One day Aani is resting against her favorite tree when she hears the unfamiliar roar of trucks. She alerts the village women, the eldest of whom says the sounds are made by men from the city who have come to cut down the trees.

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I will be honest, I was not sure about this book by Jeannine Atkins especially, since this was her first picture book, but I was pleasantly surprised. I was inspired by this story how Aani took a peaceful yet active stand for the beautiful trees in her village, remembering this was so many animals home, and for her village needed these trees to live. Aani’s heroism saved her special tree and the beloved forest. I believe when all is going wrong in the world everyone just wants peace. ( )

I really enjoyed reading “Aani and The Tree Huggers” because it gave me a very new perspective and culture to think about. Normally when I think about people living in a “village” I think of poor, uneducated people who probably live in a developing country and need help. This is not the case for the women in this book. I loved that they stood up for what they believed in and stood their ground. These women were not helpless, which changed my perspective on how I should view people living in an “undeveloped” country. I also really liked this book because I found it empowering. Even though the women were scared, they cared so deeply about the environment that they lived in that they were willing to risk their lives for it. Lastly, I really loved this book because it has beautiful illustrations. I think the main message of this books is bravery and fighting for things you feel passionate about. ( )

"Aani and the Tree Huggers" is about a girl named Aani who shows courage by protecting her village. When a village in India is visited by tree cutters, Aani tries to stop them from cutting them down. Aani explains how important trees are in her village, and how without the trees, the village will not survive. When the tree cutters fail to listen to her, Aani begins to hug a tree in hopes that they will not cut it if she is holding on to it. The village follows her lead, and the tree cutters finally leave, making Aani a hero.

This book gave a lot of details to Indian culture, including the reasoning behind the jewelry they wear, and the marks on their foreheads. The author did a good job at making the story flow, and keeping it exciting. The illustrations were vibrant, and showed expression. I think this was a very good book that shows that sometimes being courageous can be scary, but the outcome is worth it. ( )