In her debut children’s novel “Searching for the Songbird”, anthropologist Ravina Aggarwal pens a story about the curiosities of children, of young friendships, and of finding harmony with nature. The book details the exploits of Johnny Raut and his friends as they set out to find Kastura, the missing ‘songbird’ and the prime suspect in a burglary in the Himalayan foothills. In this interview, the author speaks about her new book and why it’s important for children to develop an intimacy with the songs and sounds of their environment. Excerpts….
What prompted the decision to write a children’s book?
My love for books came through mysteries. As a child, the imagined world of clues and detection fascinated me. I had grown up imbibing the experiences of children in England through the works of English authors. The characters in these stories eat scones, live in cottages, and form secret societies in garden sheds. But growing up in India, in Mumbai, that wasn’t quite my experience. So I wanted to write a mystery that is reflective of our Indian context.
“Searching for the Songbird” is set in the foothills of the Himalayas in Dehradun. Why did you choose this setting for your book?
My quest has always been to convey the geography and the experiences of the Himalayan region, which I have loved and studied through various genres of writing. The Himalayas are not static mountains. They are undergoing a lot of change and turmoil. I think cities such as Dehradun capture the complexities of balancing the environment with a desire for growth.
When Johnny arrives in Dehradun, he struggles to deal with his new surroundings as he knows almost nothing about the mountains. Like Johnny, children growing up in urban areas are often unaware about their local flora and fauna. Do you think it is necessary for children to interact with nature?
It is absolutely essential for the children of this generation, who are growing up with the looming cloud of climate change, to bond with nature. Children today are living with the negative consequences of unbridled human growth, and so it is important that our parenting and education systems reflect a relationship with nature. There has to be a curricular shift, along with experiential learning, creating opportunities for children to be with nature. We also need to think of exposing children to alternative, more sustainable lifestyles.
From the crimson sunbird to the slaty headed parakeet and the Indian paradise flycatcher, why are birds central to the story?
When you are in Dehradun, you can’t help but notice different varieties of birds. The book is about listening to the songs and the sounds of the mountain; the birds are part of that soundscape. Unfortunately, we are at a time when there’s a lot of human-wildlife conflict because natural habitats are disappearing.
Kastura, the missing ‘songbird’ is portrayed as a caste musician and the book highlights caste discrimination prevalent in India. Could you elaborate how difficult it was to weave such a complicated topic into a children’s book?
For urban kids, understanding caste- in particular, the prejudices or stigmas that people in their peer group might be enduring- is important. In modern India, you need to know about caste and engage with its history. And how do children grapple with that? I think it’s through social relationships. The protagonist Johnny, although he is from Mumbai and is living in the mountains, has to start understanding these differences to form social bonds and solve the mystery.
After solving the mystery of the missing ‘songbird’, Johnny and his friends form the Himalayan Catchers Society. Can we expect more adventures from them?
Certainly! I intended this book to be part of a series and I hope to write the second part soon.
Picture Credit : Google
