A birdsong in every word

For all the children cooped up inside for too long now, here is a list of books about nature that they perhaps can read sitting under a tree!

Owl Moon

As a child growing up in Bengaluru in the 80s and 90s, trees and flowers and birds were all around me, but I only ever noticed them in spring. Somehow, everything seemed clearer in spring, fighting for my attention. The trees showed off tender green leaves and pretty flowers. The birds made themselves nearly hoarse with all the singing. Besides, the summer holidays were just around the corner so everything looked bright!

With the signs of spring all around, I started wondering about today’s children. Having been cooped up inside for so long, would some of them have forgotten how to engage with the natural world around them? Here are some books about observing nature, for inspiration.

Tiny, Perfect Things by M H Clark, illustrated by Madeline Kloepper, is the best place to start, where the reader sets off with a child and his grandfather on a walk, actively taking note of the tiny, perfect things around them.

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, illustrated by John Schoenherr, is a breathtaking book about taking a walk at night. It made me think of the rare after-dinner walks we used to go as a family, when the same familiar places looked new and exciting (and slightly scary!)

Speaking of observations on nature, Ruskin Bond is the master. His book My Favourite Nature Stories, like all his writing, makes you slow down and really feel and notice the world along with him.

Speaking of masters, Ranjit Lal is the go-to writer when you want to read delightful notes about bird observation. His book Birds From My Window and the Antics They Get up To is full of witty, funny anecdotes. Reading his work makes me look at every bird as a unique personality.

And that brings us to some more masters. Salim Mamoo and Me is written by Zai Whitaker, a master writer and the niece of the famous ornithologist Salim Ali. In this book, illustrated by Prabha Mallya, the author narrates a delightful true-life anecdote with her and her uncle related to observing birds.

Jungle Radio: Bird Songs of India by Devangana Dash is for younger kids, and is full of fun-to-mimic bird sounds.

Can You Hear the Trees Talking: Discovering the Hidden Life of the Forest is by Peter Wohlleben and is a children’s book based on his bestselling book for grownups The Hidden Life of Trees. It’s full of facts and pictures and amazing bits of information on trees. You’ll never look at a tree the same way again!

And of course, if kids want to get involved in nature observation in person, then a great way is to sign up on the website seasonwatch.in and become a citizen scientist, do their own nature observations, and contribute to science and research!

The author has written 12 books for children and can be reached at www.shruthi-rao.com

GobbledyBook is a fortnightly column that gives a peek into the wondrous world of children’s books. Hop on! Or as Alice did, plunge into the rabbit hole.