The Cherry Tree

by Ruskin Bond

Rakesh plants a cherry seedling in his garden and watches it grow. As seasons go by, the small tree survives heavy monsoon showers, a hungry goat that eats most of the leaves and a grass cutter who splits it into two with one sweep. At last, on his ninth birthday, Rakesh is rewarded with a miraculous sight-the first pink blossoms of his precious cherry tree! This beautifully illustrated edition brings alive the magical charm of one of Ruskin Bond's most unforgettable tales.

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, India, Short Stories, Picture Books, Indian Literature, Classics

72 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 1991

About the author

Ruskin Bond is an Indian author of British descent. He is considered to be an icon among Indian writers and children's authors and a top novelist. He wrote his first novel, The Room on the Roof, when he was seventeen which won John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize in 1957. Since then he has written several novellas, over 500 short stories, as well as various essays and poems, all of which have established him as one of the best-loved and most admired chroniclers of contemporary India. In 1992 he received the Sahitya Akademi award for English writing, for his short stories collection, "Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra", by the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters in India. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1999 for contributions to children's literature. He now lives with his adopted family in Landour near Mussoorie.

Reviews

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is really great for kids in the sense that the illustrations are awesome and the story depicts the perfect relationship between a grandfather and a grandson.
As is with Ruskin Bond books, this one didn't disappoint at all.
The whole story is about preserving nature, telling the younger generation how to plant trees, nurture and protect them.
All things alive should be preserved and nurtured is the message of this book.
Another message is not to dwell too much on bad things and be positive.
The illustrations stand out. It reminds me of Disney books and movies!💞

[Ravi Babu · Rating 4 out of 5]

The subtle nuances in Ruskin Bond books are brilliant. The way he tells the story make us wish to become children again.

[bookswithsakshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this short story 🥰 I read this for my exam and it talks about significant themes like: resilience, pride, dedication, etc.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like it, I am all about quiet stories! but this one went on forever. It was tedious to read.

[Vaibhav · Rating 5 out of 5]

What it feels to be a God?
This short story, The cherry tree was made so famous at the time of its release that it was published as a standalone book altogether.

The author takes us into the world of Rakesh, living with his grandfather when one day coming home from Mussoorie bazaar plants a cherry tree in his backyard. He learns what a small seed can achieve when it is properly nurtured. The journey of growing of cherry tree is shown alongside growing of Rakesh.
The book is loaded with beautiful illustrations and filled with love. The joy and happiness that brings to life of Rakesh when he sees his sapling grown into a healthy young tree bearing fruit, he wonders that is this how god felt when he created us, marveling at the sight of his creation.

A very short quick read for all the young readers which reminded me of times when I used to help my mother with gardening of new plants, watering them daily and maintain them in my boyhood.

[Dilip Chauhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The quick small read to damage control to my reading goal.
Absolutely loveing.

[Abhidev H M · Rating 4 out of 5]

'So many trees in the forest,' mused Rakesh. 'Why do I like this one so much?'
'You planted it yourself,' said Grandfather. 'That's why it's special.'

Well this explains a lot.

[Shivakukatla · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely fable 😃❤️.

[Ritika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story,loved it.I also want to grow a tree now

[Abhishek · Rating 2 out of 5]

Suitable for kids only who are below 10 years

[Hafeez Amreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Text to teaching:I have grownup reading stories and poems by Ruskin bond,his stories were sliding doors to my imaginative side,I was always fascinated by his stories and the themes they revolved around .In this poem we see The Cherry Tree, has underlying themes of Struggle, Dedication, Pride, Growth and Responsibility. Rakesh plants a seed that faces a lot of difficulties before growing into a cherry tree.I could instantly think of class activities such as asking students to draw the stages of the seed cycle,they could also plant their seed and watch it grow and make a chart of its growth,we could also use chart paper cutouts to make a life cycle of the plant from seed stage to a full grown plant.

[Pooja Banga · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young girl nurses a cherry tree from sprig to seedling and is rewared one year by the sight of small miracle--its first pink blossoms. Abounds with quiet wisdom and love.
Ruskin Bond Is love.. Recommended for all

[Bookishbong Moumita · Rating 5 out of 5]

The works of Ruskin bond has made my childhood amazing . Ruskin bond has taught me how imagine . He is the cause I love hills more. This particular story is my most favourite . It was in our course . But this book has taught about power of kindness and love ! This book is really lovely to read

[Abdul Rafay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book simply for the sake of its short length to complete my reading challenge this year (SMART, I know) and I wasn't expecting anything from it although I slightly had an idea about its character, all thanks to booktube and bookstagram. Let me praise the illustrations that are used in this book. Beautiful, elegant, and interesting for children and absolutely a great subject for kids to divert their attention towards healthy activities and activities that will benefit our mother earth in the longer run. This is my first Ruskin Bond book and I would certainly love to read his writings more.

[Anuradha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though a book for children, I absolutely loved it. Mr Bond describes the mountain life vividly and the richness of the details makes this simple story come alive. Mr Bond also sneaks in some life lessons. My favourite line is on page 8 "Nothing is lucky if you put it away. If you want luck, you must put the seed to work." A must read if you love nature stories and works involving detailed description of nature.

