Sudha Murty’s new book will help your child fall in love with nature

“Books were like our siblings,” Sudha Murty declared in a recent interview with Twinkle Khanna, explaining how she developed a passion for reading from a young age, which translated into her becoming one of India’s most beloved authors. Life has come full circle for Murty, whose heartwarming books act like friends, guides and playmates for the lucky kids who get their hands on them.

Themes of kindness, compassion and respect for nature run through Murty’s repertoire, and How The Earth Got Its Beauty, published by Penguin Random House India, is a vivid example. It explains why it was chosen to kickstart the Tweak India Children’s Book Club and be part of our special subscription box.

Illustrations by Priyanka Pachpande bring alive the story of Devi, a teenage girl (who we later learn is Mother Nature herself). On a mission to discover whether humans are happy and living symbiotically in the paradise, she’s created for them, Devi meets three sisters, Sunaina, Shyama and Seeta. None of them are truly happy, and each has a wish to leave their village to explore the wonders of nature, from snow-capped mountains to the mighty ocean to animals and birds in every shade of the rainbow.

Along the journey with Devi and her new friends, your young ones will imbibe Murty’s lessons of respecting our environment and living in harmony with the natural world. Especially pertinent when, thanks to the pandemic, many kids have been forced indoors and denied the chance to explore and learn about the great outdoors. For young readers (and their curious parents) How The Earth Got Its Beauty becomes a brilliant passport to kickstart new adventures.