Travelling with a friend is always fun and interesting. You seem to explore more with them and have adventures of many sorts too. And so it is with Walk the Grasslands with Takuri by Nima Manjrekar and Nandita Hazarika.
Takuri is a pygmy hog and he lives in the grasslands. He longs to take you to his home, his habitat and wants you to meet his friends. But first he introduces his home of green — the Grasslands. They are called by different names in different countries. In North America, grasslands are known as the Prairies, in South America, the Pampas, in Central Eurasia, they are the Steppes and in Africa the Savannah. India has many types of grasslands too — the Bugyals near the Himalayas, the saline wastelands of the Rann of Kutch in the west, the Shola forests in the South and the vast Terai from Uttarakhand to Assam.
Takuri next tells us about grass. We learn what a wonderful survivor it is and of its many usefulness. We also learn that the bamboo is a kind of grass and the many qualities and benefits to bestow of life both human and animal. Grass gets around too, and no wonder by the green spread that covers the planet — and they do have little tricks to travel!
Wait a minute, did you know that your breakfast cereals come from the grass family? There are 9000 members in this “family”.
Takuri now longs to introduce his friends and neighbours. Birds abound in the grasslands — the floricans, warblers, harriers, pipits, the weaver birds and many others. The Asian elephant, the rhinoceros, the tiger and yes, even turtles make the grasslands their home along with other reptiles and rodents. The tunnellers — the hares and the rabbits and the “builders of the grasslands” — the termites are important neighbours in Takuri's world. And finally he introduces his family and their home in the Terai, Assam. They are known as “Takuri Borah” meaning spindle-shaped pig in Asomiya, the language of Assam.
And then he makes us face the enemies of the Grasslands and it's habitats — humans. People cut grass for all their needs, whether it be for cultivation or building. The inhabitants of the grasslands suffer due to this, become homeless and die. The book ends with the call to save grasslands and to join the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme, which will help and support the cause.
A colourful map of India with the different types of grasslands, a pictorial quiz and making masks completes this exciting book. A little Takuri inset on every other page gives nuggets of information.
A must mention are the large illustrations by Maya Ramaswamy which invite you to step into the world of grass.
WALK THE GRASSLANDS WITH TAKURI, Nina Manjrekar and Nandita Hazarika, A Katha Book in collaboration with WWF-India, Rs. 195
