locolibrarian's review
5.0
True story about a man, Nek Chand, who was forced to leave his beautiful village, so using the refuse he has from the city being build, he goes out into the forest to build art as a homage to his village he remembers. The illustrations and words are both fun to read!
constantcatreader's review
5.0
True story about a man, Nek Chand, who was forced to leave his beautiful village, so using the refuse he has from the city being build, he goes out into the forest to build art as a homage to his village he remembers. The illustrations and words are both fun to read!
lauriehnatiuk's review
4.0
4.5 This would be an excellent book to pair with Veera Hiranandani's The Night Diary detailing the partition of India. I had no idea this garden existed and was enthralled to hear Nek Chand and his commitment to recreating a piece of the home he lost during that time. The fact that the garden was going to be destroyed for a road that led to a protest to protect the garden also is inspiring for readers to see how they can be activists. Photos and a timeline are part of the back matter which allows you to see how Sam Boughton drew his inspiration for the illustrations.
wordnerd153's review
4.0
What would you do if you stumbled upon a secret garden in the heart of a bustling city? Perhaps one day you'll travel to Chandigarh, India and find out!
When Nek Chand was a young man, India was divided into pieces - Pakistan for Muslims and India for Hindus. The land Nek and his family lived on became Pakistan and, since the Chands were Hindu, they moved away from their village. His new home felt unfamiliar and Nek desperately missed his village. One day, as he was out exploring, Nek came across a "scrubby patch of forest" and was inspired to create something beautiful. Will others think it is beautiful too and worth saving once the government decides to build a road running through Nek's secret garden or will the enchanted place get demolished? Elementary readers will be fascinated by the story of Nek and his fantastical garden. The bold digital illustrations complement the text perfectly and set a tone of awe and curiosity from the first page. A timeline, author's note and a few small photographs are included in the back matter. This could be used as a classroom read aloud, a springboard for an art project, or just enjoyed independently.
When Nek Chand was a young man, India was divided into pieces - Pakistan for Muslims and India for Hindus. The land Nek and his family lived on became Pakistan and, since the Chands were Hindu, they moved away from their village. His new home felt unfamiliar and Nek desperately missed his village. One day, as he was out exploring, Nek came across a "scrubby patch of forest" and was inspired to create something beautiful. Will others think it is beautiful too and worth saving once the government decides to build a road running through Nek's secret garden or will the enchanted place get demolished? Elementary readers will be fascinated by the story of Nek and his fantastical garden. The bold digital illustrations complement the text perfectly and set a tone of awe and curiosity from the first page. A timeline, author's note and a few small photographs are included in the back matter. This could be used as a classroom read aloud, a springboard for an art project, or just enjoyed independently.
thenextgenlibrarian's review
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
I knew nothing about Nek Chand before reading this book. Loved learning about such a courageous and talented individual and love that kids will learn about him too.
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