Tenacity with Dadasaheb Phalke

• Inspiring story written in verse with vibrant art 
• Text that introduces young readers to the idea of tenacity in the face of challenges 
• Includes a graphic timeline of Phalke’s life, to put his story into context 
• Accompanied by free downloadable activity sheets to extend learning

Neeti Banerji is an illustrator and visual artist. After completing a BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design, she worked with publishing houses in Boston and New York as a designer before returning to India. Since going freelance full-time in 2020, she’s worked in a number of fields including editorial art, F&B, visual identity creation, and board game development.

Pervin Saket is a novelist and poet whose work has been featured in several journals and magazines. She was a 2024 writer-in-residence and a 2025 Obermann International Fellow at the University of Iowa. She has served as the Literature Curator for the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, India's largest multidisciplinary street arts festival. She was awarded the Srinivas Rayaprol Poetry Prize 2021, and she was the inaugural Fellow for the Vancouver Manuscript Intensive 2021. Her work has been a finalist for the Tiferet Poetry Prize, the Aesthetica Creative Writing Award, the Wheelbarrow Books Poetry Prize and the Gaudy Boy Poetry Prize. Pervin is the Editor-at-Large at The Bombay Literary Magazine. 

The Learning TO BE series features biographies about Indian pioneers and achievers whose stories continue to inspire us today. Each book in the series features an important value and can be read aloud to toddlers and preschoolers (2–4 year olds) or read independently by emerging readers (4–7 year olds). 

"A perfect way to introduce children to the legacy of Dadasaheb Phalke and his groundbreaking contributions to Indian cinema…Phalke’s vision, energy, and uncompromising work ethic serve as an inspiration for young readers, highlighting the rewarding pursuit of art and film." ~ Paromita Chakrabarti, The Indian Express 

If someone wants to be determined in his life and wants to understand the value of money, this book will be worth reading. ~ Parent testimonial

Everyone should read this book at least once. ~ Parent testimonial