When Papoo and his family move into their home, food begins to mysteriously disappear from the kitchen.  Papoo and his sister become amateur detectives and lay a trap for the thief.  Will they catch the culprit?  To find out, take a peek inside Papoo Mian Ney Chore Pakre, one of Oxford University Press’ publications for children.  Children’s literature is a genre that, after decades of neglect, is at last, thanks to some enterprising publishing houses, dusting the cobwebs off itself.  For a child, finding and reading a good story is no less exciting than discovering a treasure. 

            Unfortunately, Pakistan is not a child-oriented society; a child’s literary tastes are not nurtured, his imagination and points of view scarcely find expression in his pen and his speech, a consequence of the fact that a love of reading is not nurtured from the early years.  “My son’s only exploration of reading skills is probably during the hours he spends in school or doing his homework.  Otherwise it’s either Sega games or Cartoon Network.  If I ask him to read an Urdu book or Naunehal  in his spare time, he makes a face...but I can’t really blame him.  Urdu books appear too bland to interest a young child,” complains the father of a seven-year-old.

            During the International Year of the Child a decade ago, discussions on issues related to children led to the adoption of conventions on the rights of the child.  One consequence of these deliberations was that children’s literature developed into a full-fledged market internationally.  The situation in Pakistan however, remained as dismal as ever.   Less than 150 titles for children are published in Pakistan each year, a number that has remained static for the past few years.  While pirated editions of children’s comic books are available in large quantities at Urdu Bazaar, quality children’s literature is scarce.  Even established monthly magazines for children such as Naunehal, Bachon Ki Duniya  etc. are not easily found.   Most prestigious bookshops are reluctant to stock these magazines and they are usually found with roadside vendors.

            The drawbacks facing children’s literature in Pakistan are the same as those that afflict the book publishing industry as a whole in the country: escalating cost of paper, shortage of libraries and under-developed reading habits.  “We don’t have a reading culture in our society and that’s what we need to develop first,” says Ameena Saiyid, managing director of Oxford University Press.  It is estimated that primary school age children comprise13 per cent of Pakistan’s population.  Given that the total population stands at 140 million, this figure translates into about 18 million children of primary school age.  Even assuming that only 20 per cent of them are actually school going, the number comes to 3.6 million.           

            However, booksellers claim that the printing of children’s books in Pakistan, in Urdu as well as regional languages, does not add up to more than a total of 0.1 million copies.  Print orders of each title do not exceed 1,000 copies – understandable, considering that even this meagre amount takes four to five years to sell.  At this rate, every year, roughly 200 copies of each title are sold.  Ameena also regrets that parents are often hesitant to spend a few rupees on books – the price of locally printed books ranges between 20 to 200 rupees – whereas they will happily spend thousands on luxury items. 

            Sami Mustafa, chairman of The Book Group, a research centre for children, says, “Urdu is stuck somewhere in the 18th century; it is out of step with the times.  Children’s minds have developed but Urdu is still where it was a few years back.  Today’s child wants a book that he or she can relate to.” 

            Apart from the lack of a market for children’s books, another reason that makes a publisher desist from investing in these books is book piracy.  A dearth of libraries further hinders the growth of a culture of reading in our society.  Meanwhile, the media exercises profound influence on children’s lifestyles, and the demand upon one’s intellectual capacities to enjoy a book cannot, it seems, be matched by the immediate gratification offered by the flick of a remote control button.  Nevertheless, even before the advent of 24-hour television channels for children, children’s literature was the stepchild of publishing.  The genre has, in the past few years, only begun to improve in terms of the production and content, but has nevertheless yet to make a dent in the market.

            If the children’s literature industry has not flourished, then it has at least survived, thanks to publishing houses such as Oxford University Press, Ferozsons and Hamdard Press that continue to produce some quality books for children in Urdu and English, albeit on a small scale.  With a team of creative writers, qualified editing staff and illustrators, they have, in recent times, brought out some entertaining yet thought-provoking and well-illustrated books such as Paipee Aur Carain, Mian Dhanchoon Kai Bachay, etc.  A selection of these are used by some schools as course books, with some publishing houses providing teachers with guides and notes on how to utilise this material.  The Book Group, whose stories for children are published by Ferozsons, has in its Urdu story books, dealt with some serious themes in a learning- through-play approach.  These themes include the benefits of having small families, environmental degradation, hygiene etc.  “My five-year-old, Asad, loves stories by The Book Group because the themes are interesting and accompanied by appealing illustrations.  What’s more, I look forward to reading the stories with him as I find them equally enjoyable,” says a parent, Mrs. Nafees.

