A lovely and inspiring book that will introduce a new culture to young readers, as well as themes of feminism, environmentalism, and how one person can help change the world for the better. The text is, as many reviewers pointed out, geared a bit older than the picture book format suggests, but it's engaging and interesting and I really don't think it would be a problem, I think younger kids will be fine with it being read aloud and older kids won't mind the pictures. It's too good a story not to share!

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This was such a seeet, touching book. I love that is as based on a true story and love the idea of every girl's birth being celebrated. It was also the story of courage for this young man to buck the villages traditions and try to hang things. This is hopefull and inspiring and a book I highly reommend.

Loved it. The illustrations are amazing. And you learn a lot from it. I highly recommend this to anyone.

111 Trees is a beautiful story that would integrate well with many language arts and science units at the elementary school level. It would be a nice complement for thematic units about environmental stewardship and community.

It's so hard to find good books written from a global perspective that I really wanted to like this book better. Sundar Paliwal's story is inspiring, and the illustrations are beautiful. My problem was with the writing. It didn't engage me, and I'm doubtful it will engage kids. The author's notes at the end were much more interesting than the story itself. For example, throughout the book, I wondered why 111 trees? This is only explained in the author's notes, a text-heavy section that many from the intended audience won't read. Another example: Paliwal's daughter, whose death was his inspiration, is only mentioned by name in the notes, not in the book itself. That small detail would have breathed life into what was often a lifeless retelling.

I do still recommend this book because it does fill a gap in presenting inspiring people from around the world.

Loved this! This is such a perfect example of the joy and benefit of reading! I would have never heard of this beautiful, genius of a man had I not read this book! I adore this book for the illustrations, the message, the history and the focus on girls!

What a cool, inspiring book. Singh relays the true story of a man who took a tragedy and used it to inspire his village to show it's love for it's daughters. It's the perfect intersection of learning to value girls and protecting the environment, even rehabbing land that seemed irreparably destroyed. I loved the idea that by tying the trees to the children the people are more motivated to take care of those trees. That neglecting their care is akin to neglecting the children. And then we see how this one action, this wild and extreme movement, has a rippling affect on the entire community. It affects the environment of course. Their physical health. But it also affects how they interact with one another. A wonderful object lesson on the power of a single action for young readers.

This picture book will capture your emotions immediately. We meet a young Sundar Paliwal and observe his love for his mother, his desire to see change in his community, and his belief that change will come. But Sundar’s life is marked by hardship and loss.

In his adulthood, Sundar suggests a bold plan for changing the way the villagers treat girls and women, “Every girl in the village will be welcomed with the planting of 111 trees.”

I loved reading about the massive change that took place with this initiative. Kids will be inspired by the high value placed on all human life, the possibility of change, and the hard work of Sundar in initiating change.

Book includes additional info and resources at the end of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Citizen Kid for providing me with a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

A lovely true story tribute to a considerate man and his inspired vision to better honor female members of his community, while improving their environment in a healthy way. My only concern is that the text feels like it’s written for an older audience than that of the illustrations.

I loved the message that this story gave. It was beautiful how the father wanted the girls to be recognized.

This uplifting story tells how one man makes a difference in his community by honoring the birth of every girl by planting 111 trees. Clearly and appealingly written and beautifully illustrated, this true story begins with the death of a female child, her father’s great sadness, and his decision to effect change in his community, Actual photos of the the village in India and additional information about the setting and the story make this an outstanding choice for reading and sharing with children. People can and do make lasting changes in their communities.

What a fantastic way to introduce eco-feminism to young readers! This beautiful picture book tells the real life story of a small village in the desert state of India, Rajasthan; where girl children are unwelcomed at birth. That is until, one man decides to question this inherent misogyny and uses the environment as a tool to challenge preconceived notions of gender and change the ever growing barren landscape of the village into a verdant paradise.
The pictures in this book are gorgeous. They bring alive the village in broad strokes and bright earthy colours. I would highly recommend everyone to pick up this short yet powerful book about Shyam Sundar Paliwal's determined journey to reclaim nature and love for the daughters of the village through an incredible idea!

"111 Trees" is based on the inspiring true story of a village in Rajistan, India, where 111 trees are planted to honor the birth of each daughter. It follows the life of Sundar Paliwal, as he experiences the loss of women in his life and how deeply it affects him in an area where men and boys are vastly valued over women and girls. As the head of the village, he heads the planting of trees which brings prosperity to the village and helps shift peoples' mindset toward girls. I loved how the back matter called him an eco-feminist. I think this book could lead toward some excellent discussions!

This review is based on digital review copy provided by NetGalley and Kids Can Press. The review is cross-posted to Goodreads and Instagram.

A beautifully illustrated book that takes the message about living sustainably and in harmony with nature. The author in this book, highlights the story about how Shyam Sundar Paliwal , a village leader from Piplantri, Rajasthan turns his arid village into a haven of trees. I like how the book features issues that still plague our nation, to it's young readers without being preachy or textbook like. Pipliantri's story is a harbinger of the possibility to make a change which benefits both the community and the environment. Young green warriors will certainly like reading this book.

