Reading books on cities has taught me that town-planners may intervene in landscapes, but that for all the pretentious build-up of deference to ecology and environment, the original great Planner’s wisdom is being increasingly disregarded. Landscapes of rock shaped over centuries are being destroyed, and rivers being channelled by short-sighted modern ‘planners’(as Ravish Kumar gently but forcefully reminded us on NDTV when reflecting on the Chennai floods).
When Natalie Zemon Davis wrote The Return of Martin Guerre (1983), a book just over 150 pages, it became influential in professional history circles because, its brevity notwithstanding, it cut the barbed-wire fence which separates history from storytelling. Davis’s book is unusual in being wonderful as both story and history.
1987
For several years I taught a history course on ‘Social Formations and Cul- tural Patterns of the Ancient and Medieval World’ at Hans Raj College, University of Delhi. This was a B.A. Honours ‘survey’ course (which is still part of the syllabus, although in a modified form), intended to give to students a general understanding of the early and premodern history of humankind—including themes such as evolution, transition to food production, the Sumerian civilization, ancient Egypt, Graeco-Roman antiquity, and emergence of feudalism in early medieval Europe.
The World Outside My Window comprises three sections: The Wonderful World of Insects; Birdsong in the Mountains; and The Loveliness of Forms. The running thread in all these essays is the chain of life and that each creature or plant, no matter how small and insignificant or destructive they might be, remove them and the chain that binds us collapses. Bond through his direct, simple way is sensitizing us to appreciate and give space to everything around us.
My Favourite Nature Stories is a charming volume of twenty-one stories, some have already been published, some are new pieces and some have never been published. Ruskin Bond dedicates the book to all who ‘cherish the green world of India, its forests, fields, streams and sacred rivers.’ The stories cover a range of subjects and locales, but it is the Himalayan landscapes that are perhaps dearest to him. It is a pleasure to read Bond as his language is direct and uncluttered and yet evokes the world around him. The essays are of the moment, like a Zen poem and in those few pages, a sunlit world is vividly brought to life.
2015
The depiction in the story A Little Lie by Nilima Sinha veers towards the latter stance as the protagonist Sunny takes the decision to not-to-lie too literally. It accounts for the leaps in the narrative and fractures the coherence of the text.
the story, The Stranger We Love by Girija Rani Asthana, has a refreshing representation. It tries to overcome the hackneyed depictions of old people and presents a bunch of young children who befriend the old couple who have recently shifted to their neighbourhood. The highlight of the story is how the ‘stranger’ transforms into Dadu for the children and they immensely enjoy spending time in the house of their new friends.
2015
The story Ma, Can I Help by Girija Rani Asthana demonstrates through an incident the act of taking responsibility.
2015
To the Rescue by Nita Berry showcases a proactive stance on the part of the protagonists, Vir and Mahi, as they manage to save the life of a child who is stuck in a deep pit.
2015
the book titled What a Mess by Nita Berry, centered on the theme of reckless attitudes in garbage disposal and the necessity of having a clean environment, has extrapolatory questions that include designing a cleanliness campaign and asks readers to think about the harmful effects that plastic wastes might have on our surroundings.
2015
Tringaling Ling! is a fun story about the search for a lost mobile phone
2013
The Nimba Tree by Nita Berry is set in a village. It attracts the readers by its title (nimba is the Sanskrit word for neem). The nimba tree is the axis around which the village life revolves. Hacking of the tree by avaricious woodcutters renders little birds and animals homeless and the villagers without a gathering place.
Another work of Nilima Sinha which deserves mention here is The Lonely Princess. The cover page and the title of the book made me think that it was yet another stereotypical tale of a pampered princess, however it wasn’t so. While the book depicts the contrast between upper-lower class lifestyles, Sinha’s writing helps break gender stereotypes and lets the central character transcend class boundaries. Manika is a pampered princess with servants at her beck and call to fulfil all here wishes.
2014
In Sinha’s A Time Together! the father not only cooks but also helps clean the table after the meal
Bowing to his wishes, his parents permit him to venture out into the world where Bullu saves himself from animal attacks. The potential danger posed by strangers to young children is explored through the story of an innocent goat kid Bela who falls into the trap of a wicked wolf, in Sinha’s Stranger at the Farm.
2015
Books play an important role in children’s socialization and can play a vital role in reinforcing or breaking stereotypes. Surely there are some stereotypes both at the level of text and at the level of illustrations such as in Nilima Sinha’s The Great Show, reptiles are not only designated as ‘creepy crawlies’ but are also not accurate in most of the illustrations. On the other hand, the tortoise wears spectacles signifying wisdom and sagacity.
Another story of Sinha’s, The Grumpy Owl mediates the adult-child conflict through a perpetually grumbling baby owl Bullu. Bowing to his wishes, his parents permit him to venture out into the world where Bullu saves himself from animal attacks.
2015
Stories have long served as vehicles of moral instruction by adults and some of the stories in the series also focus on teaching children good habits such as requesting to pass food at the table and avoiding talk while eating. At times the learning is shown to be instantaneously imbibed by the child such as Aman in Nilima Sinha’s, Okay Mom! who learns to keep his things in their proper places once he trips and falls over his shoes, resulting in injuring himself and missing playing with his friend.