The Lion Queen: Rasila Vadher, the First Woman Guardian of the Last Asiatic Lions

Author Rina Singh and illustrator Tara Anand present a true tale of big cats and even bigger courage in this picture book inspired by the personal story of the Lion Queen, Rasila Vadher, who was Gir Forest’s first female guard.

“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 where she first fell in love with lions.