111 Trees by Rina Singh is a unique read about culture.

As an adult, I love this book. Looking from a children's perspective, it might be tough to understand. If you have younger readers who are interested in topics of culture then this might be a good fit. I could even see this being a good book for cultural studies classes to look into. Planting trees for every daughter born is a very unique idea and is a great theme in this book. The pain and loss might be too much for young readers though. This book has some big topics in it.

Despite the potential difficulty, I think it's a marvellous and beautiful story that needs to be told. It's important! I just think buyer beware - know your and your children's reading level before picking the book up.

Overall, it's a great read to open your eyes to an interesting cultural practice.

Three out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Beautiful, beautiful tradition. In a country where women are not valued, the tide is turned for the whole community when one person suggests planting 111 trees for each girl born. I love reading stories about diverse traditions. I learned so much from this book!

I received an e-galley of this book thanks to Annick Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I started the book without much information - I became interested in it just for its title - “111 Trees” - as I do have an interest in eco initiatives but until I started reading this incredible story, I had no idea that I would be reading about the amazing story of Sundar Paliwal.

Set in a village in India, Sundar sees the ways in which girls and boys are not treated equally in this country. He sees the ways in which the mining industry has destroyed his beautiful country and when tragedy strikes, he is determined to do something about these injustices he sees. He proposes to his village that at the birth of every girl, the village would plant 111 trees to heal the land and honour the girls. This idea is not well-met but through his determination and persistence, he is able to convince the village.

This is a story of how one individual can help change the world for the better. In understanding how we can treat the world a better place, it actually provides better opportunities for the people who live within these communities. Having access to water has shown to lead to girls education in parts of the world where it has not been the case. By the end of this story, readers will learn what it means to be an eco-feminist and be inspired to be a part of the cause.

I really enjoyed this story and it was a delightful book to read.

The book tells the story of Sundar Paliwal who lives in a traditional town with traditional values, but he makes the decision to challenge these – the book has a strong focus on gender equality and it is a really relevant book to be released now.

It is 5 stars from me for this one, it was well written and I loved the images used – they really bring the story to life – very highly recommended!!

From the experience of the author and the love he has for the females in his life, he wanted to change the culture of his Indian village. His village would celebrate the birth of a son but would dishonor a daughter. His own mother died tragically of a snake bite and the love that he lost with his mother, he valued. As a leader of his village, he proposed that they would plant 111 trees on the birth of any daughter.

This is his story of how the culture resisted change and how with persistence change came along with a better life for all. When all is valued, great things happen.

This is an informative read on social justice with real change. I would suggest reading it on your own before sharing it with your children. This will prepare you to answer and give insight to the ways of culture. This is not a book of judgment but of a better way. Highly recommend

A special thank you to Kid's Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

Inspiring Story of the Power of One Person to Affect Change

I love picture books like at this one that is actually based on a true story and share powerful, important messages that are clear and relatable. We often feel frustrated by what we, as just one person, can do against the bigger issues, like environmental and gender inequality issues. This book shows that one person can make a difference by doing what appears to be small things. The book shares the story of an Indian man who grew up in a desert village where people struggled to survive, where the local marble company devastated the land, and where the hundred-year-old tradition of celebrating a boys’ births, but not girls, were ideas that bothered him. The book gives a little of his backstory as a little boy, including the death of his mother—one of the first of some hard issues addressed in this book. After the boy grows into a man, marries, and has children, the death of his oldest daughter (because of dehydration, as we learn in the afterword) lights a spark in him. He has always loved the few trees around his village (as they remind him of walks to get water with his mother), so he decides to plant trees in her honor. Then he gets the idea to plant trees in the honor of *all* girls when they are born. He becomes a village leader and gets pushback when he suggests that 111 trees should be planted at the birth of every girl. But he is able to make it happen. He also suggests other gender-based reform, like asking parents to agree to educate their daughters as they do their sons and to not marrying their daughters off until they are 18.

But what is amazing, in the contet of this book, is the trees. The 111 trees are planted for each girl, and as the girls grow, they and their family take care of the trees and have rituals around them, like tying ribbons on them each year to show their connection to the trees. To keep termites away, they plant aloe near the trees. As they added more and more trees around the village, animals came back, and it became a thriving habitat. The trees planted appear to be fruit-bearing ones (and we do see some mango fruits), as it is mentioned the trees help to decrease hunger in the village. The illustrations in this part of the book are well done and are certainly styled in part like traditional Indian illustrations.

I love the afterword of the book, as the actual story is given in more detail with pictures. So we see the trees with the colorful ribbons around them with the aloe at the base. The aloe has now become a money-making source for the women in the village as they turn it into health products. What a great thing for the community. What started as such a small idea has become very helpful to the villagers in several ways. Hats off to Sundar for getting all of this going and truly making a change that has a wide-ranging impact. It is nice to know that one person can, indeed, make a difference.

I love this book because it teaches lessons about so many things but doesn't come across as preachy. I would think it would be best to tell the child before you start to read the book that this is actually based on a true story; it's real. Even though this is a picture book, it isn't really meant for younger children. Perhaps it would be best for the 7- to 9-year-olds, and certainly the older ones could read it on their own. There are certainly some things that could be hard for a child to handle—like the death of a mother and the death of a daughter—so I think there might need to be some parental support even if the child can read it on his or her own. Highly recommended.