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!

Tune in to this thought-provoking episode of inspirational podcasts for Indian women and explore how Bijal Vachharajani is shaping the future of children’s stories with a powerful, eco-friendly twist!