• Home
    • facebook
    • instagram
    • bluesky
    • goodreads
    • mail
    • ko-fi

Heise Reads & Recommends

A School Librarian Sharing Books & #ClassroomBookADay

  • Heise Reads & Recommends
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Recommended Reads
  • #ClassroomBookADay
    • What is #ClassroomBookADay?
    • Getting Started with #ClassroomBookADay
    • #ClassroomBookADay Resources
    • #cbadSpotlight
    • #ClassroomBookADay Book Recommendations
  • Resources
    • Slides & Docs
    • Author / Illustrator Interviews & Guest Posts
  • Consulting
    • Published Works
    • Conference Sessions & Presentations
    • Workshops & Webinars
    • #ClassroomBookADay Presentations

Get to Know Bharat Babies + a Giveaway!

December 6, 2018

I am constantly looking for the recommendations I give and the books I share with students and educators to be culturally and racially inclusive. So I was thrilled to discover a new publisher when they reached out to ask if I’d be interested in a copy of one of their picture books to review. 
Bharat Babies is an indie publishing house that helps parents diversify their libraries one story at a time though children’s books, magazines, and digital media. 

In the Spring of 2013, Sailaja Joshi was on a mission to complete her baby registry in preparation for the arrival of her first child. Inline with her “library” themed baby shower, Sailaja went on the hunt to find books about Indian culture that should could share with her newborn daughter. Of the few books that spoke to her Indian heritage, Sailaja realized that none of these books took into account the developmental needs of her growing child. Recognizing this gap in children’s literature, the idea for Bharat Babies was born.
The mission of Bharat Babies is simple: design and produce developmentally appropriate books that tell the stories of India’s heritage for children from birth through elementary school.

I loved Always Anjali and have recommended it often in my #classroombookaday presentations this year. It has always seemed a bit more difficult to find the stories featuring Indian characters and culture, but Bharat Babies is making it easier. I also got to read their newest picture book, Super Satya Saves the Day, which I can’t wait to read aloud to students. 

ALWAYS ANJALI  When Anjali finally gets the bike of her dreams on her birthday, she and her two best friends are excited to get matching license plates with their names on it. But Anjali can’t find her name. There’s Amy, Betsy, Chris, and many more, but no Anjali. To make matters worse, she gets bullied for her different name, and is so upset she demands to change it. When her parents refuse and she is forced to take matters into her own hands, she winds up learning to celebrate who she is and carry her name with pride. A timeless story about appreciating what makes us special and honoring our differences.

SUPER SATYA SAVES THE DAY  Super Satya is ready to have a super day, including finally conquering the tallest slide in Hoboken. But her day takes a not-so-super turn when she realizes her superhero cape is stuck at the dry cleaner. Will she be able to face her fears, help her friends and be the true hero everyone knows she is? Super Satya Saves The Day introduces Satya, a precocious Indian-American superhero.

I wanted to introduce Bharat Babies to you all, and they are offering a discount code for shopping on their website (10% off any purchase using the code HEISEREADS) + a giveaway of both of these picture books! (*giveaway runs through 12/12 to meet shipping deadlines for Christmas)

«
»

Filed Under: Other, Picture Books

  • facebook
  • instagram
  • bluesky
  • goodreads
  • mail
  • ko-fi

Search

select

shop

Subscribe

statement

Views expressed within these pages are personal & do not represent that of my employer.

Recent Reads

Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers
Mama in Congress: Rashida Tlaib's Journey to Washington
I Lived Inside a Whale
The Last Slice: A Three Kings Day Treat
Yusra Swims
One Wish: Fatima al-Fihri and the World's Oldest University
Dounia and the Magic Seeds
Nour's Secret Library
Swimming Toward a Dream: Yusra Mardini's Incredible Journey from Refugee to Olympic Swimmer
Eleven Words for Love: A Journey Through Arabic Expressions of Love
Not Yet: The Story of an Unstoppable Skater
The Book That Almost Rhymed
I Am Odd, I Am New
Brody the Lion Sometimes I ROAR!: Helping children with autism, anxiety, and big emtions cope with transitions and changes
Arab Arab All Year Long!
My Brother Otto and the Birthday Party
How Are You, Verity?
We Are a Class
I Want to Read All the Books
The Brightness Between Us

