Green Humour for a Greying Planet By Rohan Chakravarty | Book Review

Green Humour for A Greying Planet is a curation of gag cartoons and comic strips based exclusively on wildlife and nature, perhaps the first of its kind. At a time when global warming, wildlife crimes and man-animal conflicts are at their worst, ‘Green Humour’ provides its readers some much needed comic relief. A comprehensive and satirical take on various aspects of the natural world and the threats to its conservation, this book appeals to both the scientifically inclined readers as well as the general readers.

I discovered the author’s Instagram handle sometime last year via a post shared on a friend’s story. I loved this unique idea of using cartoons to raise awareness about nature, environment and climate change, and also making a political statement when needed.

This book is a carefully compiled selection of cartoon strips created by Rohan Chakravarty and grouped under various heads pertaining to natural life such as Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians, Invertebrates, Underwater Life, and Flora.

Then there are subjects such as Man-Animal Conflict, Climate Change, Ecological Balance, Wildlife Science and Conservation that talk about our responsibility within this strained relationship we currently have with nature.

In the section on Nature and Governance, the author shines a spotlight on governments that keep getting it wrong with their damaging environmental policies and the occasional few who hit bullseye once in a while.

The comics in Nature and Us share ideas from nature that we can apply in our lives to become more sustainable. Given Chakravarty’s sense of humour, some may need to be adopted at your own risk.

Each work of art is presented in simplified form by eliminating the jargon expected of scientific information. As the title implies, Chakravarty employs humour to raise awareness rather than sounding preachy. Every cartoon weaves a little story to show how nature and wildlife work together. The colourful illustrations and laugh-inducing banter between his characters is guaranteed to trigger curiosity and respect for nature and wildlife.

It is too late to think that climate change is not our problem. Every drop of effort in the ocean of change counts and we are all accountable. This book is just what we need to put us on the right path. Not only is it relevant to adults, but children will love it too. Nowhere else will you find so much information packed in a fun, riveting format.

P.S. If you want those around you to also care about the environment, I recommend buying this in bulk and giving it as gifts.

Green Humour for a Greying Planet by Rohan Chakravarty. Published in 2021 by Penguin Random House India.

Book 54 of 2021.

Aquamarine Flavours Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟.

Available on Amazon*.

About Photo: The Penguins are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Arctic Terns for their seasonal dose of scary stories they bring from the north.

These penguins are made in origami using 80gsm paper.

About the Author: Rohan Chakravarty, notorious for rolling up into a ball like a pangolin to avoid meeting people, is a cartoonist, illustrator and the creator of Green Humour, a series of cartoons, comics and illustrations on wildlife and nature conservation. Cartoons from Green Humour appear periodically in newspaper columns, magazines and journals. Illustrations from Green Humour have been used for several projects and campaigns on wildlife awareness and conservation.

Rohan is also the author of The Great Indian Nature Trail (WWF India) and Bird Business (BNHS), and has won awards by UNDP, Sanctuary Asia, WWF International, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Publishing Next for his work.

Visit him online at greenhumour.com or follow him on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

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