A new branch of knowledge

Environmental Studies for us as schoolkids was a subject so dreadful that studying it for an examination became less about caring for the environment and more about that paper you study for one day before the test Last December when we spoke to kids who were part of the jury of a childrens literature festival we were amazed to see how diverse the genre had become mdash from books that delve into the state of public toilets to those where you meet the strays of Mumbai Reading about the environment has become more than just didactic mdash it is now enriching and entertainingA medical maze for waste disposal in Ten things to know and do to save the earth Puffin BooksNarrowing it downChennaibased Tara Books took to specific issues in the 1990s In 1995 Landscapes Childrens Voices comprised writing and art by children from schools situated in five important ecological spaces in the Tamil context river valleys pastoral regions hills seashore and the city In 1999 Trash On Ragpicker Children and Recycling mdash which looks at who produces waste and who is responsible for clearing it while addressing child labour and education mdash was published Children and schools are quite open to discussing the environment But the usual routine of exams and so on do not allow them to do so with the depth the subject deserves Both these books had a list of activities outlined for children V Geetha editorial director of Tara Books saysTree Matters Tara Books features Bhil art accompanied by the words of Gangu Bai a Bhil womanAccording to Bijal Vachharajani consultant senior editor of Pratham Books although historically childrens books have been centred around nature and animals especially picture books international research shows that nature is disappearing from many books For the last three years weve been working with subject matter experts scientists conservationists mdash as well as writers illustrators editors and art directors mdash to create a diverse set of books about nature wildlife and environment Many of these themes are derived from specific needs from the field Of the approximate 100 to 120 books they publish each year green titles are on the rise from 22 published in 2017 to 33 in 2019Pretty pleaseOver the years titles have not only got specific but theyre also getting prettier Two Puffin Books publications currently on our desk are in fullcolour printing While Devangana Dashs Jungle Radio details the bird songs of India Benita Sens One Lonely Tiger highlights the threat of extinction This year the publishing house has released 14 titles in contrast to the four or five they published annually in the pasttwo yearsSohini Mitra andV GeethaThe challenge is mdash when you know theres great content inside mdash to make a book call out to a bookshelf and say pick me up Hence the special effects like the gold embossing on Dashs cover or the choice of paper is a necessary investment in a shrinking retail space says Sohini Mitra associate publisher Penguin Random House IndiaThe crisis fact and fictionMitra also states how books have moved from from strictly nonfiction to more meaningful content And Sayoni Basu director of Duckbill Books feels that the way that books on the environment have evolved is a reflection of the nature of childrens engagement with the environment We are primarily publishers of fiction but it is a reflection of the times and the urgency we feel that two out of the four nonfiction books we are publishing in our new series The 10s are about the environment and there two of the next four are also about environmentrelated issuesSayoni Basu andJagath TekkateGoing offlineMost publishers we spoke to highlighted how schools are playing an active role in spreading awareness Every week I get parents who come to the store and ask for these books because many children also have projects related to them in school We sold approximately 3000 last year Jagath Tekkate of Kitab Khana tells us while Radhika Menon of Tulika Books explains Globally children are taking the lead in protests about climate change All this motivates them further to take up environmentrelated issues very seriously and that is hearteningRohan ChakravartyAnd sometimes these books arent just for children People assume that any book that comes with illustrations is a childrens book says midday columnist and cartoonist Rohan Chakravarty who launched Bird Business BNHS yesterday at Hornbill House It includes 100 bird species from India shedding light on how they interact with their environment He adds In the last three to four years there has been an inevitable upward shift in the number of these books that have been released mdash mostly because environmental issues have been occupying the forefront But I want people to start observing rather than just being awareCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates