The Woodland Explorers Club stories have always been about friendship, curiosity, and caring for the natural world — and in Ajay and the Red-Winged Prince, those ideas come together in a new way.

Ajay is the historian of the group. He loves facts, legends, and anything that connects the past to the present. One rainy afternoon, while helping to tidy the library, he uncovers an old, leather-bound book hidden behind a row of dusty encyclopaedias. Inside, he finds a beautiful hand-drawn map of Willow Wish Woods and a story about the Red-Winged Prince — a young guardian who once protected the forest and all the creatures who lived there.

Ajay becomes fascinated by the legend and starts exploring the places marked on the map. But as he does, he notices signs of damage in the woods — broken branches, littered trails, and frightened animals. When he discovers that a group of older children has been playing roughly and leaving rubbish behind, Ajay realises that the forest needs protecting again.

Inspired by the courage of the Red-Winged Prince, Ajay decides to act. With help from the other Woodland Explorers, he sets out to remind everyone that the woods aren’t just a playground — they’re home to countless living things, from nesting birds to tiny insects beneath the leaves.

Ajay and the Red-Winged Prince is a story about bravery, history, and the quiet strength it takes to stand up for what matters. I hope it encourages young readers to see that heroes aren’t only found in old stories — sometimes they’re the ones who care enough to make a small difference, right now.