapoor Gupta, originally from India and now based in Singapore, wears multiple hats as a mother, molecular biologist turned primary school teacher, and entrepreneur. Recognizing the scarcity of children’s books in Indian languages outside of India, she founded T4Tales, a publishing venture dedicated to filling this gap. With a profound commitment to her cultural heritage, Pridhee endeavors to introduce languages like Hindi, Punjabi, and Kannada to young children through interactive literature.
T4Tales also recently introduced “Nila Nila,” an interactive Tamil board book with music that is accessible on all major platforms. Through her work, Pridhee aims to foster linguistic diversity and cultural pride among young readers globally. The carefully curated collection of T4Tales’ physical books blends traditional Indian rhymes with contemporary tales, facilitating parent-child bonding and cognitive development.
In an era of digital distractions, Pridhee advocates for the enduring power of physical books in early childhood education. She invites families to embark on a literary journey that not only celebrates storytelling’s enchantment but also highlights the richness of Indian languages. Discover more about her journey in our interview here.
What inspired you to start T4Tales and address the lack of children’s books in Indian languages outside of India?
As a first-time parent navigating parenthood outside India, the dearth of interactive and board books in Indian languages became glaringly apparent. Despite an abundance of English options, the absence of materials for early years in my mother tongue sparked the inception of T4Tales.
I started T4Tales with two goals in mind: one, to capture and keep alive verses and stories that are unique to Indian languages. Two, to help Indian parents introduce Indian languages to children in their early years, which can help in improving a child’s vocabulary, listening skills, and imagination. As per the recent set of guidelines by the WHO (World Health Organization), children between the ages of 2 and 4 should not be exposed to screens for more than an hour. Many young parents today are well aware of the impact of screen time on a child’s learning and development. To avoid overexposure to digital displays, more and more parents today are taking a keen interest in introducing interactive books to their children from an early age, and we wanted to support this movement.
How do you believe introducing Indian languages to children at a young age through books can impact their cognitive development and cultural pride?
Exposing children to multiple languages from a young age offers a variety of benefits. Studies show bilingualism can enhance cognitive flexibility, improve problem-solving skills, and strengthen memory.
Culturally, language is the foundation of identity. By introducing Indian languages to children early on, we’re giving them a key to unlocking their heritage. Our books are based on folktales, old rhymes, traditional festivals, and everyday cultural references. These elements help children understand their roots and create a sense of belonging.
Could you walk us through the process of sourcing and selecting the books for T4Tales, particularly in terms of how you ensure authenticity and cultural resonance in the stories you publish?
Our vision is to make our books simple, easy to read, and illustrated in a whole new format, ranging from nursery rhymes to mythological stories retold in a manner that’s more relatable to young audiences.
When selecting manuscripts or ideas, we consider several criteria, like the portrayal of cultural traditions, values, and language in the stories. We want to ensure that children have fun reading these books, rather than having them thrust by parents for their ‘education and learning’.
Hence, we prioritize stories that are engaging, age-appropriate, simple yet fun, and reflect our culture. When it is related to culture, we conduct extensive research to recheck facts with families, friends, books, and networks.
As a champion for physical books in a digital age, what do you believe are the unique benefits of traditional storytelling for early childhood education?
Holding a physical book provides a tactile experience that helps build gross and fine motor skills, which are crucial developmental goals for young children. This is not possible with eBooks in this digital age.
The shared reading experience is also crucial. Physical books encourage interaction between parent and child, allowing for discourse and creating a special bonding time. Additionally, as all our books are interactive, kids get to play, read, and learn all at the same time! I like to call our books a toy and a book rolled into one.
How do you envision T4Tales fostering parent-child bonding through the shared experience of reading in Indian languages?
Our books inspire parents to reconnect with their cultural roots, evoking a profound sense of nostalgia. Parents want to use our stories to revisit their own cultural experiences and memories and share them with their children, creating a bridge between generations. We have heard from parents that our books have helped build bonds between not only children and their parents but also with grandparents.
In today’s digital age, it is tough to take some time away from screens. And our books serve as the perfect getaway for parents and children alike to bond over their culture and heritage without screens.
What challenges did you face in establishing T4Tales, and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge has been with shipping and distribution. We continue to work on this and are fortunate to have many bookstores interested in collaborating. As is the case the case with many small businesses, financial investment in increasing our product catalogue and meeting the demands of the market has been a challenge. In addition, getting the attention of Indian families living in different parts of the world is tough.
Could you share some anecdotes or stories from parents and children who have engaged with T4Tales books?
Kids love our books, and so do parents. We have had multiple customers tell us that their kids love the books so much that they insist on gifting them to others at their birthday parties as return gifts or ensuring that their younger siblings also get the latest T4Tales books. We have also had instances where customers have shared heartwarming videos of their children reading the books with their grandparents or having memorized the books and reciting the stories (such as of Ram and Sita) to their friends. Multicultural families have shared how useful the English transliteration has been to read our books without any prior knowledge of the script.
As a parent myself living outside India, I find it relatable when we hear back from Indians living abroad saying they love how our books are perfect for introducing their kids to their mother tongue and their culture.
With your background in molecular biology and teaching, how do you balance your scientific expertise with your passion for literature and cultural heritage?
With my background in education and molecular biology, my experiences in research and education experiences really inspire and motivate me to publish more books. Children’s book publishing and understanding of pedagogy do go hand in hand, which makes it easier to balance the two.
What advice would you give to parents who are raising bilingual or multilingual children and seeking to instil a love for their cultural heritage?
I think the key to raising bilingual or multilingual children is creating a fun and positive language-rich environment at home. Parents should speak, read, and sing in both languages as much as possible. Additionally, one can support their learning with age-appropriate media and activities that make learning languages fun and engaging. There are so many resources out there, like flashcards, board games, and interactive books like ours, all of which provide unique ways to immerse children in the beauty and richness of our Indian languages.
How do you see T4Tales evolving to further promote linguistic diversity and cultural awareness among children?
Although we have ventured into publishing books in not just Hindi but also Gujarati and Tamil, my hope is that as we continue to expand into publishing more Indian languages, we will connect with families with old nursery rhymes and publish more books covering more concepts across the diverse Indian cultures and mother tongues for children living globally.
We will also be releasing a new book soon in the Kahaani series. So far in the Kahaani series, we have Kahaani Puraani and Kahaani Rangeeli available at the New York Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library.
How do you navigate the challenge of maintaining a healthy work-life balance?
As a mother, primary school teacher, and entrepreneur, it has been challenging to balance, and I am still learning. But being flexible, adaptable, careful planning, and prioritizing have been keys to striving for balance. Another lesson has been to delegate and outsource where possible. In the beginning, I found it difficult to ask for help or delegate some work, but I have learned that outsourcing some tasks gives me time to prioritize others.
