Indian picture books for the slow afternoon.
Big Beetle Books is an independent children's book publisher in Bengaluru, India, making award-winning bilingual picture books and board books, in English and Hindi, for children aged 0 to 7. Founded in 2023 by author Nandita Rao.
Four things every Big Beetle book believes.
Our own stories
Indian characters, places, and humour: a buffalo calf, a cardboard box, a thief in old Hyderabad. Culture a child grows up inside, not one they're taught.
Read in two voices
Many titles come in English and Hindi editions, side by side: with more Indian languages on the way.
Drama, action, a wink
Books built to be performed out loud, the kind a parent and child act out together, again and again.
Screen-free & made to last
Quiet, re-readable books for the slow afternoon: printed to survive small hands, siblings, and many reprints.
Nandita Rao
Big Beetle Books began with one mother, a one-year-old, and an instinct.
Nandita Rao came to children's books by an unlikely route. A PhD in finance led her into data science and analytics, at American Express, then Myntra, then as Head of Analytics at cult.fit. Somewhere along the way, she spent a brief, formative stretch writing and acting in theatre in Bengaluru, learning how a story is built from the inside.
Then her elder child turned one, and Nandita wrote a story for them: with quick illustrations to match. Her husband suggested she share it with other mothers. They loved it. So she shared it with more. They loved it too. She taught herself the craft, and kept writing.
What kept her going wasn't a plan, it was those mothers. They read her printed manuscripts to their one- and two-year-olds, filmed their children's reactions, and sent them back. It was humbling and encouraging in equal measure, and it became how Big Beetle makes books to this day: every manuscript is tested with real parents and real children before it is ever printed.
Her stories come from lived experience, her children's, her own childhood, and the moments other parents share. The ones that turn out to be universal become books. Buffalo Baby was named to the Parag Honour List (2024) and Baksa won the Binod Kanoria Award (2024). She lives and works in Bengaluru.
I don't write from imagination. I write from what children actually live, and real families tell me if I got it right.
Words, then months of ink.
Each book begins with Nandita's words, then is drawn over months by illustrators like Charbak Dipta, Suraj Chaudhari and Mohan Perera: pencil, then ink, then colour. We fuss over paper weight, the kindness of a board book's corners, and a single shade of cobalt. A book earns its reprint only when children keep asking for it again.
Honoured, listed, read.
Big Beetle Books, in short.
What kind of books does Big Beetle Books make?
Independent, Indian picture books and board books for children aged 0–7, many of them bilingual, in English and Hindi. The stories are read-aloud, screen-free, and rooted in Indian culture.
Are Big Beetle books bilingual?
Yes. Several titles are published in both English and Hindi editions, so a child can read the same story in two voices. More Indian languages are planned.
What ages are Big Beetle books for?
Board books suit ages 0–3, and picture books suit ages 3–7: with many titles enjoyed across the whole range.
Who founded Big Beetle Books?
Big Beetle Books was founded in 2023 by author Nandita Rao, and is based in Bengaluru, India.
Has Big Beetle Books won any awards?
Yes, Buffalo Baby was named to the Parag Honour List (2024) and Baksa won the Binod Kanoria Award (2024), among other recognitions.
Do you ship across India?
Yes, we ship across India, with free shipping on orders over ₹500.
A note of thanks.
Dear mammas,
Big Beetle Books is yours as much as it is mine.
Long before these were books, you read my rough printed manuscripts to your little ones, at bedtime, on kitchen floors, in the middle of ordinary chaos. You filmed their faces, told me where they leaned in and where they drifted off, and sent it all back with more warmth than I had any right to expect. You gave me feedback, perspective, and: on the hard days: the courage to keep going.
Thank you, especially:
- Dipali & Zeno
- Angana & Angad
- Pooja & Kiwi
- Rachna & Kia
And so many other mothers in Bengaluru, and the wonderful mothers' group in Gurgaon.
And thank you to the mothers far from home, in the US, the UK, and across Europe; Indian, American, and from everywhere in between: who read our stories with their children and wrote back. We were never limited by geography. From living rooms around the world, you helped build Big Beetle, one honest "read it again" at a time.
With love and gratitude,Nandita