It starts with one bamboo seed – The Forest Keeper [Review]

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Book Title: The Forest Keeper
Author: Rina Singh
Illustrator: Ishita Singh
Publisher: NorthSouth Books Inc
Type: Hard Cover
Pages: 40
Recommended Age: 4 – 8 years

One day my 6 year old said – “Mumma, everyone is polluting the world, throwing plastic everywhere, there is no way we can do anything to save our planet. Very soon our Planet Earth will come to an end!” He seemed to be questioning what good one person could do versus the evil that existed everywhere, especially with respect to protecting the environment. “The Forest Keeper” seemed to be the perfect book to read to him, to inspire him and show him the power of one person.

The book is based on the true story of Jadav Payeng, who lives in the village of Majuli in Assam. The mighty Brahmaputra river, flooded every year, destroying islands and vegetation, and during one such flood Jadav was devastated to see dead snakes on a treeless sandbar. He pleaded with the forest department to plant trees there, but they were not interested, and instead handed him a bag of bamboo seeds. Jadav planted one seed, then another and another. He used ingenious ways to plant and protect his seedlings, and often needed to display extreme perseverance, and courage in his bid to protect his growing trees. However, he was rewarded for his efforts when the seedlings grew into a full forest, complete with animals!

The language in the book is very simple, easy enough for children to understand. However, the most captivating part of the book is its watercolor illustrations of the animals, leaves and trees. So intricately done, the illustrations inspire kids and adults alike to take out their brush and paints, and try their hands at painting! 

What I love the most about the book is how inspiring it is. Not only children, adults too, often feel that one human can make no difference. The story of Jadav Payeng and how he grew a forest on barren land from one seedling highlights the power of one human’s ability, in the most simple and effective way. 

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Disclaimer: We are proud to be part of the #kbcReviewerSquad and received this book as a review copy from the publisher.