Authors Harini Nagendra and Seema Mundoli’s newly-released kids’s e-book ‘So Many Leaves’ goals to spark an curiosity in Nature
Each leaf of So Many Leaves, a slim, fantastically illustrated e-book, introduces kids to leaves of frequent crops and their distinctive options. Conceptualised and written by lecturers and authors Harini Nagendra and Seema Mundoli, the e-book is geared toward introducing kids to Nature and spark an curiosity in bushes and crops.
After the success of their 2019 e-book Cities and Canopies: Trees in Indian Cities, Seema says each of them have been mulling over a sequence of books for kids on leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds when publishers Pratham Books approached them for a kids’s e-book on bushes.
(Stay up to date on new e-book releases, opinions, and extra with The Hindu On Books e-newsletter. Subscribe right here.)
“They wanted us to write in rhyme, to appeal to children, and also add a section on fun activities that readers could do with leaves,” says Seema.
An illustration from ‘So Many Leaves’, written by Harini Nagendra and Seema Mundoli
| Photo Credit: Special association
Illustrated by Barkha Lohia, the e-book —which has been translated into Hindi, Marathi, French and Italian — focusses on varied aspects of leaves by speaking about their dimension, look, color, style, aroma, use and so forth. Illustrations in hues of inexperienced and minimal splashes of color improve every web page.
“We knew that writing only about the ecological or biological aspects of leaves may not be of interest to children in the age group of six to 12. But the age group was not set in stone. A three-year-old can also enjoy the book if a parent helps her with it. We decided to talk about common leaves that they could easily see around, identify and explore. So we have touched upon the ecological importance of leaves and how they help us in different ways by talking about the interdependence of life,” says Harini.
An illustration from ‘So Many Leaves’, written by Harini Nagendra and Seema Mundoli to spark curiosity in Nature amongst kids
| Photo Credit: Special association
The authors have defined the numerous options of the leaves in an attention-grabbing method. “So, for instance, we have pointed out that a single banana leaf can be used as a plate. While a jamun leaf would just about be the size of a child’s palm, and the leaf of a tamarind is smaller than the nail on a finger. That helps children understand size easily,” explains Seema.
Explaining how they’ve discovered methods to join with younger readers, Seema explains how kids love textures. “So, we have talked about leaves that are hairy, silky, glossy and those with thorns. We have included why leaves have certain features. Cacti, for example, have thorns, thus preventing animals from eating them.”
Cover of the e-book ‘So Many Leaves’, written by Harini Nagendra and Seema Mundoli to spark curiosity in Nature amongst kids
| Photo Credit: Special association
At the top of the e-book, actions are urged to encourage kids to be taught on their very own. In addition to accumulating and drying leaves between the pages of a e-book, the e-book suggests placing a peepal leaf in a bucket of water to observe the adjustments; its community of veins is uncovered.
