#593 - The Plant Whisperer
by Sayantan Datta and illustrated by Bhavya Kumar
“The Plant Whisperer” by Sayantan Datta and illustrated by Bhavya Kumar. Published by Pratham. A heartwarming biography of ecologist Dr. H Jaishree Subrahmaniam.
Jaishree was pursuing engineering. But the machines that she had to work with did not interest her. She found it so frustrating to continue her studies with the noisy machines. Since childhood, she had loved her paati’s (grandmother’s) garden and it’s birds, trees, plants as well as grass. Her best friend was a tree who she adoringly called “Treeni”. She decided to change her field of study. She would study plants even if it meant that her engineer daddy wouldn’t like it.
After moving to a college to study plants, Jaishree found her true calling. She finished two degrees within five years. But so many of her curious questions remained unanswered. She was determined to find their answers herself. Did plants talk to each other? Did they listen to one another? Did they fight? Did they help each other? If so, why and how did they do that? And many more like these. This was the start of a long journey for her which took time and made her go to different places. Read the book to know the story of this passionate ecologist who forged ahead despite facing various kinds of setbacks in her path.
The book was very interesting for my almost eleven year old son. He liked Jayashri’s conviction, passion, perseverance and determination to pursue her field of interest. He was curious to know what answers she would find out for her questions. True stories always appeal to him and this was no exception either. He was disappointed to see people feel that Indians and women in general are not expected to do certain things or work in certain fields. It was heartwarming to see that she went ahead with her research despite all these obstacles. We had picked this book up in the previous edition of the green lit fest as the title seemed quite intriguing.
Recommended Age
This is a level 3 book and apt for children aged 8 and above.
Where to read/buy from?