(2) K-3 Illustrated by Ishita Jain. In 1979 in remote northeastern India, sixteen-year-old Jadav Payeng is troubled by the way the river "goes wild" during monsoon season: it overflows, ravages islands, and decimates wildlife. Young Jadav proposes to plant trees on sandbars and islands as a way to anchor the soil against the river's raging currents. He starts by planting bamboo seedlings, and when those thrive, he experiments with additional species of trees and plants. Thirty years later, "a forest was born," drawing birds and wildlife including tigers, rhinos, and elephants, and "guarding the island" from future destruction. The illustrations make excellent use of color: vibrant shades of green accompany the many burgeoning forest scenes, but there are also visual surprises in a red dawn sky or orange flames that erupt from a blue-black night scene. Varied page layouts aid in the progression of the action, from Payeng's painstaking efforts to sow the seeds to an individual plant's growth. An inspiring true story of an environmental activist whose important work began in his teens and spanned a lifetime. An author's note provides further information about the "Forest Man of India."

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Tara Anand. Singh tells the real-life story of how, at age twenty-one and despite coming from an underprivileged background, Rasila Vadher became the first woman forest guard in Gir Forest National Park & Wildlife Sanctuary, established in Gujarat, India, to protect Asiatic lions. Narrated in first-person prose that captures Vadher’s lion-hearted spirit and the risky but rewarding nature of her work, the book describes how pivotal (and painful) events in her childhood thrust her into the role of family breadwinner, stoked her passion for protecting the large, powerful cats, and prepared her to challenge gender bias. Back matter lists intriguing facts about Asiatic lions and acquaints readers with the Lion Queens -- an all-woman forest patrol whose members Vadher trained. Minimalist digital illustrations in tropical monsoon colors create a sense of openness that echoes Vadher’s mindset. Pair with Reynolds’s The Lion Queens of India (rev. 1/21).

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Hoda Hadadi. On Manitoulin Island, an Anishinaabe girl becomes an internationally recognized water advocate after attending her first water ceremony. A restaurateur on the Greek island of Samos braves xenophobic backlash to provide free meals for Syrian refugees. In Mexico City, a multidisciplinary artist transforms illegal firearms into musical instruments, then forms an orchestra to promote pacifism. To omnify the value of moral courage, Singh shares real-life stories — encapsulated in imagistic, free-verse narrative poems — of seven citizen heroes from around the world. Hadadi's luminous tissue-paper collage illustrations are as creative as the architects of hope profiled, whose identities and backstories are revealed in the back matter. This topical book offers much for the young social studies learner and will be useful for springboarding age-appropriate conversations about peace and conflict.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Nathalie Dion. This wordless story follows a small bird as she perches on a snow-covered branch. When she sees a little red bud on one of the branches, she takes flight. Panel art from an aerial viewpoint shows her flying over the melting, greening landscape below. After a quick bath in a public fountain, she settles on a tree outside a drab apartment building. Through spot art combined with full spreads, the watercolor and gouache illustrations (finished in Photoshop) softly depict the emergence of life outside the apartment building as well as inside. As the tree buds and the bird begins to build a nest, the building itself appears to be waking up. The view into various windows reveals those inside taking notice of the bird and sharing their discoveries with others. An elderly lady dozing in a chair perks up; a girl takes the bird's picture with her phone; a child holds up their puppy for a better view. A bird feeder appears in the tree, along with blue eggs in the nest. By the time those baby birds fledge, the illustrations are bursting with spring--there are flowers, growing plants, green trees, and people bustling in and out of the building and interacting with one another. This thoughtful interpretation of the change of season and of human connection presents a variety of characters to follow and details to consider, while the wordless aspect provides the necessary space to enjoy the book slowly and thoroughly. Simultaneously published in French as Il était une fois un oiseau.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(3) K-3 Citizen Kid series. Illustrated by Marianne Ferrer. To honor his young daughter's memory, Sundar Paliwal proposes that his Indian village plants 111 trees for each baby girl born. He hopes this act will help change the deeply held belief that "a daughter was a burden..." and counter decades of environmental damage caused by mining. Changing people's minds takes effort and time, but Sundar persists and eventually sees his dream become reality. Accompanied by Ferrer's stylized illustrations in muted earth tones, Singh's approachable text conveys how one person's passion and commitment can have tremendous impact on their community. Five pages at the end of the book discuss in more detail Sundar's mission, gender inequality, the project's "extraordinary changes," and "eco-feminism."

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) 4-6 Orca Origins series. This book successfully expresses that Diwali is celebrated differently around the world. Hindu, Jain, and Sikh Diwali traditions are represented through photographs of celebrations, related legends, included recipes, and anecdotal narratives about real people. Though losing focus as it attempts to cover related topics such as Indian immigration, the book offers in-depth depictions of cultural and religious practices. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Andrée Pouliot. Sikhism's founder (1469–1539) was a fine poet and tradition-challenging philosopher whose principles were notably monotheistic and caste free: “Worship one God, treat everyone [including women] equally…share with the less fortunate.” The dozen stories here illuminate such ideas while recounting Nanak's legendary life, starting with his laughter at birth. Pouliot's gouache and watercolor art, recalling traditional Indian illustrations, completes an attractive introduction to Sikhism.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2012