As adults we tend to overlook the small things. Especially as harried parents, hustling between jobs and school pickups. Perhaps, the people who can attend to little details – though I wouldn’t bet on anyone’s attention in this screenage – are grandparents. But even they, snagged in senior duties and concerns, might be oblivious to thoughts zipping through their grandkids’ heads.

Aaji vs Daar-ji shifts our focus to the micro-moments that stitch up children’s lives. Like an interaction during a bus ride, between Binni and Timmi. Going by the kinship terms used for their grandparents, Binni could be Marathi or Konkani, while Timmi is Punjabi. The illustrations – Timmi’s blue patka – reinforce his Punjabi origins.

Their exchange kicks off in the school bus, as they’re being ferried home. When Timmi exclaims at a fast, roaring car, Binni undermines his awe with a sneering “Hmph…not as fast as my Aaji.” From thereon, it’s a contest between their superhero grandparents, with each engaging in jaw-dropping feats.  If Aaji can fly, Daar-ji can teleport. If Aaji can outrun a tiger, Daar-ji can lift a truck. If Aaji can walk on a tightrope, Daar-ji can jump off buildings.

The two – like most unfettered kids – have wild, stretchy imaginations. Though their banter feels like a combative Binni vs Timmi, it demonstrates how creation is often collaborative. With each provoking the other’s grandparent into accomplishing more herculean dares. The talkers maybe tots, but their sparring has an appealing IRL friction that chatbot interactions are designed to evade.

Written by Mamta Nainy and illustrated by Shubhshree, the work is a delightful read-aloud. The illustrations bring the text’s humor to life, with smaller boxes depicting the humdrum origins of their thrilling, outrageous adventures. For instance, the “teleporting” Daar-ji vanishes in a puff of the sweeper’s dust. The tiger-beating Aaaji strokes a docile pussy cat. The truck-heaving Daar-ji picks up a toy truck.

The book reminds us that kids don’t just learn at school. They learn on the way to and from school, while holding the hands of parents, grandparents or other caretakers. Or on buses, when staring out of windows or chattering with friends. While the text evokes the sounds of Indian roads – the VROOOOOMs and SCREEEECHES – the illustrations capture the sights: the birds, the dust, the saree-donning Aaji, the turban-wearing Daar-ji, vividly colored clothes hung to dry amidst black water tanks on concrete rooftops.

Then there’s the multicultural blending we take for granted: Timmi wears a top-knot and freckled Binni has two pigtails. Kids bond despite speaking different languages at home, or despite calling their grandparents in specific but different ways. At the end, they radiate a lesson that adults would do well to learn: they share a similar joy when they spot their grandparents. It’s an emotion that transcends culture, language and religion. We hope that future school years don’t erase such uncomplicated rapport.

Mamta Nainy, who is based in Delhi, has authored many award-winning children’s books. She’s an avid reader and a literary translator. Shubhshree Mathur, a book and tea lover, has illustrated children’s picture books for ten years. She’s also a teacher, writer and curator.

References

Mamta Nainy, Ilustrated by Shubhshree Mathur, Aaji vs Daar-ji, Tota Books, Speaking Tiger, 2026.