Srividhya Venkat author page

Srividhya Venkat biography

Srividhya Venkat is an Indian children’s author, oral storyteller and former kindergarten teacher. She grew up in India and has lived in three countries. Her picture books include stories about Indian traditions, family relationships, friendship, sport and social justice.

Her first published children’s book, Brushing Is No Fun!, illustrated by Anupama Ajikya Apte, was published by Pratham Books in 2016 and has been translated into more than 40 languages. Other early titles include Pickle Mania (Tota Books, 2016), Lunch-Friends (Tota Books, 2017) and The Clever Tailor (Karadi Tales, 2018), illustrated by Nayantara Surendranath. The Clever Tailor won the 2019 Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Crystal Kite Award and was highly commended for the 2020 South Asia Book Award.

Her picture book Dancing in Thatha’s Footsteps, illustrated by Kavita Ramchandran and published by Yali Books in 2021, follows Varun, a boy who wants to learn the classical Indian dance bharatanatyam despite believing that dancing is not for boys. The book won the 2022 South Asia Book Award.

In 2023, Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Random House, published Girls on Wheels, illustrated by Kate Wadsworth. Inspired by India’s growing skateboarding movement, the story follows three friends who encourage one another as they learn to skateboard. It was selected for the 2024 Rise: A Feminist Book Project list.

Venkat also wrote Seeker of Truth: Kailash Satyarthi’s Fight to End Child Labor, illustrated by Danica da Silva Pereira and published by Little Bee Books in 2024. This nonfiction picture book tells the story of the Indian children’s rights campaigner and 2014 Nobel Peace Prize recipient. It was named a Chicago Public Library Best of the Best book for 2024, became a finalist for the 2025 Jane Addams Children’s Book Award and received a 2025 SCBWI Crystal Kite Honor.