Chipko Takes Root
Grade - 4th
Genre - Realistic Fiction
Theme - Saving Trees
Author - Jeyanthi Manokaran
Illustrator - Jeyanthi Manokaran
Publisher - Pratham Books
About the author
Jeyanthi Manokaran, a Bengaluru-based author, enjoys telling children's stories from an original perspective. Her books often explore themes such as justice, equality, and understanding. She has written several books that have been praised by readers and critics alike. She hopes to continue to bring her unique perspective to stories for young readers. She has been published by Orient Longman, Scholastic, the National Book Trust, Highlights Magazine, and both fiction and nonfiction publishers. Jeyanthi is passionate about giving children the opportunity to explore their own imagination and creativity. She believes that stories can help children understand the world around them and develop a sense of empathy. She is committed to using her writing to encourage children to think critically and to make a positive difference in their lives. She has received a Highlights Foundation Writer's scholarship from the United States and the UNESCO Asia-Pacific NOMA Concours award for children's book illustrations.
Synopsis
The book begins with a young girl named Dinchi and her brothers sitting on a tree when their father calls them to their grandparents' house. On the way a landslide occurs in the village, and dinchi loses her father in the unfortunate incident. She, her mom, and her siblings then move in with her uncle. After losing her father, dinchi becomes sensitive to the trees around her. She saves the trees from the contractor, who intends to cut them by uniting the whole village. She makes people realize the importance of trees. In Dinchi's chant, she mentions the good soil and water trees provide them and how the trees are their forefathers' heritage. They all hug the trees and save them.
Reading Writing Strategies
Pre Reading-Strategies
Children can be provided with materials to make a puppet that can be made in accordance with the book cover. The book cover is dinchi and children can use their imagination to shape the protagonist.
During reading
Dholak can be brought in class and all the musical dialogues can be sung in unison with children.
After reading
If they were in place of dinchi how they would have saved their tree friends.
Use a KWL chart to help children track what they know, want to know, and learned from the story.
Reflection
The book is very enlightening for children because it not only teaches them empathy but also the importance of trees and a very important part of our heritage The Chipko movement. But the book highlights a gender bias notion when their father asks the little dinchi to nurse their grandparents. The book does not has age-appropriate language. Words like sturdy, clamber are difficult for children to understand. The book also highlights a sensitive topic like a death of a parent. If thistopic not dealt with care could lead to wrong perceptions.
Source:
https://storyweaver.org.in/stories/8905-chipko-takes-root?mode=read
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