he boundary between the forest and the village is blurring. At that border lives wonder—creatures belonging to both worlds. The roar of the elephant herd echoes through our fields, the peacock’s call drifts through our window. They are not strangers—we have simply forgotten them.

These stories are not just for children, but for all of us who are losing the forest.
A heartwarming Kannada picture book about the vanishing line between forest and village. As wildlife and human settlements grow closer together, Neremaneya Aparichitaru (Strangers Next Door) tells gentle stories of the creatures who share our borders—elephants whose calls echo across farmland, peacocks calling from garden trees—reminding young readers that these “strangers” are neighbors we’ve simply forgotten.

Written for children but resonating with anyone who cares about nature, wildlife conservation, and the disappearing wilderness of India’s Western Ghats, this Kannada children’s book blends storytelling with environmental awareness, encouraging empathy for forest animals and the natural world.

By Dr. Aparna Sreevatsa, anOncologist from the Malenadu (Western Ghats) region of Karnataka, whose deep love for the forests and wildlife of her hill country home inspires her mission: awakening in children a lasting love of nature through story.
ಕಾಡು ಮತ್ತು ನಾಡಿನ ನಡುವಿನ ಗಡಿ ಮಸುಕಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಆ ಗಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಂತು ಕೇಳಿ — ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಎರಡೂ ಕಡೆ ಜೀವಗಳಿವೆ,
ಕಥೆಗಳಿವೆ.
ಆನೆಯ ದಾಪುಗಾಲಿನ ಸದ್ದು ನಮ್ಮ ಹೊಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೇಳುತ್ತದೆ. ಚಿರತೆಯ ಕಣ್ಣು ನಮ್ಮ ಕೊಟ್ಟಿಗೆಯ ಕಿಂಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ
ಹೊಳೆಯುತ್ತದೆ.
ಅವು ಅಪರಿಚಿತರಲ್ಲ — ನಾವು ಅವರನ್ನು ಮರೆತಿದ್ದೇವೆ, ಅಷ್ಟೇ.

ಈ ಕಥೆಗಳು ಮಕ್ಕಳಿಗೆ ಮಾತ್ರವಲ್ಲ, ಕಾಡನ್ನು ಕಳೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಿರುವ ನಮ್ಮೆಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ.