This bibliography examines literature for young people concerning the Indian subcontinent and associated areas: Bangladesh; the Himalayan kingdoms of Bhutan, Nepal, Sikkim, and Tibet; India; Pakistan; and Sri Lanka. It presents the dual perspective of authors native to the region as well as non-native authors, mainly western, and it reflects the rich folklore and traditional culture of the subcontinent, its chequered history of civilizations and colonizations, and post-independence efforts to foster pride in traditions and stimulate confidence for facing modern challenge. An extensive introductory essay traces the development of children's literature in the region since 1947 in the context of historical, political, social, and economic influences and reviews the major themes and trends in western children's literature about the subcontinent. Included are all available pertinent books written in or translated into English for preschool to twelfth-grade students.
The more than 900 entries are organized into five chapters according to country or subregion, and each chapter is subdivided by genre: traditional literature, fiction (historical, realistic, and fantasy), poetry, drama, biography and autobiography, and informational books. Further access is afforded by indexes of authors, illustrators, titles, and subjects. The annotations provide plot summary, thematic analysis, and literary criteria, the annotarous also considers a work's sensitivity to multicultural and international issues.