The Boy Who Grew a Forest: The True Story of Jadav Payeng
Thank you to Sleeping Bear Press for gifting me a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.
Can one boy save his an entire ecosystem? In The Boy Who Grew a Forest: The True Story of Jadav Payeng written by Sophia Gholz and illustrated by Kayla Harren, a young boy named Jadav “Molai” Payeng achieves the unimaginable through his dedication, passion, and hope. This amazing story is based on Majuli Island in northeastern India where Jadav witnesses the deforestation and erosion of his home in India’s Brahmaputra River region.
The failing ecosystem results in the displacement and death of wildlife and the forest, thus threatening the food and shelter of people. Jadav asks the village elders what can be done. They gift him with 20 bamboo samplings. Jadav plants the saplings and cares for them. He lugs heavy buckets of water from the river and collects cow dung to fertilize the soil. Over the years, Jadav plants more seeds of not just bamboo, but also fruit trees and grass. He stops poachers and replants when people harvest the forest.
What started as 20 bamboo samplings grow to a 1,300-acre forest called Molai Forest, named after its founder. The forest today contains thousands of species of plants, trees, and wildlife.
This inspiring true story shows how one individual – no matter how young – can make a difference. The book teaches kids about ecology and sustainability while supporting positive life skills such as hard work, persistence, and responsibility. The rich illustrations capture Jadav’s environment in detail with emotion and heart. This book is ideal for both parents and educators to share with children.
The Boy Who Grew a Forest: The True Story of Jadav Payeng, published by Sleeping Bear Press, is written for children ages 4-8 years. With a release date of March 15, 2019, pre-orders for the hardcover book and Kindle e-book are available on Amazon.
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