Call of the wild: Book explores the overlooked wonders of India’s forests

Illustrated panels from the book depicting the safari. Illustrations courtesy/Pratham Books; Lavanya Karthik

Why did you choose to portray two perspectives in the book?
I have been on several safaris in national parks across India, and I usually meet two kinds of people: one, just happy to be in the forest and appreciative of everything they see there; the other, so swept up in the excitement of spotting a big cat that they become oblivious to all the other species of plants, birds and animals around them. I thought this book would be a good way to humorously talk about these two perspectives, and how a change can transform your experience of the wonder that is a forest.

What were the main challenges since this was different from some of your other work (Dreamers Series and Ninja Nani)?
I have always loved the comic format for the opportunities it gives one to play with narrative structure, and utilise every line, from the panels to their graphic content and the text to convey information. Making it wordless was an additional challenge I set for myself; removing text makes the book accessible to very young readers and gives them the freedom to interpret the visuals in it. The turn is a playful surprise that changes the reading experience. The book now becomes a toy. But it did mean a lot of planning and detailing to ensure it worked effectively.

Lavanya Karthik

Illustrating for children can involve making multiple decisions from the start. What inspired you?
The book is based on my experiences while on safaris, and the people I ran into there. Children were usually more excited by the prospect of being amidst nature; (seeing) every langur and deer was a thrill, every bird spotted would be celebrated. Meanwhile, it was typically the adults who would become fixated on the idea of spotting one species, waiting at a spot to get a photograph, rather than enjoying the beauty and diversity around them. I wanted to also show that adults could change, and learn important lessons from children, which is why the book gives them a second chance at seeing the forest with new eyes.

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