THE LION QUEEN BY RINA SINGH, ILLUSTRATED BY TARA ANAND
October 3rd, 2023 from Bloomsbury Children’s UK.
A true tale of big cats and even bigger courage, inspired by the personal story of Gir Forest’s first female guard and Lion Queen, Rasila Vadher
“Never look a lion in the eyes,” a mother tells her fearless girl. After a field trip to the Gir Forest, the girl learns all about the rare Asiatic lions of India, and from that day on, she dreams of taking care of them when she grows up. But not everyone thinks a girl has a right to such a dream, and so she stifles what she wishes for most, a roar growing inside her. That is, until the day she comes face to face with a lion.
This empowering and exciting picture book is inspired by the story of Rasila Vadher, who grew up to become the first woman guardian and real-life Lion Queen at India’s Gir Forest, the very place she first fell in love with lions.t