The moment one thinks of an alphabet book, boring boxes with letters printed in one corner and a garish image of fruit or an animal in the rest, come to the mind. So when gems like The Book of Beasts show up on bookshelves, it is time to rejoice and grab your copy. Children need to be connected with Nature and it is books like these that accomplish the task. Even if you’re old for children’s books, you will surely enjoy it because it is so insightful. The book starts off with the foreword from the author’s granddaughter, who had been given these animal verses as a birthday present by her grandfather. It is laudable that she decided to share this with the rest of the world because the book is beautifully made. Never before have I seen science and literature come together so beautifully. The poems talk about endangered animals, their habitat, their behaviour and much more. The facts, along with the scientific names are engaging but never overbearing. Krishnan’s cunning remarks about the Binturong and how the illustration shows a bottle of preservative kept next to the animal portrays that we can only see it in museums or that the best way to keep it alive is by using a permanent preservative.
November 2016, volume 40, No 11