savoring the spice-rich world of the Indian subcontinent – orange marmalade
It’s time for another foray into places beyond our borders and cultures, time to meet people who are much like us while also learning more about their lovely uniquenesses.
This time, we’re heading to the Indian subcontinent with stops in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
I’ll also provide a link to my list of many more books set in this region which includes titles set in Nepal, Bhutan, and Afghanistan.
My Incredible India
written by Jasbinder Bilan, illustrated by Nina Chakrabarti
published in 2023 by Candlewick Press
72 pages
We begin with this flamboyant overview of the vast country of India, cleverly framed as a grandmother’s story of her travels encompassing the land from north to south and east to west. A map shows us India’s states and territories and indicates which places we’re stopping by.
Beautiful, vibrant illustrations dominate each page as we visit well known places such as the River Ganges, Nek Chand’s famous rock garden, and the Taj Mahal, as well as less familiar locations like the Bhubaneswar spice market, Hemis National Park in the Himalayas, and the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary. Pages devoted to Indian wildlife, sport, food, festivals, and crafts are interspersed.
It’s a great window onto the immense diversity of India and her people. Ages 7 and up.
Seven Samosas: Counting at the Market
written by Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Sehgal, illustrated by Jing Jing Tsong
published in 2024 by Beach Lane Books
The dynamic palate of India is celebrated here in punchy colors and a rhythmic counting-down rhyme as we load up on delicious food for a surprise party.
One girl and her grandfather head to market to purchase ladoos and samosas, mangoes and naan, singoris and faloodas, and much more. Don’t know what some of those are? Not to worry. A bite-sized description and pronunciation guide are right here for each tasty treat.
Buzzing with energy and joy, this is a snazzy intro to just a few of the many foods enjoyed in India. Ages 4 and up.
The Moon from Dehradun: A Story of Partition
written by Shirin Shamsi, illustrated by Tarun Lak
published in 2022 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Several middle grade novels have been written about one of the most pivotal moments in Indian history, the Great Partition between predominantly-Muslim Pakistan and predominantly-Hindu India. This picture book attempts to relate that experience for younger children.
Drawing on the true story of her mother’s flight to Lahore, Pakistan, Shamsi tones down the terror of that escape story and focuses her text on one young girl, Azra, and her emotions of bewilderment and loss. A sudden departure, compelled by increasing turmoil in the streets, means Azra’s family must leave everything behind – the food in their cooking pot, family pictures, and her beloved doll.
Lak’s compelling illustrations carry much of the weight of the story while still avoiding anything overly frightening. Images of vast throngs of refugees, the dense press of people boarding trains or simply trudging on foot away from violence, convey the chaos and upheaval. In the end, the story comes full circle as Azra’s family arrives at a house whose occupants also clearly fled, leaving behind the very things her family did. Their adoption of these precious items is bittersweet. I recommend reading the author’s straightforward history of the 1947 partition in the end pages before reading the story to alleviate potential confusion. A helpful piece toward understanding India and Pakistan today, for ages 6 and up.
A Dupatta Is…
written by Marzieh Abbas, illustrated by Anu Chouhan
published in 2023 by Feiwel and Friends
A dupatta is a long, wide scarf worn traditionally by Pakistani women. If you’ve seen pictures of Malala Yousafzai, you’ve seen her wearing one. It carries a similar sense of modesty and cultural identity as a hijab.
This lyrical account surveys the deep cultural significance of the dupatta. Colorful, upbeat images portray the beautiful artistry, jewel tones, and specialized patterns characteristic in different regions of the country.
Abbas expresses the far-ranging meanings and feelings associated with the dupatta, both playful and profound, in brief segments of free verse keeping the tone of the book light and airy. It’s a happy, interesting cultural window onto something many kids will run across in their own cities.
Yasmin’s Hammer
written by Ann Malaspina, illustrated by Doug Chayka
published in 2010 by Lee & Low
Yasmin and Mita are sisters living with their parents in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Previously their home was in a small village along a river where they grew rice and wove baskets to sell at market. Life was quiet there until a cyclone tore through and destroyed homes, rice paddies, flooded the entire area.
Rebuilding their lives in Dhaka is brutally difficult. Their father pedals a rickshaw, their mother works as a domestic, and the two little girls toil for a harsh factory owner chipping up clay bricks for eventual use as paving material. Yasmin longs to go to school, and with enormous effort and optimism, she and her family finally find a way to make that happen.
Handsome illustration work and lyric writing bring this difficult yet hopeful story to life. An Author’s Note tells more about the climate refugees of Bangladesh as well as child labor practices and the attempts by many to secure education for the children of Bangladesh. It’s an excellent, eye-opening narrative for ages 6 and up.
My Best Friend’s Bangles
written by Thushanthi Ponweera, illustrated by Maithili Joshi
published in 2024 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Selvi and Divya are two school girls from Sri Lanka and are best friends. They get along so well because they love doing many of the same things and because they both understand what is like to miss their ammas – their moms.
Their mothers, for economic reasons, must live abroad as domestic workers, sending money home to their families but only rarely visiting. The Author’s Note fills in important details about the historical and political reasons for this economic injustice.
In this story, envy rears its head between these sweet girls when only one of the ammas makes a return trip, bringing with her some beautiful rainbow-colored bangles as a gift for her daughter. As we see their friendship suffer, then watch them mend the rift, we come to empathize with the loss they both experience due to absent moms. Despite the weightiness of their reality, the story and vibrant illustration work pulls us into the warm, caring hearts of the girls. I loved this story and learned something new about the world. Great read for ages 5 and up.
My Mother’s Tongues: A Weaving of Languages
written by Uma Menon, illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell
published in 2024 by Candlewick Press
The Indian diaspora has led to populations of Indian peoples migrating all over the globe, taking their cultures and languages right along with them. This story, written by a teenager, properly appreciates their multilingualism.
She and her mom have two tongues, she says. One speaks the language of their childhood, Malayalam, and one speaks the language of their schooling, English.
This personal account tells what it is like for them to switch from one tongue to another as needed, reflects on how enriching it is to know multiple languages, and subtly defends those who speak a second or third language with an accent. With applications to any bilingual encounters, this shines a helpful and bright light on the richness of languages. Ages 4 and up.
I’ll Go and Come Back
written by Rajani LaRocca, illustrated by Sara Palacios
published in 2022 by Candlewick Press
Of course not every extended, global family enjoys the commonality of language and this especially impacts grandparents and grandchildren. In this story, Jyoti is visiting her grandmother, Sita Pati, in India for the first time in her remembrance. Although her large extended family all live there, for her it is a place completely new and she is soon a bit homesick.
Sita Pati speaks only Tamil, and this, too, poses some difficulties for Jyoti. However the two of them devise ways of communicating and their great love for one another means they have a warm and wonderful time together.
Soon enough the tables are turned and Sita Pati is visiting the U.S. Djoti remembers what it is like to feel estranged from everything familiar and the two of them again find ways to connect. Their deep affection for one another undergirds their promise to continue this going and coming back. This is a superb glimpse of both India and the complex lives of immigrant families. Ages 4 and up.
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To find more stories from the Indian subcontinent, see my list here.
As we introduce our children and ourselves to the varied lives of all people, we help build a welcoming, empathetic world, and resist the inhumane othering currently causing trauma and turmoil in the U.S and around the globe.
All communities are impacted by the abusive actions of the current US president.
This Saturday, June 14th, millions will take part in the
No Kings Day protests across the country.
To find out how to join this mass, peaceful protest for human rights in your community,
simply search No Kings Day + the name of your town or city.
