A newly released children's book titled 'Nandu in Muziris' takes young readers on a journey through the ancient port city of Muziris. The story follows Nandu, a crow who loses his home in a storm and sets out to find a new one in the bustling historical port.
The book is the work of four individuals: Nivedith George, a writer and management professional; Usha George, a retired professor; Betsy James, an illustrator; and Johann Binny Kuruvilla, founder and chief storyteller of The Kochi Heritage Project. Nivedith and his mother Usha co-wrote the story, while Betsy created the illustrations.
The idea for the book originated when Nivedith chaired a programme organized by the Kerala Management Association. There, he met Johann, whose session covered Kochi's history and tales of Muziris. Nivedith admitted, “That, unfortunately, was the first time I heard about Muziris in my life. The CBSE doesn’t teach you much about Kerala’s history. Unless you seek it out, you will never learn about it.”
Listening to Johann, Nivedith felt that today's children should have a link to their history and culture. That prompted him to write a children's book explaining Muziris. To gather accurate details, the team embarked on a Muziris tour.
Betsy described the tour: “Just like Nandu, our journey also began in a boat. We travelled around Kodungallur, visited the Paliam Palace, Paravur Synagogue, the Cheraman Juma Masjid, Kodungallur temple, St Thomas Church… all with Johann explaining the history. He helped ensure that the story and the art came out as accurately as possible.”
The book reimagines life from centuries ago through the eyes of a crow. It aims to provide children with a link to Kerala's historical and cultural heritage, filling a gap that the authors see in standard school curricula.
