A book review
By Kynsai Ria C Kharkongor
The narrative of this children’s story book follows a little girl known fondly as Duh Duh, as she accompanies her mother and grandmother on their adventure into the forest to collect wild edibles. They walk along paths similar to the ones we are familiar with, with rock bed rivers, gurgling streams and gushing waterfalls. I found myself relating to scenes in the story that resonated with experiences from my own childhood. I realised I have seen most of the plants depicted in the book but never knew that they were edible. There are more than thirty plants identified here, with their botanical and Khasi names too.
With light touches of humour, the story progresses through lush forests and rolling hills. The trio takes us along on this enjoyable journey to learn about the nutritious treasures in our backyard. Pointing out a bulldozer digging up and damaging a huge swath of earth, the author gently shines a light on the importance of preserving our forests and the biodiversity that thrives within them. Every page is an organza of illustrations. You can spend hours looking at the pictures and still discover fascinating new elements every time you read it. I smiled to myself each time I noticed a small detail like the fish swimming in the brook or the little Khasi bag hanging on the trunk of a tree.
The pages at the end are filled with pictures of wild edibles. Different types of yams, ferns, greens like jatira and jamluh and a few wild fruits as well. Gathering food from forests is still a way of life for many tribal families. Even those of us living in the city love foraging for wild mushrooms after a thunderstorm, picking berries from bushes and climbing trees to pluck fruit.