Did you know this is the first ever picture book by an Indian author to be endorsed by His Holiness The Dalai Lama, who wrote the book’s foreword?

Since a few months now I'm reading around the world, which means I try to read at least (but hopefully many more than) one book from every country in the world.
Isn't it weird that I never read a book from India, such a big country?

At a certain moment there were several Indian children's books on Netgalley and I decided those would be a nice starting point to discover this country through children's eyes.
What an unexpected surprise!

All the Indian children's picture books I've read so far are very colourful and vibrant.
A real feast for the eyes!
And this book is no exception to that rule.

To get a sneak peak of some of the drawings you can head over to the publisher's website and click on the small pictures under the cover at: https://eternaltreebooks.com/product/leaf-talks-peace/
The luminosity, the layout, the colours, … were all very well done.

Illustrator Anusha Santosh is a former architect and currently she's a freelancer while working part-time for a drawing app company.
Although most of her work is in the field of children’s book illustration, she also works on book covers, portraits, wedding cards and food illustrations.
Her portfolio is available at: https://www.behance.net/anushas

The story of this book was written by Priya Kumari who was born and raised in the scenic foothills of the Himalayan Mountains and who's now a multi-award-winning children’s author and the founder of independent publishing house Eternal Tree Books (https://eternaltreebooks.com/), which produces mainly children’s books.
Her mission is to publish uplifting books created by visionary authors and artists to share stories from under-represented Indian and Asian cultures.

In Leaf Talks Peace the storyteller is Harmony, a leaf on the Bodhi tree under which Buddha sat when he attained enlightenment.
The author presents the story as a poem, which is why all the phrases are very short.
But they're also very repetitive. After reading 35 times the word 'me' over the course of only 20 pages, I'm not so sure everyone will get the same message out of this book.
It's meant to promote solidarity, harmony, … between people and that's a very noble thing to learn to children.
Of course it's a matter of taste. But personally I'm not entirely convinced by the way it was done and that's why despite the beautiful illustrations my end rating is 3* for the whole.


*Thanks to NetGalley and Eternal Tree Books for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Not being of Indian descent I am probably not the person to review this book. With that in mind please know that any misunderstanding of meaning or anything else is mine and mine alone. Now overall, if I skipped the message from the Dalai Lama and from the supreme head of Buddha dharma and just read the story, I probably would have generally liked it. I did like the note from Dalai Lama because it gave me, a non-Buddhist and non-Indian, a little understanding of the idea of the leaf. However, the message from the supreme head of the institution of Buddha Dharma should have come in at the end. I am not 100% sure if this book was translated or not, but if it wasn’t translated then what the the institute put their message doesn’t make sense because this is not a rhyming book, this is a repeating book. Overall, I find the story interesting, and the graphics go with it perfectly. It’s a light introduction to the thought of “me” as part of a circle of life and ever after. In this instance I think the guidance for parents and teachers at the end is very helpful.

What a beautiful children's book this is. It has stunning, gorgeous illustrations, and the writing is portrayed in the form of a poem. Young children will love reading through this book. Nearer the end of the book, there is a section for parents, carers and teachers, which has more comprehensive writing.

The story is about a little leaf called Harmony who lives on the Bodhi tree which the Buddha sits under. Buddha can see the Sun, the earth, stars, clouds, rain, time, space, and mind all in this one little leaf. The book teaches all about oneness, peace, harmony and the interconnectedness of all beings in the world. Harmony is so sweet and cute. I just loved this book so much and I highly recommend it. It is so heartwarming and uplifting.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh what a gem of a children's non-fiction!

Using a simple leaf from the Peepal tree, the authors uses her vivid imagination to impart the concept of peace & harmony to our children.

The rhyming lines were rythmic & lilting conveying so much in just a few words. With this leaf called "Harmony", she tries to spread Buddha's principles & emphasises every single thing in nature, however small, has its own significance.

The author's idea about how life on earth has to exist, the importance of human solidarity, how it is the need of the hour to respect our dependence on nature & honour our co-existence deeply resonated with me.

With climate change being the imminent threat to our world, I think this is a perfect way of introducing kids to all the different elements of nature & how we perish without them.

I highly recommend all kids for age 6-8 read this!

Thanks NetGalley & Eternal. Tree Books LLC for this ARC!

I was drawn by the gorgeous cover and thought we haven’t read many books together like this, a beautifully illustrated story, or should I say poetry, this is all about peace and harmony. Both children and adults alike will love benefit from reading this and enjoy it also obviously. I loved the the lessons taught here and the inclusion at the end of help for parents and teachers. Definitely recommend this to friends, teachers and booksellers 100%.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Leaf Talks Peace: Buddha’s Message of Harmony by Priya Kumari

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a children’s book that aims to teach young children about the importance of respecting and protecting the earth. I think the author achieved this and did it in a very subtle way too. I like the simplistic art style and I love that the author includes extra information and activities at the end of the book for the adults and children. It includes all races of children and is a super quick read! I would recommend this to parents/guardians and also schools.

What a wonderful book with engaging characters to help you teach children about harmony with other people and with their surroundings. Families are going to enjoy reading this book together. Good family read.

<i>"Harmony can happen in the world when there is peace between humans, peace with nature, and peace within ourselves. It can happen when differences are respected, when everyone acknowledges interdependent origination of life, and when there ware no absolute dogmas but constant evolution of thoughts. A world where life is supreme, where there is a meaningful arrangement of different orders. Humans can live together only in a pluralism where diversity and change are owned and respected." Priya Kumari </i>

A gorgeously illustrated story, told in poem form, this book is all about peace, love and harmony, and what we can do to achieve that.

