In her latest book, 'Ouch!' Cried Planet Earth, author Dheera Kitchlu tells us the tale about a timid boy who hears Mother Nature's angst and decides to spring into action. Brought to life by 25 simple illustrations by a Rajasthani Phad artist, this book will strike a chord among the young and the not-so-young nature lover
In her latest book, 'Ouch!' Cried Planet Earth, author Dheera Kitchlu tells us the tale about a timid boy who hears Mother Nature's angst and decides to spring into action. Brought to life by 25 simple illustrations by a Rajasthani Phad artist, this book will strike a chord among the young and the not-so-young nature lover
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| Author Dheera Kitchlu with her book, 'Ouch!' Cried Planet Earth. pic/ Datta Kumbhar |
Much like Tiki aka Trilok Hanutsingh, the central protagonist of 'Ouch!' Cried Planet Earth, author Dheera Kitchlu was also a self-conscious, timid child. While Tiki would break into sneezing bouts when confronted by his father, Kitchlu would cope with dyslexia by visiting her grandma.
Even as this learning difficulty saw her underperform in exams and robbed her of the joys of reading, her grandma would narrate Greek tales sprinkled with imaginary Indian characters and relate it to a childhood event that Kitchlu had faced. That's how she honed her story-telling skills, which led her to become a teacher and eventually, an author.
In her latest book, her eighth so far, she takes on the issue of making environmental issues appeal to kids. "A lot has been said about the threat to the eco-system and the looming extinction of tigers. But children need to realise that the earth is their inheritance and it's their duty to save the planet through simple solutions," says the 60 year-old author.
MATTERS OF THE EARTHThe story revolves around a city-bred boy, Tiki, who visits his family farm, where he meets characters including a booted camel, an imaginary village boy who speaks to a langur, a tiger cub and a tigress named Peeli. When he returns to the city, his pet dog, Chandi, falls sick after swallowing a discarded piece of chewing gum on the beach. This became the wake-up call for Tiki as he embarks on a crusade to save the planet and become an "Earth Hero". He writes a report against cutting down forests, which eventually gets printed in the newspapers. He also scripts a school play called 'Ouch!' Cried Planet Earth about protecting the environment by saving the tiger.
The book features illustrations by Prakash Joshi, a traditional Phad artist from Bhilwara in Rajasthan, who was introduced to Kitchlu by her friend, Jaya Jaitly. The artist belongs to a dwindling breed of Phad artists who live amidst nature and paint scrolls, which serve as the backdrop for Bhopa folk performers. As these performers narrate stories of gods and goddesses, they illuminate relevant portions of the scroll. Incidentally, only 13 Phad artists remain in the world.
"As Prakash lives amidst nature he is more attuned to the nuances of the forest and depicts animals, realistically. I narrated the story to him, and a month later he sent me the final sketches. I can't believe it happened so fast," adds Kitchlu.
The author admits that writing is a form of catharsis. "My books help me express the fountain of stories lying within me. Writing is a daily, laborious struggle, as I require more time to write, with lots of re-writing too. But the fruits of hard labour are sweeter, aren't they?" she concludes.
We agree.
'Ouch!' Cried Planet Earth by Dheera Kitchlu, Serene Woods, Rs 225. The book will be released by Rahul Bose on December 3, 5.30 pm, at Hornbill House, Bombay Natural History Society, Colaba. The play will be staged at NCPA on December 4, 6 pm, by students from St Catherine's of Sienna Orphanage. The book will be available at Oxford Bookstore and Strand Book Stall.
