This picture book biography has lush, colorful illustrations and straightforward text. It tells the story of how Jadav Payeng restored the environment on his island by planting and nurturing trees, and goes into detail about some of the things that happened afterwards. The book shows how one person can make a difference, and is a nice introduction to understanding biomes and the relationships between different parts of nature.

*Thank you to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books Inc., NorthSouth Books for providing me this copy in exchange for an honest review*

This book inspired me to adopt a tree in my neighborhood. Jadav Payeng is a boy who would do anything for nature. His story is really compelling that comes alive due to the wonderful illustrations. I absolutely adore this book. Rina Singh did a GREAT job with this book. It might raise the attention to the climate change we experience,. I hope it does. Because we have to rescue what is left from our home, the Earth. Please read it!

The book came alive with the pictures .. the watering technology with earthern pot.. lessons in improving efficiency.. great problem solver when he realised elephants needed food.. he added fruit trees to the forest that started with a bamboo seed.

This is such an inspirational book, and the illustrations are stunning. The story of a tribal boy who singlehandedly grew a forest without recognition or assistance for decades. This is the sort of tale we should be reading to our children.

This picture book tells the amazing story of how one young man replanted an area where nothing was growing, from the time he was a young man, until he was grown and married, and his children helped to tend to the forest.

In a remote area of northeastern India, there was a river called the Brahmaputra, which created small islands. Jadav started planting bamboo, and then fruit trees, and created a forest, from 1979 to now. No one outside his village knew about it until a photographer discovered it.

Because of what he did, there is a place for the wildlife to migrate from and to. The size of the first is larger than Central Park in New York.

Easy to follow story, beautiful pictures. Such an important story to know.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>
This picture book tells the amazing story of how one young man replanted an area where nothing was growing, from the time he was a young man, until he was grown and married, and his children helped to tend to the forest.

In a remote area of northeastern India, there was a river called the Brahmaputra, which created small islands. Jadav started planting bamboo, and then fruit trees, and created a forest, from 1979 to now. No one outside his village knew about it until a photographer discovered it.

Because of what he did, there is a place for the wildlife to migrate from and to. The size of the first is larger than Central Park in New York.

Easy to follow story, beautiful pictures. Such an important story to know.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

I loved the illustrations in this book, and I learned something new from the story. Great picture book for older readers or to be read to younger children.

This book is based on a true story and a real man. It is a beautiful story about love for one’s environment and the difference that one person can make. It deserves a place in school and home libraries.

The story is well told by an author who cares about her subject. The illustrations are truly five star. I adored them.

Many thanks to NorthSouth Books and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.

A lovely inspirational story about a little boy that begins to plant trees to do his part in protecting the global environment. Such beautiful and colorful illustrations that every child will enjoy!

Jadav Payeng was just a boy when he mourned for the snakes and other animals that were swept onto small dry island in the middle of the river during the monsoon season. The sandbars were bare, so when the waters receded, the snakes dried in the hot northeastern Indian sun. Though he didn’t know it, his next decisions led to him making a lasting ecological impact for his part of the world. The Forest Keeper by Rina Singh, illustrated by Ishita Jain (North South Books, April 2023), tells the story of his actions and the long-lasting change one person had.


Telling his community about the snakes issue did not make much of a difference. No one else seemed to care. When he suggested they plant trees on the island, his elders only laughed. They handed him a bag of bamboo seeds and told him to go ahead. At age 16, he began planting. Over the coming years, he found more effective ways to water the plants, but it still required a lot of work to travel to the island to plant and tend the seedlings.

After a time, he began to plant other kinds of trees and plants, and soon the seeds began to disperse themselves in the wind. The monsoon rains came again and again, and now animals came to the thickets Jadav had planted. It grew and grew into a forest. To his delight, even elephants came. When they trampled parts of the village and villagers threatened to destroy the forest, Jadav decided to plan ahead for the future. He planted fruit and grass that the elephants would access next time so they wouldn’t need to go as far as the village.

Jadav Molai Payeng is a real person who labored for himself and his community. He began planting in 1979 and did not stop. Now his wife and three children care for the forest too. It has grown little by little since 1979 and is now larger than Central Park is in New York City. His story is a testament to the change one person’s consistent work can do for their environment!

Jadav Payeng’s story was completely unknown to anyone except his community. Then, a wildlife photographer found the forest in 2009 and told others about the amazing man who had built a forest from nothing. The picture book The Forest Keeper captures the inspiration of Jadav’s story with lovely green and blue watercolor illustrations that nicely capture the verdant forest that Jadav has grown.

I read a digital review copy of this book.

“Let there be trees” ends The Forest Keeper, a delightful, inspiring tale of ingenuity, perseverance and love of nature. It’s the true story of Jadav Payeng who, after a devastating flood in northeast India, begins to plant trees on a small island that is little more than a sandbar. He plants a variety of trees that grow into a forest, a forest larger than Central Park in New York. The forest is home to animals, bird and plants. Over thirty years, Jadav Payeng did what seemed impossible.

