Pattan's Pumpkin

Chitra Soundar was born in Chennai and resides in London. She has written over 20 books for children. Chitra also loves to retell folktales, legends and ancient tales from the Indian sub-continent. While she dabbles in chapter books, her first love is picture books.

I grew up in a small town on top of the Palisades in New Jersey. From my bedroom window, I could see the famous skyscraper skyline of New York City. In the hot summer months I could hear the shrieks of people riding on the roller coaster at a nearby amusement park. My work has led me on many adventures in numerous countries. Traveling continues to be a major source of inspiration for my work as I render my impression of a country and its way of life in oil and gouache paintings. My greatest ambition is to instill pride and self-esteem in children about their unique heritage and their own ability to capture in it pictures and words.