[Prem · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little book of beauty. The illustrations are very well done with nice textures & emotions. The story is simple & graceful. Ruskin Bond's recurring girl child & grand father figure continues in this book.

[Karthik Kallakuri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my God. This is exactly my story. Twenty summers ago, on a Telugu new year occasion, I had planted a "Star Gooseberry" in front space of my house. It had grown such large and bore so much fruit, umpteen number of street vendors approached us to buy and they resell in the market but we never did. Countless times people and especially kids have climbed the wall to pluck the berries. It is such a friend of mine that my email id is it. My email id is "tharuamla", "tharu" is a tree in Hindi, and "amla" is gooseberry. Oh, I may write a story myself, if only I could do as well as Ruskin Bond does. There are several tales that my tree is part of. By now one would easily guess what the book and topic are. It's about a kid and a cherry tree he plants. How he and his grandfather take care of it forms the story. One sentence that touched is "Even when there was plenty of rain, Rakesh would sometimes water the tree. He wanted it to know that he was there.". My upcoming story " The Kotipally Railbus" is also about a tree and a man. This story has provided me with more eyes to peep and enable me to weave a better narrative for the upcoming story. In the end a beautifully narrated story. I would rate 4 out of 5 stars for the read.

[Rohan Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Cherry Tree" by Ruskin Bond is a wonderful book! It tells the story of a boy named Rakesh who plants a cherry seed with his grandpa. Rakesh takes care of the seed every day, watching it grow into a tall tree.

The book is easy to read and full of love. It shows how important it is to be patient and to take care of things that are growing. The pictures are beautiful and colorful too. This is a great book for kids who are learning to read or for anyone who enjoys a heartwarming story
As an adult I liked it so much. Because I found it relatable to me. It reminds me of my childhood days when I used to help my grandfather and my grandmother in planting trees. In my garden there was a Litchi tree, I used to sit and play beneath the tree. I liked watering the tree. But when my house was built we have to cut a branch of the tree. The tree died after 2 months. It seemed that the life of the tree was in the branch.

[Capn]

Has this been rewritten?! Is it about Rakesh (male), or Rakhi (female)?!

Books for Keeps, 4 Sept 1980:
The Cherry Tree
Ruskin Bond,
illustrated by Valerie
Littlewood, Hamish
Hamilton (Gazelle),
0 241 10387 8, £1.40
Rakesh grows a tree of his
very own, assisted by 'Dada'
his grandfather. The simple
story justifies itself to any
child but the careful
illustration and background
information which establish the
North Indian setting make this
a tale that many Asian
children will easily claim a
special relationship with.
Ruskin Bond has avoided the
trap of letting the reader feel
that Indian life is either
pathetic or mysterious; it exists
he shows through the natural
movements of the seasons.
Very suitable for the multi-
racial society in which we live

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rakesh, a boy of six lives with his grandfather. One day he walks from the Mussoorie bazaar devouring cherries. With his grandfather's guidance he plants a cherry seed and then disremembers the incident. After few days, on a spring morning he is enjoyably astounded to see a small twig of cherry tree. He keeps caring and rearing that miniature plant through all the seasons and saves it from all the impairments. The cherry tree grows and with, it Rakesh too. Bond portrays how a little boy's affection for the cherry tree one day affords a shelter for birds, bees and animals. Ruskin Bond circuitously makes us eco-conscious and gives the message that man can live in congruence with the flora.

[Abhishek Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruskin bond books bring back childhood. This story he tells about a boy named Rakesh and his grandfather and therefore the whole story of how they grow a Cherrytree. This story teaches us the way to show care and concern. The cherry tree is one of the best books written by Ruskin bond. Check this article about 40 Best Ruskin Bond Books!
https://dailybugle.in/ruskin-bond-boo...

[Kirandevi Verma · Rating 4 out of 5]

the book is by a great author ruskin bond. In this story he tell about a boy named rakesh and his grandfather and the whole story of how they grow a cherry tree. this story teaches us how to show care and concern.

[Happy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect book for pastime night-stories, depicts perfect relation between grandfather and son. Along with this, the illustrations are on point, excellent for taking one into a world of imagination filled up with every kind of magnificence and mystery. Good one! A must read for children.

[Shweta Kesari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Being an adult, I adore reading child stories as well. But, this one doesn't have anything to offer. Read many children books which has so much to offer to even when you are adults. If I see from the perspective of a child, then also I dont find this story that worthy.

[Hitessh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read , Enjoy and Reminisce your Childhood !!!

[Rama Ramaswamy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for little children. A great story with quiet wisdom and beautiful feelings. Lovely language. My first Ruskin Bond book but surely not my last.

[Ranit Dey · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice

[Aruna Kumar Gadepalli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is good for the ages 7+. Colorful illustrations with interesting story relating plant and the nurturing plants helps the young ones to learn sensitive to surroundings.

[Arhaan Tripathi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like the book because it was boring, Rakesh planted a seed and always gazed at his cherry tree.

[Dhanya Jothimani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruskin Bond's stories bring back the childhood memories! :)