Every Leaf a Hallelujah - A Review

 

Every Leaf a Hallelujah

 

Written by Ben Okri

Illustrated by Diana Ejaita

Published by Head of Zeus, 2021

 

When I was a child I knew that trees were more important than money. Trees make us happy. Can you imagine a world without them? 

 

So asks Ben Okri in the introduction to his first book for children, an environmental fairytale for our times that gives a voice to the trees which surround us and takes us on a child’s quest to save her dying mother; a mission which leads her to discover a great tragedy that faces a world whose trees continue to be savagely wiped out.

 

In the forest near Mangoshi’s village in Africa there grows a very special flower that possesses healing qualities. The young girl knows that only this flower can save her mother’s life. All she has to do is find it. In search for it, she discovers there are many pathways through the woods and overhears the trees whispering among themselves. But unable to locate the flower initially she returns home emptyhanded. A year later, both her mother and their village at large have grown sicker, and Mangoshi is sent out to try again. This second attempt leads her on a magical adventure guided by an elderly baobab tree, who teaches her about the plight of trees around the world and gives her the courage to stand up against those who plan to remove the forest for financial gain.

 

With an estimated ten million hectares of deforestation a year globally, an area the size of Portugal according to the UN, the urgent polemic behind the text is a critical one. But Okri’s story is more than an ecological plea, it’s also a beautifully poetic view of a mysterious living world and a rethinking of our relationship with nature. He can distil language to its essence, speaking directly and with passion, which makes him an ideal children’s writer. It is difficult to explain the devastation caused by environmental degradation and climate breakdown to young people. The despair we feel at the disappearance of entire ecosystems is a heavy burden to inherit. Okri handles this responsibility well, without loosening his grip on hope.

 

Intrinsic to the storytelling are Diana Ejaita’s striking illustrations. Like Okri, Ejaita has Nigerian heritage, and her work fuses European and west African influences. She decorates the narrative with bold, colourful prints, evocative of Matisse’s cut-outs and the bright textile traditions of Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal. It’s in her pictures that the deep spirituality of the tale stirs. 

 

So, the result is an uplifting look at how a child’s act of courage can impact the world, as well as the power of protest to combat ecological collapse and climate change; the life of Greta Thunberg very much springs to mind when reading it. The story will appeal to both children and adults and benefits from being read aloud. Written in the style of a traditional tale, it will charm children in both Key Stages 1 and 2, and would make an excellent text for any adventure or quest story teaching in English, especially in Key Stage 1. The broader themes of environmental issues, sustainable development, activism and hope will make it relevant to both Geography and RSHE learning also. 

If there’s been a book published in recent times with a truer title I’m yet to read it.