In the center of a small village in India, a banyan tree rises from the earth like a great green mountain. Known as the Many Footed One, this remarkable tree has so many trunks it is a virtual forest, covering many acres. A place for laughing and bartering, conversing and resting, romping and chasing, meeting and imagining, the banyan is not only in the heart of the village, it is the heart of the village. In a brilliant combination of lyrical prose and glowing watercolors, acclaimed author-artist Barbara Bash captures the soul of the ancient and sacred banyan, painting a vivid picture of its importance to the people and other animals that flourish beneath and within its welcoming branches. Both beautiful and enlightening, In the Heart of the Village provides a unique glimpse of the interconnectedness of life in a rural culture.