urdu books for children

How to Find Great Urdu Books for Children

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by urdumom

Since I started this blog, the question that I get asked the most is recommendations for good urdu books for children and how to find them, in and outside Pakistan. I’m happy to finally answer this question (You can search via the hashtag #urdumombooklist on social media).

Book reading is a great way to pass on the love of urdu to your children. Read to them, inspire their imagination and increase their vocabulary. If you’re craving to get your hands on some great urdu books for children, read on for my recommendations.

1. Bookgroup Books

 

I love the Bookgroup books for their creativity, visual appeal and simple messages. I have yet to pick a book I didn’t like. It would be difficult to choose a favorite from their amazing titles but if I had to, we love “dum dum dola”, “Shaan aur Shair”, “Khait se Mandi” and “paon paon paon”.

Age Group: The books start from age 3 and go all the way upto 16.

How to Buy:

  • If you’re in Pakistan, you can buy these books from Saeed Book Bank in Islamabad, Liberty Books in Lahore and Karachi and many major stores in big cities.
  • They do have a website that they are working on updating: http://www.urdubooksforchildren.com/ Once the website is ready you will be able to order books in Pakistan and internationally (make sure to keep an eye on shipping cost). There will also be an option to download PDFs of the books and print yourself, so great for people outside Pakistan. Right now you can have a look at the website to see the titles. They are arranged by age, so quite helpful.
  • If you’re outside Pakistan, stay tuned for the website above to get updated so that you can order the books or download them. For right now, you can ask a relative or friend in Pakistan to buy these books for you and post them. Make sure to buy them lots of chocolates in return!

2. Oxford University Press Books

urdu books for children 

Oxford University Press has one of the best collections for urdu books for children. Their selection is amazing, covering stories, history and urdu learning support material. Their books with urdu poems and rhymes come with CDs also. Did I say their urdu books for children are amazing? Yes, buy them!

Age Group: The books start from age 2.5 going all the way to late teens

How to Buy:

  • The stores are in all major cities of Pakistan. Complete list here (select Bookshops/Offices from the left hand side menu). I have been to the store in Islamabad at Centaurus Mall and it’s beautiful with lots of comfortable seating.
  • The website link is here: https://oup.com.pk/children-sbooks/urdu-readers-and-fiction.html
  • The website can be used to browse books, check prices and order books in Pakistan and internationally! The complete ordering process is here. Do confirm shipping cost for international orders. International shipping process seems a bit tricky. Do let me know if you have tried it. I used “cash on delivery” to get books delivered to my mother’s house in Islamabad and it was quite efficient and simple.

3. Ferozsons Publishers

Some of my earliest childhood memories are reading books published by ferozsons. The store in Rawalpindi was one of my most favorite places as a kid, because my parents would take us there on the first of every month to buy books. It was lovely to find Ferozsons still publishing books.

Age Group: The books that I found were for children age 3 – 12

How to Buy:

  • Ferozsons books are available at big stores in Pakistan like Saeed Book Bank and Liberty Books. Complete list of Ferozsons book stores is here.
  • The website http://www.ferozsons.com.pk is not working properly and I will update here when I hear back from them
  • The website claims that they deliver worldwide.

4. Dheere Bolo

urdu books for children 

Dheere Bolo urdu books for children have lovely illustrations, teach good manners and introduce children to a word of kindness, love and beauty. It’s the soft urdu I want to pass onto my kids. Some of their books with songs come with CDs also. I love all their books. My kids especially adore “Aalia Chalia” and “Subah ko Murgha Bola”.

Age Group: 2 to 10

How to Buy:

  • The best way to order Dheere Bolo books is through email ([email protected]) or their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DheereBolo/. They do cash on delivery for Islamabad. For other cities and international orders, message them on facebook or the email address. They are extremely prompt. They did confirm that they ship internationally.
  • The complete list of books and pricing can also be requested via email/message

5. Gogi Studio Books

urdu books for children

Nigar Nazar of Gogi Studios is a household name in Pakistan. We have all grown up reading her Gogi cartoons pointing to issues in our society in her particular light and humorous way. I was beyond excited to find her urdu books for children on my last trip to Pakistan. You need to buy these books for your children for the amazing topics such as morality, civic sense, importance of education and women rights. Actually many adults could use these books too. All of them are our favorite! Get the whole book set (in pictures above). “Koray ka jinn” comes with a fun game also. The sales of these books support many educational outreach programs in Pakistan. You can also buy books that will be distributed on your behalf in the rural or in need areas of Pakistan.

Age Group: 3 – 100+

How to Buy:

6. Maqbool Books

urdu books for children 

Maqbool books has been publishing books since 1954 and I got a chance to buy some of their new ones in Pakistan. My children and I love “Bee Barfi” and “Chohay Ke Dawat”

Age Group: 5-15

How to Buy:

  • If you’re in Pakistan you can find the books in major book stores like Saeed Book Bank or liberty books.
  • The website www.maqboolbooks.com.pk is being updated to handle online orders. Till then you can email [email protected] for orders in Pakistan or internationally (Be sure to check about shipping cost).

