Becoming one’s own sandalwood
KOCHI: A deep, wise voice echoes within the walls, and children are immediately immersed in its soulful eloquence. Their curious eyes search for answers, eager to speak up and share their perspectives. Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan, with a copy of her recent book Sandalwood’s Story, looks at the children with excitement.
Her expressions change with every turn in the story as if she is reading the book for the first time. Taking all of us into a world of imagination and innocence, bringing the story to life.
Sandalwood’s Story tells the tales of a resilient sandalwood tree reassuring the other trees of the beauty of being unique and different. Throughout this narrative, Shobha connects the story of human experiences, affirming to children that despite their differences, they are special in their own ways.
“It’s very important to understand that we’re all part of a shared planet, that we’re all part of the same world, that even though we may look different, speak different languages, eat different things, we are all ultimately part of humanity... Children need to understand that even if they’re different, even if their friends are different, they’re all children with similar impulses and universal hearts. We all have families. We all care about each other. That kind of thinking is important,” says Shobha, as we meet her at a reading session in Bengaluru.
In a world that thrives on expectations, Sandalwood’s Story comes as a light reminder to love oneself and embrace one’s uniqueness. Through her narration of animals and plants, Srinivasan tries to anthropomorphise the characters, so that children can empathise and identify with the characters, and learn from them.

“What I tell children is, yes, we have many Sandalwoods in our life. We need to be able to recognise who they are. Usually, our mother is a Sandalwood or our father is a Sandalwood or our big brother is, or our best friend is,” says Shobha. Her choice of Sandalwood as the protagonist is also noteworthy, her deeming it to be a ‘cooling tree’, essentially positing a central balming effect to the character.
While Shobha’s stories resonates deeply with the children, her stories are also cherished and loved by her family, including her brother, Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor. She shares a fond memory of him launching the book in New Delhi.
“My brother is delighted to see that my children’s books are garnering so much interest all over the country. I rarely ask him to launch a book because I know how busy his schedule is. But he was there to launch Sandalwood’s Story,” she says.
During her interactions with children, Shobha shares the story of ‘Parvati’, a female elephant from her previous book Parvati the Elephant’s Very Important Day. Parvati, who was overshadowed by her brothers is finally recognised for who she really is.
The story subtly draws a parallel to various real life examples where women are lost in the shadows of their husband, father or brothers. Coming from a family of fame, Shobha stands on her own.
Coming back to the book, with its vibrant illustrations and engaging narrations, the story pierces right through the children’s curious minds making them laugh, think, and learn.
“What they read today in many ways will influence the ideas they carry with them into their adulthood. And so if I have a chance to, in some way, I’d open up some little portal in their head to introduce new inclusive ideas, or instil in them the need to protect the environment,” says Shobha.