An Orange to Share
Rs. 275
Vidhu finds a bright orange at the temple, and a monkey wants it too. A gentle story about sharing.
Peek inside
Story by Kaavya Ramachandran · Pictures by Pooja Nandy
English picture books · Ages 2–6
Fall in love with food, story by story
Sambar with Ambi the elephant, paneer with Hob and Toto, an orange with Vidhu. Meet each food in a story, then get to know it together.
- Ships within 2 working days
- Free delivery from Rs. 600
- Created in Coimbatore
Taste a page
A story to read, then things to do together
Every Food Tales book has two parts: a short story about a food your child already knows, then activity pages that take the story off the page and onto the table.
Read the story. Short sentences, big pictures and characters to love: Vidhu and a monkey, Hob and Toto, Ambi the elephant.
Do the activities. Match, sequence, find hidden things, continue the pattern, and draw a new food you tried.
Talk about it. “Food for Thought” questions start a conversation, like: Why is paneer also called cottage cheese?
All books: English · 24–32 pages · 15 × 21 cm
How Food Tales began
It started with a story at the table
In many Tamil homes, a little one is fed under the moon: a song, a story, and one small mouthful of rice at a time. It is called nila choru (நிலாச் சோறு), moon rice.
When Nivi and Kaavya became mothers, they found themselves doing the same. On the days a plate was pushed away, a story helped. Their little ones met the food in a story first, got to know it, and slowly fell in love with it. So they wrote stories where the food is part of the adventure: sambar with Ambi the elephant, paneer with Hob and Toto, an orange with Vidhu.
Three pages from Trunk full of Sambar
Meet it in a story
Ambi the elephant meets sambar.
In the book: Sniff! Sniff! “It smells different,” said Ambi.
Get to know it
A smile, a bowl, a gentle question.
In the book: “Try a little… just one small sip?”
Talk about it
Draw the new food, then pick a face. A heart or a frown: both are fine.
In the book: “Was it sweet, spicy, or sour? How did you feel about it?”
Fall in love with stories. Fall in love with food.
It helped at Nivi’s and Kaavya’s tables. We hope it helps at yours.
On the menu
Three stories, ready to read
Rs. 275 each. Mix any titles: 2 for Rs. 525, all 3 for Rs. 735 with free delivery.
Hob and Cheese
Rs. 275
Hob the monkey and Toto the puppy are in the kitchen. “Yummm… milk!” Then: SIZZLE! BUBBLE! A playful kitchen story about friendship and food.
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Story by Niveditha Purushothaman · Pictures by Monica Suresh
Trunk full of Sambar
Rs. 275
Sniff! Sniff! Ambi the elephant smells something different. Will he try just one small sip? A story about being brave with new food.
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Story by Niveditha Purushothaman · Pictures by Monica Suresh
Want all three?
All 3 for Rs. 735 · free delivery · you save Rs. 90
Prices
Pick your pack
Mix any titles. Delivery is shown upfront, and it's free from Rs. 600.
- Best value
All 3 books
Rs. 735
- Free delivery
- You save Rs. 90
- That's Rs. 245 a book
Any 2 books
Rs. 525
- + Rs. 60 delivery = Rs. 585
- You save Rs. 25
Add a 3rd book for just Rs. 150 more and delivery is free.
Choose 2 books1 book
Rs. 275
+ Rs. 60 delivery = Rs. 335
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Buying 4 or more? Every book is 10% off, which is handy for return gifts and classrooms. Up to 20 copies of each title per order.
From parents
What parents tell us
“My child loved guessing the ingredients and kept coming back to the story. It has become one of our favourite bedtime books.”
“The story sparked so many questions about food! My child continued talking about it even after we finished reading.”
“It was lovely to see a story turn into a conversation. After reading the story about Cheese, she wanted one with chocolate.”
“We have read the story many times. They have also worked on a few of the activities.”
Gifting
Gifts, return gifts and classrooms
Stories to keep, not just unwrap. For birthdays, grandchildren, party bags and classrooms.
Sending a gift?
Order here and enter the child's name, address and a phone number for delivery. Your email gets the order confirmation. Want to include a note? Ask us on WhatsApp after you order.
Return gifts
Order up to 20 copies of each title right here, with 10% off every book from 4 books. Need more, a special mix, or delivery by a party date? Tell us and we'll get back to you.
Classrooms and preschools
Every book has activity pages you can use with a small group. Ask us about classroom sets.
Meet the authors
Two authors, three stories
Nivi and Kaavya wrote the three Food Tales books you can order here. Both are mothers, both taught in a government primary school in Puliyur as Teach For India Fellows, and both are passionate about storytelling.
