Illustrations for a Telugu textbook primer for first and second standard students in government schools in Hyderabad, Telangana. The project was initiated by Dr. Maxine Berntsen, who is a Professor Emerita at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad. The project was funded by Early Literacy Initiative, TISS and Tata Trusts.
The book follows the life of a migrant family that moves to the city from the village. The thumbnails introduce the family as individuals and the larger illustrations encapsulate village and city life in the state of Telangana at this point in time. It was important to illustrate the drawings as close to reality as possible so months of research into these lives through fieldwork and brainstorming and multiple iterations of the drawings themselves, helped us create this almost photo-album-like body of illustrations.
27 digital illustrations | Pen on paper + colouring w Adobe Illustrator | Urban Research & Education | TISS, Hyderabad | 2019 | Digital
© Dr. Maxine Berntsen, TISS & TATA Trusts 2019

Life in the village

Migrating from the village to the city

Lalitha (Protagonist)
Lalitha (Protagonist)
Amma (Mother)
Amma (Mother)
Nanna (Father)
Nanna (Father)
Akka (Older Sister)
Akka (Older Sister)
Anna (Older brother)
Anna (Older brother)
Chelli (Younger sister)
Chelli (Younger sister)
Thammudu (Little brother)
Thammudu (Little brother)
Avva (Grandmother)
Avva (Grandmother)
Thata (Grandfather)
Thata (Grandfather)
Atha (Father's sister)
Atha (Father's sister)
Peddamma (Mother's older sister)
Peddamma (Mother's older sister)
Chinnamma (Mother's younger sister)
Chinnamma (Mother's younger sister)
Mama (Mother's brother)
Mama (Mother's brother)
David - a classmate
David - a classmate
Mary
Mary
Sana
Sana
Raju
Raju
Saleem
Saleem

Playtime at the school

Clothes
Clothes
Cooking
Cooking
Dish washing
Dish washing
Muggu
Muggu
My neighbourhood in the city
My neighbourhood in the city
Chores I do with my family
Chores I do with my family
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