If there is one thing that distinguishes the world of Bangla writing from the literature of the rest of the Subcontinent's languages, it is the abundance of works written for children in modern times. There is not one reputed writer or poet of this language who has not written significantly for children. Soon after the arrival of modern printing technology in India, in the 19th century, magazines for children began to appear in Bangla. Today, Kolkata's Pujobarshikis, the annuals published during Dassehra (as also perhaps for Id in Dhaka) for children, carry quality works by writers that are read and cherished by lakhs of Bengali children.
Today, there are several notable children's magazines that have been running successfully for many decades. Sandesh, for instance, has acquired something of a heritage status, first published by the writer and composer Upendrakishore Raychowdhury in 1913. After his death in 1915, his eldest son, Sukumar Ray, took over as the editor of the magazine. Of Upendrakishore's many works for children, Goopie gayeen bagha bayeen (Singer Goopie, Drummer Bagha) was made into a film by Sukumar's son, Satyajit. This was the first of several films for children that Satyajit Ray made. Though lesser-known outside Bengal than his son Satyajit, it was Sukumar who transformed children's writing in Bangla by creating a world of witty nonsense prose and fiction.
Sukumar Ray was an exceptionally gifted writer who died at just 36. An accomplished scholar, he won a scholarship to study photography and printing technology in England and, while there, was active in literary circles. He may have been influenced by Lewis Carroll's writings, but as Satyajit Ray said, "while the creatures of [Carroll's] 'Jabberwocky' belong to the world of imagination, Sukumar's creations, whatever they may look like, belong to our familiar, everyday world. And many of them, like his lug-headed loon (the hukumukho haingla), actually belong to Bengal" (see pics). The following verse, from Abol Tabol (Rhymes without reason), brims with Sukumar Ray's fantastic creatures:
Haansh chhilo, shojaru,(baiykoron mani na)
hoye gelo'haanshjaru' kemonay thaa jani na.
bok kohe kochhope – 'bahoba ki foorthi'
othi khasha aamader bokochhop moorthi.
tiya-mukho girgiti monay bhari shonka –
poka chheday sheshay kigo khabay kancha lonka?
chhagoler petey chhilo na jani ki fondhi
chaapilo bichhaar ghaadey, dhode moodo sondhi.
Giraffeyr saadh nayee maatthey-ghatey ghoorithey
phodinger dhong dhori sey o chaaye udithey
Goru bole, "Aamarey o dhorilo ki o rogay?
mor peechhey laagey keno hothobhaga morogay?"
hatimir dosha dekho thimi bhahbey jolay jayee
hathi bole "yeyee bela jongole cholo bhayee"
Shingheyr Sheeng neyee, yeyee thaar koshto –
horiner saathey meelay Sheeng holo poshto.