Snow White without snow: Children’s Author Bijal Vachharajani on reimagining fairy tales with climate change | Ep 40

In this heartwarming episode, Bijal Vachharajani, children’s author of planet-friendly books, takes us on a unique journey of all the beloved fairy tales we grew up with, but against a backdrop of climate change. Imagine Snow White without snow, the Little Mermaid without the ocean, the Big Bad Wolf without his enchanted forest. This makes up the plot and theme of her intriguing book, ‘When Fairyland Lost Its Magic.’

Bijal shares her love for nature while explaining how children retain the wonder for it with a natural affinity that is lost on adults. And how, it was this realization that gave her the idea for this book. She explores themes of animals and their relationship with nature in her book, and talks about how urban children are growing up with environmental generational amnesia. Most importantly though, she shares her aim of wanting children to form a bond with nature through her books, so that they may grow up to be adults who save it from extinction.

She shares advice on writing for children, endearing anecdotes about being in the moment to observe a sparrow or hug a tree, and how she blends an important topic like environmental change with fairy tales. Mohua and Bijal also laugh about how in Bijal’s book princes are waiting to spot a princess that needs rescuing, but there isn’t one around in her modern feminist eco-friendly retelling.

Her unique take on all the children’s classics highlights the power of imagination and tests the boundaries of conventional retellings with an aim to bring about positive, climate conscious change. Don’t miss this thought-provoking conversation!

Chapters

00:00 Highlights 

01.08  Introduction

02:09 The Inspiration Behind 'When Fairyland Lost Its Magic'

03:41 Blending Fairy Tales with Environmental Themes

05:26 Reimagining Classic Characters in a Climate Context

07:16 Empowering Female Characters in Fairy Tales

09:18 The Role of Nature in Children's Literature

11:47  Challenges in Writing About Climate Change for Children

14:08 Encouraging Children to Connect with Nature

16:22 The Importance of Imagination in Environmental Action

18:52 Advice for Aspiring Children's Book Authors

21:01 Takeaways from 'When Fairyland Lost Its Magic'

Connect with Us

Mohua Chinappa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohua-chinappa/

The Mohua Show: https://www.themohuashow.com/

Connect with the Guest

Bijal Vachharajani: https://www.instagram.com/bijalvv/

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For any other queries EMAIL

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Book Link 

When Fairyland Lost Its Magic: 

https://www.amazon.in/When-Fairyland-Lost-Its-Magic/dp/9356995435

Disclaimer

The views expressed by our guests are their own. We do not endorse and are not responsible for any views expressed by our guests on our podcast and its associated platforms.

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