let’s make our planet greener!
Trees do not mean timber alone. Trees also mean oxygen, soil and water. Those who believe that economy and ecology are at two different ends of the spectrum are mistaken. Ecology, in fact, is a permanent economy. For a world madly consumed by ‘development’, this quote by the famous environmental activist Sunderlal Bahuguna, the man behind Chipko Aandolan, mentioned in…
If you wish to learn about the dark realities of our planet that surface from deep within Fairyland, then it is this book, When Fairyland Lost Its Magic by Bijal Vachharajani and Rajiv Eipe, published by Harper Collins, that you definitely need to read. The readers are kept sitting on the edge of their chairs throughout, for every line is…
Author: Kalpana Manivannan With the unprecedented rise in urbanisation, the need to create and preserve green spaces is becoming crucial. These spaces help bridge the growing gap between humans and nature and ensure that other species co-exist in harmony without losing their habitat. Sunbirds in the Morning, Grey Hornbills at Dusk is a birdwatcher’s delight and an informative read for…
Author: Sangeetha Menon “Every child is an artist; the problem is staying an artist when you grow up.” – Pablo Picasso This was the overarching feeling I had when I finished reading ‘The Boy Who Built A Secret Garden: Nek Chand’. This book is a part of Duckbill’s ‘The Dreamers’ series, written and illustrated by Lavanya Karthik. This story is…
Author: Vaishali Shroff When we are asked to name heroes from various walks of life, almost all of us may give the same answers because our school textbooks typically depict the same popular examples—whether it’s scientists, freedom fighters or warriors. While it’s important to learn about them, it’s also essential to learn about common people hidden around and amongst us…
Author: Ravina AggarwalPublisher: Young Zubaan “A motley group of school friends investigating a crime and a mysterious disappearance in the Himalayan foothills… if it sounds familiar, you’re not mistaken. But the beauty of Ravina Aggarwal’s Searching for the Songbird lies in how effortlessly it ties together various provocative themes and, quite literally, draws young readers into the music of the Doon Valley.…
Author: Anjana BasuPublisher: Talking Cub “The ever-expanding body of children’s literature featuring tigers gets another excellent addition in Grandfather’s Tiger Tales. The three stories in this anthology bring together familiar and unfamiliar narratives – of a tiger that came to a cricket match, of the fearsome tiger god Dakshin Ray of the Sunderbans, and of a tiger and a man sharing…
Author: Raj Shekhar, Devashish Makhija, Venkat Shyam and Nina SabnaniPublisher: Tulika “The striking musicality and eye-catching visuals of this book in verse by Devashish Makhija, Raj Shekhar, Venkat Shyam and Nina Sabnani lure readers into the world of Adivasis, ‘…the earth’s kuiya-muiya, singing the forest’s haiya-huiya’ where the river mumbles, the fish babble, hills whisper, trees tumble and everything sways to…
Publisher: Speaking TigerAuthor: Shweta Taneja Trash Rajah, the dictator of Pretty City, has declared there should be piles of stinking garbage, unending pollution, foaming lakes, and disgusting toxic creations everywhere. Trash Rajah and his garbage army need an endless supply of garbage to keep them alive—and the humans of Pretty City must provide it. But when their only playground is…
By Sangeetha Menon “Kanmani watched her village from the hill. The lands stood dry and bare, broken even. The skies stared back in defence as the sun growled.” These are the opening lines of Maari, a story about a village in Tamil Nadu dealing with severe drought and finding solace through culture. The young protagonist, Kanmani, is worried as she…