Rock by Rock: The Fantastical Garden of Nek Chand
Written by Jennifer Bradbury
Illustrated by Sam Boughton
Published by Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
In the bustle of the busy streets of Chandigarh, India, Nek Chand saw something no one else did. Where others saw rocks and stones, Nek saw the boyhood village he missed so dearly. Where others saw broken plates and glass, Nek saw laughing men. And where others saw trash, Nek saw beauty.
Nek Chand’s incredible rock garden, built from stone and scraps and concrete, began as a way for him to express his long-felt grief at having to leave his boyhood village due to the violence caused by the partition of India. What began as a secret and personal (not to mention initially illegal) project became so much more, not only to Nek but to all of India.

Primary ISBN: 9781481481823
Available As: Hardcover, eBook
Picture Book, Age 04 or older
Community Represented: Indian/Indian American
Themes: Celebrations, Genre: Historical, Own Voices/Lived Experience, The Arts
Setting: India
Character’s New Arrival/New American Status: In Home Country
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
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