Across land and water
On June 5, we observe World Environment Day. We all know we need to work together to protect and conserve our resources so that the Earth will continue to sustain and nurture life forms. Here are six books that talk about different aspects of the environment.
“You don’t have to go tramping off into the wilderness in order to see birds,” writes the author in In Birds from My Window and the Antics They Get Up To. This book is the perfect place to start, as it tells you how to identify these creatures that share our space.
“Earth has landforms everywhere: / special places people share… This Land is Your Land is a geography lesson in verse. It tells you how a stream can create ravines and how lava flow can lead to the formation of new islands. What is a coast? Why do some mountains have snow at the top? Sing along, as you learn about the Earth you live on.
We take water for granted. We open our taps and out it gushes. But where does it all come from? Learn about the water cycle, why water is important to living beings, and how water can also be a destructive force in The Drop in my Drink.Adelita: A sea turtle’s journey takes you on a journey across oceans and seas as you follow a loggerhead sea turtle. This is based on a true story of a turtle that was caught in Mexico in 1996. A satellite tag was attached to her and she was released. The information collected thus forms the basis of the book.
When a brown cloud appears over Mumbai, every living creature is affected by the gases it contains. How are the people going to deal with the consequences? A Cloud Called Bhura is about climate change and how humans need to come together to counter it.
Chintu, a young boy from Mumbai, who goes to his ancestral village to help the people there find water. There, he meets Maahi who has some mysterious powers, and seems to be connected to the prophecies his grandfather talked about. Does Chintu manage to find water for Tintodan? What about the conservation competition he has entered? That’s what The Water Catchers is all about.
Now that you’ve read about these books, here’s an activity for you. Try and match the book covers with the author’s name.