Oh! We Brutes

 Chingu is a small bear cub. It asks some interesting questions. Here are two of them for you.

Oh! We Brutes - The kingdom of Animals

 

Oh! We Brutes - The Kingdom of Animals

 The Cover page

Oh! We Brutes - The Kingdom of Animals

 

 

Children's Day Gift

Wondering what to gift your child on this Children's Day?

Here is my book, specially written for children.

Oh! We Brutes - The Kingdom of Animals

A great mission that stands ahead of mankind today is the protection of the environment. There is an urgent need to inculcate a sense of responsibility among the children towards this task. If the present day children are motivated to think and act for the protection of the environment, they will indeed have a greater say and thus influence and may also bring out policies and programmes in favour of protecting the natural environment. This book thus makes a minuscule attempt towards this enormous mission.

The principal objective of this book is to educate children about the issues and challenges facing the environment. The book looks at the problems from the viewpoint of the animals. Thus, the book makes it clear that human beings are responsible for the problems related to the environment. Certain issues like deforestation, extreme temperatures, increase in natural calamities like droughts and floods are integrated into the story. The book also discusses certain important topics like the balance of nature, food chain, an ecosystem in a simple and lucid manner.

The parallel objective of the book is to make future citizens, that is, the children, responsible towards the environment. The book will inspire the children to think, understand, and act towards the protection of the environment.

The book also brings to light the purpose of education. As a Teacher, I believe that “Education is a process of imbibing a culture that inspires us to come together as human beings and resolve the issues faced by the humanity”. This meaning is clearly depicted in this book. If our education does not teach us to resolve the various problems faced by the human beings as a whole, we are seriously amidst a catastrophe. I hope, my book brings some positive change in the education system in our country and the world at large.

Further, the book introduces various forms of literature like: poetry, song, prose, monologue, dialogue, skit, drama, letter writing, dialectics, dream, flash back, narration and description. There are some questions that Chingu, the main character asks in this book. These questions discuss some informative as well as ethical issues.

Like my first book, ‘Rats, Cats and Indian Politics’, I wrote this educational fiction with animals as characters to put across my message. ‘Animal Farm’ written by George Orwell, continues to inspire me.

So, gift your kids this new book on this Children's Day.

Available on Flipkart and Amazon.in

Annapurna Krishjeev

Oh! We Brutes - The Kingdom of Animals

 The journey of this book started in 2012 with a few dialogues between Chingu and the monster bear (read on page 26) that I narrated to my son, Krishi, who was approaching his first birthday.  My son, who could hardly speak tried to repeat the words “Oh! We Brutes”. I cherished that moment so much that I decided to write a book with the same title and present it to him, by the time he could read it by himself.

Initially, I started working on it, but as time passed, I became busy with my research work for my Ph.D. In 2016, when I submitted my thesis to the University, I revealed my dream of ‘gifting a book’ to my son. A few months later, on my birthday, the little boy of five years then, took his father to a stationery shop and bought me a notebook to pen down all the stories I would like to include in this book.

From that day, whenever, I told him any story, he would ask me if it was a part of ‘Oh! We Brutes’ and if I said ‘yes’, he would run for the book and a pen or a pencil and force me to write it down, before I would forget it.

Indeed, it was his continuous interest in this book that kept me going. I completed this book in 2018 and since then, I have been sending it to some traditional publishers. Some did not reply while some rejected to publish it.

Therefore, I chose Notion Press to Self Publish my book. I am grateful to Notion Press for providing the platform for bringing out the print edition of my book. The book is already available as an E-Book on Google Play Books since April, 2020.

The front cover, back cover and other pictures in the book are photos of soft toys and other animal toys of my son. I used the Forest Photo Editor app for editing these photos.

This book is my long pending gift for my son Krishi. My son, ten years old, has contributed a small story ‘Chingu and the Cyclone’ on page no. 67 in the chapter ‘Literary Festival’.

 

Annapurna Krishjeev

Mandala Art 2

 

Mandala Art Happy Sankranthi

 

Education is the Most Powerful Weapon

 

This is my latest 'Oil Painting'.

I had taken a long break to painting and have revived it in the recent years. During this lock down period, I took out time and did some painting.

I wanted to paint something realistic and creative for the Teachers' Day, 2020.

The concept of sword and shield was in the mind. I quickly transformed my ideas into a small pencil drawing initially and then tried on canvas.

This painting is a symbolic representation that education is the most powerful weapon. I chose pen and a book instead of a sword and a shield.

Further to give it an ancient look I inscribed two of my favourite quotes on the book in Greek language. I took the help of Google Translate.

• On the left is the famous quote of 

Nelson Mandela “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”

• On the right is another quote from favourite political philosopher 

Plato “Until philosophers become kings or kings become philosophers, cities will never rest from their evils"

My name and Teachers' Day wishes are added on the pic. They are not there in the original painting.