Interview with Anita Mani, Editor of the Wild About India Series

A quirky, visually rich wildlife series showcasing India’s lesser-known animals, blending fun, humor, and simple science to spark curiosity in young readers.

on May 04, 2026

Interview with Anita Mani, Editor of the Wild About India Series

Frontlist: Your animal series introduces young readers to India’s most unusual, smelliest, and even overlooked creatures. What inspired the idea of presenting wildlife through such quirky and engaging themes for “The Reader of Tomorrow”?

Anita: India has an incredible array of wildlife, yet wildlife books for young readers mostly focus on global species. As a result, Indian kids grow up reading about kangaroos and koalas. The idea of the WAI series was to celebrate species we have in India and we have some pretty incredible ones. That was the idea behind the series.

Frontlist: Books like India’s Stinkiest (and Smelliest) Animals and India’s Most Unusual Animals take an unconventional approach. How important was it to move beyond the usual “cute animal” narrative in children’s publishing?

Anita: Cool over cute any day for me!. As with humans, visual stereotypes come in the way of discovering some amazing living creatures, warts and all. Adjectives like “cute” humanize animals and get in the way of discovering how another living thing charts its life strategies. The idea behind the themes was to get kids to discover the latter.

Frontlist: The series highlights lesser-known species and fascinating facts. How did you balance scientific accuracy with making the content fun and accessible for young readers?

Anita: We ensured all the text was vetted, but the science stopped there. We kept text tight, the language simple, and balanced it with a lot of beautiful photos.

Frontlist: For today’s digitally-driven generation, what storytelling techniques did you use to ensure these books remain immersive, engaging, and memorable?

Anita: I think it's important to get the tone right by keeping that light and bringing in humour, you can hook the reader. Plus, this is a visual generation, and the format reflects that.

Frontlist: Many children grow up disconnected from nature. How do you hope this series reshapes their curiosity and relationship with the natural world?

Anita: We hope they have many ‘Aha’ / Wow! Moments while perusing the books. Wildlife need no hooks – just the opportunity to draw you in.

Frontlist: If speaking with Anita Mani: As the editor of the series, how did you ensure a consistent voice and vision across books that explore such diverse aspects of India’s wildlife?

Anita: The important thing was to arrive at the right format and tone – and replicate them across the books.