Twenty-four souls. Twenty-four lives. One path.

Every Jain child grows up hearing the names, Rishabhdev, Shantinath, Parshvanath, Mahavir, but the stories behind them are scattered across old texts in languages most families no longer read. This book gathers all twenty-four Tirthankaras in one place, in order, in language a child can read alone, and a grown-up will not feel too old to read aloud.

Each chapter tells one life, from the fourteen dreams that announce it to the final liberation at Siddhashila. Rishabhdev steps off the first throne the world ever had and walks into the forest. Mallinath, a princess, shows six kings what a body really is. Neminath turns his wedding chariot around at the sound of frightened animals. Parshvanath sits unmoved beneath the seven hoods of a serpent king. Mahavir wakes a cobra with two soft words.

Every chapter opens with an At a Glance card giving the names, parents, birthplace, symbol, body colour and the five auspicious dates, so a curious reader can hold the facts before the story begins. Every chapter closes with a short reflection on why the world still remembers that particular soul.

The book also includes an illustrated guide to all twenty-four lanchhanas, the symbols carved at the foot of every Tirthankara's image; an explanation of the Fourteen Auspicious Dreams and the Five Kalyanaks; and a glossary of the Jain terms a young reader will meet.

The stories follow the Shvetambara tradition throughout. Where the Digambara reading differs meaningfully, it is noted with respect.

For readers aged 8 to 14, and for anyone reading aloud to them.