The Tree Lover - A Book Review

The Tree Lover

by Ruskin Bond

The Tree Lover is a short story based on the author's memories about his grandfather who was a tree lover. Serving as a forest officer in India, he used to plant as many trees as he could. In this book Ruskin Bond talks about his vacation with grandparents and how deeply his grandfather loved trees. He would spend time with them caring for them as his own children. Every monsoon he sets out on a short trip to nearby forests or isolated dry areas and plants seeds, saplings, cuttings so that once the monsoon is over, everything he planted would flourish. The huge old peepal tree that forced its way through the walls of the outhouse was maintained and it became a gala ground for all the creatures.  Once night sets in, the insects would start their orchestra to which little Ruskin would join too. His grandfather had told him that trees can walk and as if assuring what he said, he found it later that all the seeds, saplings, cuttings they planted together seven years before had become trees. Other plants and trees flourished nearby those trees, making the green area wider and wider.  Yes, indeed they walked. 

Having a walk in a picturesque countryside, fresh as the weather after rain. That is how I felt after reading this book. Ruskin Bond with his simple writing style would draw vivid pictures of nature in your mind. None does this better than him. Maybe none loves nature as he does. The book tree lover would definitely invoke love for nature and trees in the children in the early stage, just like how his grandfather influenced Ruskin.  Illustrations by Ahlawat Ghunjan are pleasing to eyes and equally impressive.