Latest Resources

Instagram Posts

Current commute audiobook: @jordanchiles I'M THAT Current commute audiobook: @jordanchiles I'M THAT GIRL 🤸🏿‍♀️🥉
Following that #BlackHistoryMonth ➡️ #WomensHistoryMonth flow.
#ReadAcrossAmerica Day is Monday. How are you cele #ReadAcrossAmerica Day is Monday. How are you celebrating literacy? If you need some ideas, consider Reading Across the Diverse Regions of America with titles set in various states. 
Grab the link in bio / on my blog.
bit.ly/heiseRAA2024
#WNDB #ClassroomBookADay #LibraryLife #LibrariansOfInstagram #TeachersOfInstagram
Weekend mindfulness task accomplished.✅ Lego wil Weekend mindfulness task accomplished.✅
Lego wildflower bouquet from the niblings. 💕 Headed to my library tomorrow.💐
Current commute audiobook read. "The Small and the Current commute audiobook read. "The Small and the Mighty is the encouragement we all need in an age of doomscrolling and division."
Being reminded of our common humanity & inspired by the hope of it all from America's Government Teacher™️ @sharonsaysso. ❤️🤍💙
#amreading #audiobook #bookaday #ReadingWithMyEars
Wishing I was back here with @jenseiler79 & @msgue Wishing I was back here with @jenseiler79 & @msguerrette!!🫶🏻 Holding tight to the small joys & friendships that will get us through to the other side of all of this.
Kicking off #BlackHistoryMonth with @elaineweltero Kicking off #BlackHistoryMonth with @elainewelteroth's More Than Enough for this week's commute audiobook.
#WNDB #LibraryLife #HeiseReads
It's the start of #BlackHistoryMonth & one way you It's the start of #BlackHistoryMonth & one way you can support diverse books and ensuring that we continue to have Black creatives in publishing is by reading, recommending, sharing, reviewing, and purchasing their books. And if sharing read aloud videos, please seek out ones that abide by copyright and don't take away from their ability to earn an income from their writing & art.
Due to committee commitments this year, I can't post about 2025 books, but I can share my resource from last year. This Virtual Picture Book Read Aloud Library is a Google Slideshow covering 233 titles, in 7 categories, with book covers linking directly to copyright-compliant video read alouds of recommended picture books. 
Categories include:
(a purposeful, intentional start with positive portrayals)
Black Joy & Magic
Families
Natural Hair
Empowering Stories
Black History
Excellence / Innovators / History Makers (Biographies)
Racial / Community Awareness
Use for February and any month! 
Blog Post: heisereads.com/bhm2024-ralib/
Shop Link: bit.ly/heisebhm2024
#ClassroomBookADay #WNDB #LibraryLife #KidLit  #TeachersOfInstagram #LibrariansOfInstagram #TeachersFollowTeachers #HeiseReads
The most exciting day of the year is here - it's t The most exciting day of the year is here - it's the ALA Youth Media Awards announcements! And we get to be in the room where it happens! 
This is like the Oscars / Super Bowl / "whatever big award honor thing you can think of" for the children's literature community.
An extra exciting way to head into the start of my Caldecott Committee year. 🏅
#ALAYMA25 #ALALLX25 #NerdyBookClub #LibraryLife #HeiseReads
Current status. Writing & finalizing #NCTE25 propo Current status.
Writing & finalizing #NCTE25 proposals poolside at my parents' house in PHX with @msguerrette & @jenseiler79 before heading back down to #ALALLX25 this afternoon.
It's too cold to have school, but it's perfect tim It's too cold to have school, but it's perfect timing to get to stay home curled up under my @unhide Marshmallow Blanket in my @softiespjs Marshmallow Slouch Turtleneck Lounger on Onyx Storm release day. 
#amreading #OnyxStorm #bookaday #HeiseReads
Follow @heisereads on Instagram
Copyright © 2025 · Website Design By Jumping Jax Designs