‘Why Trees Don’t Go for a Walk’ – story narrated by Rajesh Pandey to school children at NBT book fair
‘Why Trees Don’t Go for a Walk’ – story narrated by Rajesh Pandey to school children at NBT book fair
Dehradun, April 9, 2026: At the National Book Trust (NBT) Book Festival held at Dehradun’s Parade Ground on Thursday, school children listened to stories and engaged in a dialogue with journalist Rajesh Pandey. The interaction focused on environmental protection and humanity. The session based on the story “Why Trees Don’t Go for a Walk” proved to be highly engaging and informative for students from classes 1 to 5.
Rajesh Pandey is a senior journalist with interest in children literature. He is also running a children’s magazine titled -‘Dug Dugi’.
The storytelling session began at 10:00 AM in a pavilion specially designed for children within the book fair premises. During this 40-minute session, the story “Why Trees Don’t Go for a Walk” was developed through interactive dialogue. A scenario was imagined where a tree stands outside the Parade Ground, waiting to talk to and meet the children, having travelled from far away to see them. The children expressed surprise, noting that trees do not walk because they have roots instead of feet and remain firmly anchored in the soil. Through the story, children discussed trees as living beings, how they prepare their own food, and the process of photosynthesis.
As the story progressed, another question was posed: “What would you do if trees could actually go for a walk?” The children excitedly replied that they would ride the trees to school and that people would clear the roads out of fear. A great deal of enthusiasm was observed among the students during this exchange.
In the concluding segment, many children answered the question: “What do trees give us?” The participants displayed a keen interest and curiosity regarding science and nature, appearing eager to both ask and answer questions. The story reached the conclusion that if trees went wandering, there would be no one to provide us with oxygen, shade, shelter, fruits, or flowers. Trees stand in one place for the sake of all humans and living beings. Since trees exist in a state of constant benevolence, we, in turn, have certain responsibilities toward them.
Following this, Rajesh Pandey narrated the story “The Brave Little Plant,” which conveys the mantra of overcoming struggles through the power of unity
