There is something very exciting about reading a manuscript for the first time. It presents a world of creative opportunities. Imagination gets energized and the sketchbook fills up fast with possible options for illustrating them. It is an exciting place to be in.

Mr. Bond’s book was no different. Every page was a veritable world within words and I loved reading it. Putting it down in line and color was even better. It seemed like I was travelling along with him down mountain paths, observing wild flowers and birds, noting the changing seasons and the beauty they brought to the hills.

My way of approaching the illustrations for this book was to first understand the flow of the chapters and to make notations on the margins. I worked with two photocopies of the manuscript for this purpose, using color pencils to give these tiny sketches a lively appearance and sort out my own thinking as well.

Illustrating for ‘While the Birds still Sing’ gave me a wonderful opportunity to understand and appreciate the effort every individual puts into making a book.