            Hamdard Press has also attempted to introduce religion to children in an interesting way through books such as Naupash-e-Seerat . Bachon kai Haqooq ki Humari Kitab  is a delightfully innovative effort by the Human Rights Education Programme to acquaint children with their rights.  Oxford University Press has also published books for preschoolers with cassettes; these cassettes are an indispensable teaching aide that make the learning process easy and fun.  For example, Alif Bay Pay Geet Aur Awazain  by Zara Mumtaz is a beautifully illustrated Urdu alphabet book with cassette which has been designed especially for preschoolers and introduces each letter of the Urdu alphabet and its corresponding sound to very young children.  Agar Nagar Ki Nanhi Nazmain is a charming collection of poems for toddlers, accompained by a singalong cassette.

             Children’s taste for imported books varies from Harry Potter and Hardy Boys  to Sweet Valley High  while on the local front, detective stories by Ishtiaq Ahmed and magazines such as Naunehal  enjoy some degree of popularity.  It is only due to the efforts of committed publishers that Naunehal, Bachon ki Duniya, Phool, and Ankh Macholi  have survived.  “I am very fond of reading and the fascinating stories make me feel part of them.  I love reading Hardy Boys and also Ankh Macholi  as it is full of interesting stories and jokes”, says 12-year-old Shahrukh. 

            Books published for children in Pakistan include adventure stories and science fiction as well as non-fiction.  Despite the hold of electronic media, an exciting adventure story still casts a spell on a child who enjoys the printed word.  Imrana Maqsood’s Aik Jazeera  for instance, recounts the adventures of three animals afloat on a raft who discover an island and in the process make a new friend.  Beautifully illustrated, this picture reader will delight children with its surprise ending.

            Detective books also appeal to a child’s curiosity and his desire to solve “mysteries”.  Papoo Mian Ney Chore Pakre  by Qamar Jahan is a detective story accompanied by humorous illustrations that is bound to capture the interest of young children. 

            Building on the traditional ‘cat on the mat’ and ‘cat and dog’ scenario, Bille Miaoon Darri Par  and Tu Tu Main Main  are picture readers that will help young children identify several animals.  With eye-catching colour illustrations, most of these stories are written in a lively and engaging manner, ranging broadly in subject matter from tales of kings and queens, naughty children and vain grown-ups to cars and animal fables.

            Historical books published by OUP such as Akbar Nama, Tuzk-i-Taimur  etc. describe in a fictionalised format the manner in which the great Mughal kings conquered and ruled their vast empires.  Illustrated with line drawings and complete with a glossary after each chapter, the stories are an enjoyable read and provide a substantial historical background to the Mughal era.  The Book Group’s Bijli  and Kapaas , with the help of colourful illustrations and simple language, convey useful information in story form.

            Thore Tara Mathey Chand , a delightful folk tale, is told in the style of the rapidly vanishing oral narrative tradition.  Most of the stories are developed around a moral, thus serving the dual purpose of entertainment and education.  “I don’t like the lion because he is so proud that he refuses to let animals drink from the pond unless they pay tribute to his greatness,” remarks five-year-old Taha, after reading OUP’s Maghroor Badshah . 

            Children often identify with some of the people they come across in stories.  Chand Bibi, a character in a fairytale, is a fascinating role model for young girls who are impressed by her good deeds.  The braggart Sheikh Chilli, on the other hand, is perenially getting into trouble, and is a kind of anti-hero that children know they should avoid emulating.

            However, certain aspects of recently published children’s literature can be improved upon.  For one, the main character tends to be male, the saviour of the vulnerable, whereas the female character usually plays a supporting, passive role.  This depiction further reinforces gender stereotypes.  Moreover, the hero often resorts to violence to get his way.  Perhaps robbing the rich to help the poor, but robbing nevertheless.

            Books dealing with the themes of human rights and peace and everyday relationships within the family are also rare among the titles available for children.   

            Attractive visuals accompanying the text are important not only from the point of view of marketability but to assist in the young reader’s comprehension.  They help to fill out the reader’s imagination, especially in the case of children who are old enough to  grasp the theme of the subject but too young to read by themselves.  “Children are  instinctively attracted to colour and that’s why I feel illustrations play an important role in drawing their interest towards books,” comments Rumana Husain, ex-director of The Book Group. 

            Writing for children is not a simple task as one has to look at the world through a child’s eyes.  Among the early contributors to children’s literature in Pakistan were Ismail Meeruti – considered the founder of Urdu children’s literature in Pakistan – Ibn-e-Insha and Ghulam Abbas.  Those writing presently include Quratulain Haider, Hajra Masroor, Hassan Abdi and Asif Farrukhi.  However, in Pakistan, unlike J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter  fame, one cannot make a living from writing for children alone, and these writers pen stories for children as a departure from their regular writing. 

            The rare species known as the Pakistani book lover can be multiplied if he or she is caught young.  Thus, measures such as holding book fairs at the school level and arranging story time sessions in schools and bookshops can help to promote good reading habits.  Reviews or extracts from books published in the press would also help to arouse children’s curiosity and interest.  Concerted efforts are needed if the love of the printed word is to be kept alive in this country, and children’s literature is the right place to start.