This Children's Picture Book Is A Colourful Tribute To The Indigenous Animals Of India

The childhood memory of learning about animals paints somewhat of a similar nostalgic picture for all of us: flipping the pages of a colourful picture book, filled with stories of animals from all over the world. From lions in the African Savannah to the Polar Bears of the Antarctic, we grew up well-versed with the world’s great animal kingdom. But strangely, our books never showed us animals native to our own land. For years, the narrative of knowledge in our country has been influenced by the colonial way of things – and we have accepted it without question.

Now, there is room for a new narrative – one where children grow up learning about the animals in their own backyard along with the magnificent beasts of the world. “We Love Our Home” is a picture book written by Karthika Gopalakrishnan and illustrated by Chhaya Prabhat that leads us in just that direction. In playful illustrations, the book tells us about 8 indigenous animals and birds of India and where they can be found. Every animal can be seen an activity in the land it is native to – like the little known Irrawaddy dolphin splashing in the chhilka lake or the Malabar Pied Hornbill taking a dustbath in Dandeli.

The Nilgai of Himalayas. Image: https://storyweaver.org.in/stories/63140-we-love-our-home

The Spot-billed Pelican of the Atapaka. Image: https://storyweaver.org.in/stories/63140-we-love-our-home

This book has been published by Pratham books, a non-profit that is working to introduce children to the joy of reading. There is an immense reading deficit in a large section of children in the society. It is with books like ‘We Love Our Home’, that Pratham seeks to bridge this gap and provide children books in languages they understand, set in locations they recognize. With beautiful illustrations that bring to life each animal and the land that they are native to, ‘We Love Our Home’ is a colourful tribute to the indigenous wildlife of India. Check it out here!

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