Why they write about food
When Nivi and Kaavya became mothers, stories helped at their own tables. Food Tales is how they share that with every family: a story first, then things to do together.
Niveditha Purushothaman, who goes by Nivi, taught in a government primary school in Puliyur as a Teach For India Fellow. Storytelling is her passion, and she wrote “Hob and Cheese” and “Trunk full of Sambar”.
She also co-founded Yellow Owl, a story-led online magazine for children aged nine to thirteen.
When she became a mother, stories came to her own table, and they helped. In “Hob and Cheese”, Hob the monkey and Toto the puppy are in the kitchen. “Yummm… milk!” Then: SIZZLE! BUBBLE! In “Trunk full of Sambar”, Ambi the elephant goes Sniff! Sniff! He smells something different. Will he try just one small sip?
The books by Nivi
Nivi with children
Nivi reading aloud to a class 
Nivi reading aloud to children in a circle
Kaavya Ramachandran taught a Grade 3 class in a government primary school in Puliyur, Chennai, as a Teach For India Fellow. Storytelling is her passion, and she wrote “An Orange to Share”.
She called her class the Amazing Super Kids, because their superpower was to ask questions and stay curious. They made fruit salad and bhel puri. Her students wrote stories and performed them.
As a mother, she found that stories helped at her own table. In “An Orange to Share”, Vidhu finds a bright orange at the temple, and a monkey wants it too. It is a gentle story about sharing.
The book by Kaavya
Kaavya with children
Kaavya with children 
Kaavya teaching a class
Every cover credits its illustrator too: pictures by Monica Suresh for “Hob and Cheese” and “Trunk full of Sambar”, and by Pooja Nandy for “An Orange to Share”.
Second helpings
More stories are cooking
Three new Food Tales are on the way. Curious about one? Ask us on WhatsApp, and follow us on Instagram for news.
Cover coming soon
So Many Colours!
A story full of colourful foods.
Cover coming soon
Where is the Jamun Tree?
A hunt for a tree full of juicy jamuns.
Cover coming soon
A Little Bit of Chocolate
A sweet story about chocolate.
A parent told us: “After reading the story about Cheese, she wanted one with chocolate.” — Kamaraj, parent of a 6-year-old
Good to know
Questions parents ask
Which book suits my child's age?
An Orange to Share is for ages 2–4. Hob and Cheese and Trunk full of Sambar are for ages 3–6. If your child is 3 or 4, all three are a good fit.
What's inside each book?
A short story, then activity pages to do together: matching, sequencing, patterns, finding hidden things, and “Food for Thought” questions to talk about.
Will these books get my child to try new foods?
We can't promise that, and no book can: every child goes at their own pace. What we can tell you is how Food Tales began. When Nivi and Kaavya became mothers, stories helped at their own tables, so in these books the food is part of the story, and even Ambi the elephant isn't sure about sambar at first. We hope it helps at yours. Read our story
What language, size and length are the books?
English. Each book is 15 × 21 cm. Each book has 24–32 pages. Each book has a short story followed by activity pages.
How much is delivery, and how long does it take?
Delivery is Rs. 60 per order, and free when your books come to Rs. 600 or more, so all 3 books ship free. We dispatch within 2 working days, and delivery takes 5–8 working days after dispatch. We deliver within India.
How do I pay?
Online payments go through Cashfree's secure checkout: any UPI app, cards or netbanking. If you don't see the payment option, you can order on WhatsApp and we'll share payment details.
Is cash on delivery available?
Not on the website right now. If you need help paying, message us on WhatsApp.
Can I send the books as a gift?
Yes. At checkout, enter the child's name, address and a phone number for delivery, and your own email for the confirmation. Want to include a note? Ask us on WhatsApp after you order.
What if a book arrives damaged or wrong?
Tell us within 7days of delivery, with photos, and we'll replace it or refund you. See our Refund & Cancellation policy.
Can I cancel my order?
Yes, any time before it's dispatched, for a full refund. Refunds go back to your original payment method within 5–7 working days.
Do you take bulk orders for return gifts or schools?
Yes. Order up to 20 copies of each title here, with 10% off every book from 4 books. For bigger orders, send a bulk enquiry or WhatsApp us.
How do I reach you?
WhatsApp or call +91 99528 85648, or email hello@foodtalesbooks.com. We're around Mon–Sat, 10 am to 6 pm IST.
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Questions? Ask us anything
We're happy to help with orders, gifts and bulk orders. We're around Mon–Sat, 10 am to 6 pm IST.