7. Bilingual Books by Caravan Books

urdu books for children

Since most of us are raising bilingual kids it’s always great to find bilingual (english/urdu) books especially of well-known english classics such as “Hansel and Gretel”, “The Ugly Duckling”, “The Elves and the Shoemaker” etc. I would like to point out that some of these books have small printing errors. But if an adult is reading with a child, you can correct them.

Age Group: The books are organized in 4 levels and appropriate from children for age 3 – 12.

How to Buy:

  • I was able to buy these books in Islamabad at Saeed Book Bank and the book store on the first floor of Centaurus Mall. I’m sure you will be able to find them in other stores too.
  • I have been trying to contact the publisher to find out about international deliveries and will update here as soon as I find out.

8. JBD Press Books

urdu books for children 

The JBD Press story books I found in Islamabad were beautifully illustrated and had interesting moral lessons at the end. We have the “Nani Amma ke kahaniyan” and “Aladdin aur jaddoo ka chirag” that we like.

  • I bought these books from Saeed Book Bank in Islamabad. You can check other big stores too.
  • They do have a website: www.jbdjunior.com and I have emailed them to find about international orders and more urdu books selections.

9. Kitaab World

Kitaab World is a website that has a collection of urdu books for children for delivery currently in the US. You can check out their selection here: https://kitaabworld.com/collections/urdu. I haven’t checked out their books yet so can’t review them. If you have read any of them, do let me know! Some of the titles seem very interesting.

10.Board Books

I wanted to write a special note about board books because most of us prefer board books for children under 3. Milet Publishing has board books for children under 3 and they are available on amazon and Kitaab World (point 9). I have found some of Milet Publishing books to be nice like the one about opposites but some of them don’t have great translations (e.g. see below, having Car, Bus and Train isn’t probably the best idea since they are the same in both urdu and english). So be careful when you buy these ones. My experience has been mixed. They are great board books though for small kids.

I also found some board books about “alif bey pay” in different book stores in Pakistan and recently at “Al Noor Grocery” in NE Calgary. The one at Al Noor is published by Rabia Book House and a decent one. Al Noor tells me that they will be stocking more urdu books in the coming months. I will keep you updated.

 

I wanted to share a few more ideas about giving your children (and yourself) access to urdu books. Nothing like reading urdu books with your children to pass on the love of the language.

Create your own

As I mentioned above, I have struggled with finding great urdu board books so I have done the next best thing: create my own. Take a regular english book and add urdu translations to each page through sticky tags! Simple.

Local Libraries

 

If you’re outside Pakistan, check your local library for urdu books for children. If they don’t have them, you can share the titles I mentioned in this post with the administration and request them to order in the books.

Calgary Public Library has some great bilingual (Urdu/English) books at all branches in the city. You can also search online here.

The books are amazing and for various age groups. We especially love Dear Zoo (Urdu/English).

I have been told by some of my readers that other public libraries in Canada also carry bilingual (urdu/english) books. Let me know if yours does in Canada or elsewhere in the world and I will add here for the benefit of all.

Old books

Check with your parents where your old books are so that you can pass on to your children. Ask around. A friend or relative might have older kids and willing to pass on their books. I have found some great treasures this way.

A word about amazon

Amazon is a great resource to buy books and they do carry urdu titles for children. However it’s difficult for me to recommend a book if I haven’t read it myself. I do know that some regional amazon sites carry “Dear Zoo” (Urdu/English) and it’s a great board book. They also carry Milet Publishing books and I have shared my thoughts on them above.

Way Forward

I will keep updating this post with latest and updated information about urdu books for children.

If you’re a publisher or urdu book writer and want to get in touch, get details here

I have been reading some of these books and sharing them via live videos on my facebook page. Do check them on the wall (search #urdumombooklist, #readwithurdumom).

I would love it if you help me spread the love of urdu and book reading by sharing this post with your friends and family! Thank you/Shukriya.

31 thoughts on “How to Find Great Urdu Books for Children”

  1. That you so much for this excellent post! It is amazingly useful, although I am a bit saddened by the lack of reliable and affordable international shipping options.
    I am also interested in urdu folktales for children – ones that are rooted in the literary culture of the subcontinent and not just retelling European stories . I do have one or two pillaged from my parents collection but have yet to stumble upon anything more. Any ideas for these? Thank you again.

    Aiysha
    mamanushka.com

    1. Hello aiysha! Lovely hearing from you. Oxford university has a few great books about history of the subcontinent but a lot are for older kids. My kids are 5 and 2 but I will look up those for you and let you know. Which ones did you get from your parents? Btw had a look at your website and seems very interesting!

