This new children's book delves into India’s jungles and its inhabitants

Dhan Gopal Mukherji

We've all had our ‘wow moments' as little kids while listening and later, reading stories about the animal kingdom. For many, including this writer, Rudyard Kipling's classic, The Jungle Book did the trick. Then, came along Ruskin Bond and his bag full of humour-tinged stories that offered fascinating insight into animal life in the Himalayas and its surroundings.

So, when we received a copy of Fierce-Face the Tiger by Dhan Gopal Mukherji, we were left wondering about why this wonderful piece of literature for young readers, about India's jungles and its inhabitants, had not been tom-tomed about or made accessible for public consumption. We found our answer in the fact that Mukherji, despite being born in undivided Bengal, spent a large part of his life overseas, and was widely read and celebrated there; in fact, he remains the only Indian to have won the American Library Association's prestigious Newbery Medal for his children's book, Gay Neck: The Story of a Pigeon.

Further reading also revealed that his books on India's wildlife and its ecosystems were often pitched against Kipling's works. The more we read about Fierce-Face the tiger, and Kari the Elephant (who appears in the second half of the book), the more we wished for these stories to reach scores of young readers. The storyline seamlessly ‘humanises' a fierce animal, making it relatable to impressionable children (and even adults). The adventures of Kari are equally engaging; both sets of jungle stories reminded us in good measure of Aesop's Fables. If you're keen to introduce your kid to the magic of Indian stories set in the jungle, these talking animals and their fantastical adventures are a good place to start.

Title: Fierce-Face the Tiger
Author: Dhan Gopal Mukherji
Genre: Children's literature
Publisher: Talking Cub
Cost: Rs 250