111 Trees : How One Village Celebrates the Birth of Every Girl

A boy grows up to make positive change in his community.After suffering much heartache, Sundar decides change must come to his small Indian village. He believes girls should be valued as much as boys and that land should not be needlessly destroyed. Sundar's plan? To celebrate the birth of every girl with the planting of 111 trees. Though many villagers resist at first, Sundar slowly gains their support, and today, over a quarter of a million trees grow in his village. A once barren, deforested landscape has become a fertile, prosperous one where girls can thrive.Sure to plant seeds of hope in children. Improving the world is within everyone's reach.

Based on true events in the life of Sundar Paliwal, and written in collaboration with him, Rina Singh's uplifting story shows how one person can make a difference in a community. Beautiful illustrations by Marianne Ferrer sensitively bring the evolution of the village to life. With strong links to the science curriculum, this book offers lessons on environmental awareness, sustainability and stewardship, as well as the concept of ecofeminism. It also explores ideas of social development, community and culture, and the character education traits of responsibility and cooperation. A thoroughly researched author's note with photographs and more information about the village of Piplantri is included.

Rina Singh was born in India and immigrated to Canada, where she received her MFA in creative writing from Concordia University and a teaching degree from McGill University. She is an internationally published author and has written many critically acclaimed books for children. She lives in Toronto, Ontario, with her husband.

Marianne Ferrer