Children and adults will love reading this and talking about the lessons taught here; also there are several guides [including an activities guide] at the end of the book for parents and teachers to be used as a reference and also to help with further understanding of this book and all it is teaching.
This is done very well and I really enjoyed it. I would recommend it to friends, teachers and booksellers 100%.

Thank you to NetGalley,, Priya Kumari, Anusha Santosh - Illustrator, and Eternal Tree Books LLC for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

LEAF TALKS PEACE is a short educational story for kids, about the (vague) teachings of Buddha. It incorporates philosophy in the form of simple illustrations and rhyming phrases. Reading through the story was quite easy and fun, which is very helpful for kids.

I think children of younger ages would like to pick this up and hope they take away its important lessons!

this review made possible through NetGalley and Eternal Tree Books.

This was such a lovely picture book. It has beautiful, bright illustrations that invite the reader to pause & meditate with the image. It has a powerful message of love & hope & living together in harmony, finding what unites us & celebrating our diversity. It was a breath of fresh air in the midst of a messy & chaotic world.

Wonderfully depicted and illustrated. Harmony talks not only about peace but also about unity and selflessness. This is what the children of this generation need
A recommended book for all the children of this modern generation.

With thanks to the author Priya Kumari, illustrator Anusha Santosh, Eternal Tree Books Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC in exchange for my honest unbiased review.

This is a sweet children's book, beautifully written and illustrated, with an immeasurably positive message promoting peace and harmony in the world, and unfortunately what an opportune time it is to be spreading this message given current events. The book is written with the Buddhist faith in mind, but regardless of whether that is your faith or even if you are religious, it spreads a message that should be shared far and wide to all, particularly among children who will dictate our future.

Some of the language used might be challenging for younger readers, so I think it would be best for them to read it along with an adult. To that end, the book includes some guidance for both parents and teachers on what the main points to take away from the book are and how they can prompt discussion of those points with younger readers as part of the reading activity.

All in all, a very enriching reading experience for young and old.

This children’s picture book is written about the elements of the Buddhist faith, and in this case, how these elements can be seen in all living things. In the poem or prose of this book, a leaf named Harmony, teaches the lessons of inter-connectiveness and peace among all living things.

The illustrations are cute, bright, and vibrant. They would easily appeal to a child’s eye.

As much of this book is symbolic, the guidance for parents and teachers, and the teaching activities listed in the back would be necessary to get the heart of the message across to children. Otherwise, I fear that children would not understand the deeper meaning of the book.

I want to thank Author Priya Kumari, Illustrator Anusha Santosh, Eternal Tree Books Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this Advanced Reader’s Copy. This is a voluntary review, and all comments and opinions are entirely my own.

A sweet, soothing little book with cute illustrations, written from the perspective of a leaf on the tree under which the Buddha sat meditating. It reminds us of the simultaneous unity and plurality of nature -- rain, earth, sun, time, space, etc -- the harmony of the world. Lots of suggestions for children's activities are included at the end. This would be a good book for children's yoga/meditation classes.

This book was a bit of peace in my day. The colors in the illustrations stand out so much to me. I love the way this book looks! The message is clear. Interbeing is all around us; we just have to have our eyes open to see it. I would add this book to my school library collection for sure.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher, and Priya Kumari for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is a wonderful picture book that provides an easy-to-read and easy-to-understand explanation of the interconnectedness of life that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It follows the story of a cute little leaf named Harmony as they view how to world interacts with the people and things that make it whole. The art itself is quite beautiful and cute. I particularly liked the last few pages that contained information for older readers, parents, and teachers.

This picture book tells the story of interconnectedness of the living things on earth while sharing the message of Buddha and mindfulness. It is written in a way that young children would easily understand, and is about caring about each other and the Earth. The leaf is very cute with child-like features and the pictures are easy for young children to interpret. Heart and love imagery is used throughout in both images and words. Symbolism from the buddhist culture and tradition is both woven throughout and carefully explained/described at the end of the story. As a teacher, I would recommend this book for teachers and families wishing to explore culture with their students. I feel it would be appropriate for children in the 4-9 age range to be read together with an adult or independently. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Leaf Talks Peace by Priya Kumari spreads Buddha's message in a way young children will understand and appreciate.

We meet a leaf called Harmony, who lives on the Bodhi Tree shares information about feeling connected to the earth and each other.

This book is a beautiful reminder and raises compassion for one another and ourselves. As a teacher, I appreciate the guidance area in the back of the book that helps us to identify the messages of social peace, spiritual peace, and ecological peace. We have suggestions on approaching this book and are encouraged to talk about Buddha beforehand.

We practice meditation/Silence Game in our classroom, and this book will be a perfect tool to add to self-awareness and mindfulness.

The message of the book is essential, and the illustrations are breathtaking. I recommend this book to all!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an e-arc copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A nice primer for young readers to learn a little about harmony and the inter-connectedness of the whole universe. Readers can also learn a little bit about Buddhism and how much we all depend on each other. Helpful activity ideas and further reading at the end are included to further engage readers in discussion and further learning experiences. Colorful illustrations guide the reader through the simple text with deeper meaning.

This is such an important message for anyone to understand, but especially those young minds who need to see this as soon as possible. There's enough love and peace in the world for everyone, treat each other with kindness and we will all prosper.