Giving more than a fig about sustenance and joy

Deepa Bhasthi's intimate connection with nature comes through in Champi and the Fig Tree, her new picture book for children

- Chintan Girish Modi

Deepa Bhasthi — who won the International Booker Prize this year along with Banu Mushtaq, whose short stories she translated from Kannada into English — has a new book out. Titled Champi and the Fig Tree, it is a picture book for children that celebrates what human beings share with other species, through the story of a girl named Champi who loves figs.

The protagonist is awe-struck when she discovers that her favourite fruit has many other fans, including squirrels, hornbills, porcupines and civet cats. Without being didactic, the author signals a gentle shift from an anthropocentric view of the universe to a more holistic and inclusive vision that respects the place of all beings in the vast web of life.

Champi's elder brother, her "anna", is a storehouse of knowledge about animal behaviour. He joins her in all her adventures. "Porcupines cannot climb trees, Champi," he tells her. "This must be a civet cat's droppings. Both eat figs. But they are both very shy animals, and come out only at night."

He encourages her curiosity, and answers all her questions patiently. "Champi, in fact, is the name of one of my dogs, and the fig tree is my best non-human friend on the farm I live on," says Bhasthi. "Of course, we also have all those animals that I mention, on the farm. They are a big menace, but I wouldn't have it any other way," she adds.