HIDDEN
KINGDOMCreative Direction, Authorship
HIDDEN KINGDOM—Fantastical Plants of the Western Ghats is a book with hand-drawn illustrations set to rhyme—intended for children and adults alike.
It is the recipient of a grant from National Geographic and was launched at the 2020 Storytellers Summit (Washington DC). It currently holds a readership that spans 12 countries and retails in the USA, UK and India.
My role involved co-creating its visual direction and writing its accompanying text for a universal audience.
“In forests alive with competitors and predators
Our hustlers adapt to survive,
You’ll balk, gasp and chuckle at the tricks they evolve
To spread seed, branch out and thrive.
Tough is the fight for space and sunlight
In a tropical ecosphere
But when plant life nourishes, the kingdom just flourishes
— And boy, it’s a jungle out here!”
Illustration & art direction credit NIRUPA RAO
UI/UX designer credit AKHIL G