The Forest Keeper, written by Rina Singh, shows how one person can make a difference in our changing environment. There are so many teachable moments in Payeng’s story - problem solving, the effect of flooding, migration, food sources and more. The Forest Keeper is beautifully illustrated by Ishita Sain, whose watercolors are works of art. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, NorthSouth Books and Rina Singh for this ARC.

A beautiful tribute to an amazing person - this story gave me goosebumps!

The true story of Jadav is inspirational in itself, but the illustrator's paintings and delicate watercolours make it a memorable picture book. I wouldn't say it's a children book. This book is for everyone who needs some positive vibes and wants to regain faith in people, and especially for those who think that one person cannot make an impact. Jadav has planted an entire forest himself, and has changed the future of his people forever.

Many thanks to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for an Advance Review Copy.

An inspirational story about environmental protection and the impact a single person can make. The beautiful watercolor pictures are the perfect compliment for this stirring story.

Perfect for the home library or in an educational setting. This is one book that I would want my children to read.

Wow! I feel a bit embarrassed when I say I hot all teary eyed at the end. It's an inspirational little story about a very real man who had no resources but who believed in something and made it happen. He didn't care about others, didn't let them affect his work or passion, he just kept going.
Confidence, perseverance and keeping your sight on things that matter are a few things I took away from this. It's also a great way to educate both yourselves and your little ones on other parts of the world, their people and their tribulations.
This also shines light on a very major issue that countries like India and Pakistan face quite regularly - floods. Floods that cause alot of damage on a very large scale so I truly appreciated the limelight this very real issue got.

All in all it's a great little book that is enjoyable as well as educational. I truly enjoyed learning something new and I feel quite inspired.

I just love it when children's illustrated books have teaching moments. And The Forest Keeper provides a true story that is sure to please and educate preschoolers. Not only do the children learn about the boy who planted trees, but the parents are provided the initial tool to help their children conduct more research on Forest Keeper Jadav Payeng.

With colorful and imaginative illustrations, The Forest Keeper is a book that should be on every child's bookshelf. Five wonderful stars.

I received a digital ARC from NorthSouth Books through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

The Forest Keeper by Rina Singh is a tale about perseverance, persistence, and patience. The young man that this story is about is named Payeng, Jadav Payeng, to be exact and he lives in India. In 1979 when the monsoonal tides destroyed much that grew along his local riverbank, young Jadav decided the trees and foliage needed replanting. He went to forest department begging their assistance. They told him that trees don’t grow on sandbars. They gave him a bag with some bamboo seedlings and said, “Go plant them yourself”.

Was this overwhelming task even possible? The short answer is “yes”. The long answer is “yes”. The spoiler of this book that gives away the ending is a resounding “YES!”.

Jadav started when he was 16 and toiled for years with seeds, a stick, and water jugs for irrigation but he eventually succeeded. The plants came back, the animals came back and years later Jadav had conquered what was supposed to be an impossible task.

It doesn’t matter that you know how this tale ends, what is important that a lesson is learned about how persistence is sometimes needed to reach a goal. This is a wonderful story of a young man who is a hero of our time.

The fabulous illustrations by Ishita Jain also need mentioning. They are wonderful conversation starters for bedtime or classroom.

#TheForestKeeper #JadavPayeng #NorthSouthBooks #NetGalley

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a lovely children's book about the power of reforestation. The illustrations, in particular, are what bring this book to life; the blues flow just like the river and the greens are lush just like the forest, the images truly leap off the page and characterize the environment so well on their own. The only things I don't love are the font choice and the use of paragraphs; I think a different font and some better text blocking would allow for a more fluid and storybook-like vibe, even if it is nonfiction. Overall, I think this would be a really great introduction to the importance of trees, and easily provides for a hands-on experience upon completion—if I had kids, I'd read this with them and then plant a sapling or bury some flower bulbs!

Kiddo and I have read a few books about Jadav Payeng now but this is one of my favorites. The story is very well-written and flows beautifully even though there really aren't that many words per page. The watercolor illustrations of the plants and animals and people are absolutely gorgeous and definitely elevate the book. The text and images work together to tell the story, as the best picture books should do.

The story of Jadav Payeng is inspiring and a great way to encourage kids to persevere and dream and not give up. And to care for the environment - and that it is possible to effect positive change in the environment.

Highly recommend to read to any kids who will sit and listen. Age 4-10?

*Thanks to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for providing an early copy for review.

An interesting read about a true, unsung hero. Jadav Payeng noticed the erosion happening near his home in India and decided to do something about it even if he had to do it alone. Over 30 years, he planted and grew a forest that became a rich habitat for wildlife. This is an inspiring story that would especially appeal to children interested in animals, nature, and the environment.

I have added this book to my TrueStory Bookshop and recommend it in two categories:
Picture-Book Biographies ~ Activist
Picture-Book Biographies ~ Gardening
https://bookshop.org/shop/KarlinGray

This was an interesting book. I liked the content- fun to learn about somebody new, and the pictures. The story itself lacked the quality I usually pursue in a narrative nonfiction. I would use this book for content only, but it is not a great read aloud, nor a book to add to a forever shelf.