• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 6
• Reading age: 9 to 12

***2023 IPPY AWARDS: MULTI CULTURAL NONFICTION - JUVENILE-YOUNG ADULT***

Through a framework of traditional tales, fantastic creatures struggle with issues of marginalization, opening discussion for parents and children in an accessible form.

The Tales Of Dwipa is a collection of short stories adapted from the Panchatantra, a collection of simple, engaging, and interrelated animal tales penned by Pandit Vishnu Sharma in the hopes of awakening the dim intelligence of a powerful Indian king’s idle sons. The ancient stories of the Panchatantra still find meaning in today’s world despite originating in India before 300 BCE. These stories are set in a Canadian context with topical themes, bringing together two distinct cultures—Indian and Canadian—for the most impressionable minds of our society.

Prajwala Dixit, a journalist/columnist, playwright, documentary filmmaker and author is an award-winning community catalyst. With bylines in CBC, SaltWire Network and the Globe and Mail, she's had creative pieces featured in respected publications such as the Newfoundland Quarterly. Her annual fundraiser, Diyas for Diversity, highlights diversity within the public libraries of Newfoundland and Labrador. A mother, wife, and daughter, she makes sure to catch up on Hindi cinema when she has a free minute!

Prajwala Dixit's profile page

Duncan Major was born and raised in St. John's, where he lives with his wife and young son. He is a letterpress printer, graphic designer, and musician, as well as an illustrator. He and Dave Paddon have collaborated on a series of letterpress-pirnted chapbooks that feature single recitations by Dave. This is his first illustration work for a trade publication.

Duncan Major's profile page

• Runner-up, IPPY Awards

“The familiarity and memories it evoked while reading this novel was something I really loved as well. Although I am not of Indian ancestry and have not grown up around Indian culture, I lent the book to a friend who is and asked them what they thought of it. The reply stated that he only had good things to say about the book and that The Tales of Dwipa brought back memories of his youth.”

Digitally Lit

“Dixit has skillfully given these folktales a fresh and contemporary resonance while remaining true to their original spirit. […] Duncan Major’s loose, organic and free-flowing illustrations with their subdued, earth-toned palette capture a sense of the enduring and universal nature of these tales as well as the elements that give them their more uniquely Newfoundland twist.”

Atlantic Books

“Great book, we really love all the fictional silly characters. We genuinely think all kinds of kids would like to read this, and think it would make a really good animated film as well.”

Faz Reviews