Author: Rajat Chaudhuri
Illustration: Isha Nagar
Reviewer: Yola Singh
(broadcast@niyogibooksindia.com)
Who knew that children today will face more climate-related disruptions in their lifetimes than any generation before them? Heatwaves, floods, vanishing forests, disappearing coastlines—these are no longer distant possibilities but lived realities. Amidst such stark facts lies a powerful opportunity: to equip young minds with stories that ignite empathy, awareness, and the belief that their actions, however small, can make a difference. It is in this spirit that Niyogi Books presents Wonder Tales for a Warming Planet, written by acclaimed climate fiction author Rajat Chaudhuri and beautifully illustrated by Isha Nagar. This illustrated collection brings together three unforgettable short stories where ordinary children grapple with extraordinary threats to their world.
About the Book
Wonder Tales for a Warming Planet is more than just a set of stories—it is a call to imagine and reimagine the fragile Earth that sustains us. Each tale introduces children to a different dimension of the climate crisis: the strains of urbanization, the urgency of renewable energy, the delicate balance of ecosystems, and the need for sustainable coexistence with nature. Through whimsical, playful storytelling and evocative allegories, Chaudhuri leads readers into worlds where children are not just passive victims of climate change but protagonists capable of imagining alternatives and acting on them. The illustrations by Isha Nagar add vibrancy and depth, capturing both the beauty of the natural world and the looming dangers that threaten it.
What sets this collection apart is its accessibility. With its blend of fantasy and real-world concerns, and with “Learning Notes” that expand on key ideas, the book creates entry points for conversations between children, parents, and educators. It encourages reflection on how we live, what choices we make, and what future we wish to leave behind.
About the Author: Rajat Chaudhuri
Rajat Chaudhuri is widely recognised as one of India’s pioneering voices in climate fiction. A bilingual novelist, short story writer, translator, anthologist, and columnist, his work straddles the worlds of literature and ecological advocacy. His novel The Butterfly Effect was acclaimed internationally, featured in Book Riot’s “Fifty Must-Read Eco-Disasters in Fiction”, and is taught at universities in the U.S. and India. He has edited influential anthologies such as The Best Asian Speculative Fiction, Multispecies Cities: Solarpunk Urban Futures, and Solarpunk Creatures, collections that have shaped global conversations around ecological futures. Multispecies Cities was even named in Grist’s “Definitive Climate Fiction Reading List”. His earlier works, including Hotel Calcutta and Amber Dusk, demonstrate his versatility, blending speculative elements with nuanced explorations of urbanism, memory, and resilience.
Beyond books, Chaudhuri has contributed essays to the UNDP Human Development Report, written an environment column (“Eleventh Hour”) for The New Indian Express, and had his short fiction featured in the climate-change game Survive the Century. He is also a frequent speaker at institutions like Oxford, Sahitya Akademi, and the Museum of Science Fiction (U.S.), where he advocates for the role of storytelling in building climate consciousness. What makes Rajat’s work particularly compelling is its ability to marry urgent scientific and ethical concerns with the imaginative pull of fiction. For children, this means being introduced to the challenges of climate change not through fear, but through wonder, curiosity, and a sense of possibility.