Trishla Jain\'s books shape young minds

George Bernard Shaw said, “Make it a rule never to give a child a book you would not read yourself.” But here lies the dilemma—not all books that a parent or a grown-up would like to read are of interest to a child, and vice versa. So, finding one that can be a delight for both isn’t an easy task.

However on rare occasions we come across a book that can be as enjoyable a read-aloud experience for parents as it is an entertaining and enlightening read for children. And that’s why ' Om the Gnome and the Chanting Comb' and ' Sunrise, Moonrise ' by author Trishla Jain are so much more than just illustrated books for children.


Trishla, a young mother of two, started meditating at the age of eight and ‘dancing with literature’ at 18. The author who is also a talented artist is inspired by spirituality, and her works—both art and literature—are a reflection of her deep-rooted faith. “My books bring modern spirituality to life through simple words,” writes Trishla in the author’s note of 'Om the Gnome and the Chanting Comb '. True to her words, the book combines her love of Indian philosophy with her knowledge of western literature, which she was exposed to during her days at Stanford University in California where she fell in love with English Literature.


Both the books start with a challenge—in ' Sunrise, Moonrise ' the readers have to ‘spot the lotus, the compass and the fish on every page’ and in ' Om the Gnome and the Chanting Comb ' Trishla urges children to ‘find the feather, the mouse and the ladybug on every page as you learn to chant OM just like a sage.’ The light and magical narration by Trishla is beautifully supported by the exquisite and lucid illustration by Tahirah Powell.


The protagonist of ' Om the Gnome ' is a gnome named Om. The story weaves around this affable gnome who receives a magical comb as a birthday gift from his grandmother but little does he know that the comb will be a source of an important life lesson. The book unpacks the magic behind the beautiful sound of ‘Om’ and one of the lines, “OM untangles all my knots—inside and out!” is both metaphorical for adults as it is magical for children.


In ' Sunrise, Moonrise ' each page contains a quatrain, which together sums up the journey of the sun and the moon, which they undertake to find out how people from different cultures and faiths pray. This book, besides being a great way for parents to start a beautiful conversation about prayer and purpose with children, can also be the first experience of kids to learn about poetic techniques like rhymes and quatrain. The literary devices and their clever execution clearly illustrate Trishla’s expertise in the language and her eye for details. Her words in ' Sunrise, Moonrise ' are brought to life by the fascinating illustration by Kirstin Eggers.


Also, let’s not forget that while the children immerse themselves in the magical world of a gnome and the power of prayers, they can also solve the puzzle each page is littered with—that's where the magic of the illustrators Tahirah and Kirstin comes to play. That’s what makes a children's book a happy and interesting read, isn’t it?