Sultan’s Forest
by Kamla Bhasin and illustrated by Bina Kak
“Sultan’s Forest” by Kamla Bhasin and illustrated by Bina Kak. Published by Tulika. A photo story showcasing the life of a tiger cub in the Ranthambore forest.
The story is narrated by the tiger cub, Sultan, himself. He first introduces his mother who is called as Noor by their friend Bina. For him, his Ammi (mother) is Noor-e-Jungle or light of the jungle! Bina calls him Sultan which means King. He was given that name as he was born near Sultanpur Chowki (checkpost) in the forest. He also goes on to talk about their relationship with Bina, why they like her and about Ranthambore in general.
Sultan also talks about his life till now. The narrative is beautifully supported by photographs clicked by Bina Kak. Sultan and his Ammi like to call her Junglee Bina as she loves and understands the jungle and the wildlife there. She isn’t scared of either the forest or animals. She works hard to protect the forest and animals.
Sultan also talks about the tourists who visit the forest and what do the animals expect them to do. The book is a treat for nature lovers. Amazing book by the sisters Kamla Bhasin and Bina Kak. They have used pictures of folk toys designed and developed by the Dastkar Ranthambore Project which works with the local villagers. The motifs used by the project mainly include tiger, tree, bird and animal images.
My 7.5 year old has loved reading the book for the last two years. The book worked well for him given that we had just done a trip to Ranthambore when we saw this book. Though we didn’t sight any tiger (only heard one close by!), we could very well picture what was shown in the book. It was amazing to know about Bina’s work and her passion for wildlife.
Recommended Age
The book is apt for children aged 5+.
Where to buy from?
The publishers Tulika Books here.
An independent indie bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.