  2. Thanks a lot for the recommendations!!! It’s just what IV been looking for… I guess i just read it a bit late as i returned from Pakistan a week ago 🙂
    Hoping to visit the first few publishers in my next visit… Thanks again

    1. Thanks Sana for your comment! Glad my research seemed helpful to you. Yes definitely keep this list handy for your next trip. I will also keep updating this post with latest information. There are a few international delivery options too. And most publishers claim they are updating their websites for online orders. Book group will have PDFs of their books available for download and that will be a great option too!

  3. You have compiled a great collection of books and publishers for the Urdu language Tamania .Well done
    The cartoon Qaida is also online now .I am forwarding your emial add. and this link so the Publishers may connect and make the content accessible to all those who have a love for their mother toungue,Urdu like MOMURDU and pass this treasure to their children.

    Best
    Nigar Nazar

  5. Thank you so much Tamania great post and detailed insights , Ian glad I read your post before I ordered books on Amazon . We love your Facebook live sessions every Saturday and thank you so so so much for taking time out for spreading the amazing knowledge ?.

    1. You’re most welcome!! Thanks for your support and love! We love having you in our Saturday live session! I’m excited to know which books you end up ordering 🙂 take care and stay in touch!

  6. Asa Tamania. I just love urdu mom, hats off to you. I remember a book I read in my childhood. It was about twin brother and sister “shafaq aur shafeeq”, who had to swap places. It was quite interesting. I tried finding it for my kids but don’t remember the author or publisher :(. If anyone knows about this book kindly help.

  7. Good morning,
    I am manager of Intercultural service of the municipal library “Alessandro Lazzerini” of Prato (Italy).
    To increase our collections in urdu, I would be infinitely grateful if you wanted to send me
    a bibliography of volumes for children and teenagers (0-14 years) to the following address:
    [email protected]
    Trusting in your availability, thank you for your attention and rest waiting for kind communication
    yours sincerely

  8. Thnx alt urdu mom fr ur list of wonderfl bks in urdu i hve read some bks frm book groups n oxfrd they r really gud will try ither soon tc

  9. Hello. I loved this post.excellent information and research done on ur part. Im a book lover myself and want my little boys to develop love for books n reading especially urdu …was confused on wear to start from but ur post has sorted out the whole process of finding good books and making them a part of my kids learning and childhood development. Keep up the good work. Always looking forward to ur posts.

  10. Great work tamania. I have found ferozesons books to be the easiest to be read by the kids, due to larger spacing between words and easier vocabulary.

  11. Assalamu Alaikum.
    Your post is really informative. I have recommended a lot of Urdu books to my local library, Carol Stream Public Library. Mostly adults books and most of them through Darussalam Publishers. They have very reliable books on Islamic History and Seerah and most of the books are at Carol Stream Public Library (Alhamdulillah). I tried to recommend Urdu books for children but they were mostly denied but they did purchase about 15 of those recommended Urdu books for children.
    Oh and you mentioned Maqbool Books. They have really good books, I tried to order books through their website but they were not accepting credit card at that time. I was able to purchase books from them twice at ISNA convention. They almost always come for ISNA conventions.
    Again thanks for such a great post. Attachment with your language is a key to stay attached with your culture.
    Doing a great job.
    Assalamu Alaikum

  12. MashaAllah this is incredible work to take Urdu along with us with our children. May Allah bless you for spreading this knowledge:)
    Nazia

  13. Asa….my daughter is a bit weak in Urdu…thanks to you to provide book list of Urdu of all ages….very greaful to you….thanks….it will help me to improve her skills

  14. Thank you Tamania. This is a wonderful post. Excellent information put together brilliantly. I teach Urdu to a group of older children in the UK and find your work/ guidance very useful. Bless you. X

  16. This was such a useful post! It’s been hard to get good children’s books in Pakistan during my visits. Even visits to bookshops can be futile. There are some good resources here and, I now know what to look out for!

  17. What did I just read! JazakAllah khair. Very didactic and comprehensive. This was much needed. Baby is 15 months right now and I was looking for some urdu guide. Let me now apply this guide to get some urdu books. May
    Allah bless you infinitely with wisdom and beneficial knowledge.

    1. Thank you for sharing this valuable information. People living abroad really need this especially those who are interested in teaching Urdu to their kids.

  19. Plz! give suggestion for my child what type of book i provide him.his age is 2.5 year. in Urdu language…
    waiting your reply..

  22. Paramount has world history perspective, which was good for my daughter who knew nothing about our roots. Even ferozsons has 3 volume history book, I am not sure about name as it is with my mom and I m waiting for it to be shipped when covid ends.
    Apart from this, I got some books from bachon ka kitab ghar. They do have a Facebook page where you can get WhatsApp to order. This too is waiting to be shipped. I wanted to share some pics and excerpts from these books but I m not sure how.

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