Highlights
Children's author Vaishali Shroff's latest illustrated graphic book ‘Batata, Pao and All Things Portuguese’ won the AutHer Award 2023 in Best Children's Book category. Illustrated by Suha Riyaz Khopatkar, the book is based on the history Portugal in India and their influence in our culture.
In ‘Batata, Pao and All Things Portuguese’, Vaishali Shroff has chronicled 450 years of the Portuguese rule in India. The history, especially colonial history taught to kids, is often written from the colonisers perspective but Shroff has tried to present the historical facts and events from a different perspective in her book. It is written from an Indian perspective about Portuguese history of India.
In ‘Batata Pao and All Things Portuguese’ Shroff takes readers on a grand voyage from Portugal to India. Beginning from Vasco da Gama’s first trip from Lisbon to India, Shroff has tried to recount Portuguese India between 1498 and 1961. Through her book, Shroff has also tried to depict the influence of Portuguese in our culture and food habits, thus making history appealing for young readers. The author has also penned down how batata pao originated in an interesting manner.
Shroff makes history not only easy to read but also quite interesting in this book, while the illustrations add value to the content. Though the book is written for young readers, even adults would find it fascinating to read and discover Portugal's huge influence in our culture today. The book is a must read for both history and food lovers!
