Asha and the Toymaker

by Sakshi Mangal (Author) Sakshi Mangal (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

A heartwarming story about the value of art, set in the evocative Blue City of India.

Asha's papa makes and sells wooden toys to pay for her to go to school. But Papa struggles to find buyers. And this makes him worry. He worries Asha's life will also be a struggle unless she focuses on her schoolwork, which he never had the chance to do. Can Asha's art help Papa? Will he let her try?

Author and illustrator Sakshi Mangal drew inspiration from her childhood in India for this sweet picture book. It celebrates the life-changing power of art in the real world, and offers children an opportunity to explore the concept of color and the influence of the visual arts in their everyday lives.

Asha's touching generosity and resourcefulness also show how even a very young child can make a difference and provide a wonderful character education lesson on initiative. Mangal's colorful art depicts the Indian city of Jodhpur, known as the Blue City for its many buildings painted a distinctive shade of blue.

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Hardcover
$21.99

Kirkus

A tender depiction of a loving, working-class Indian family.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 3--This picture book represents the beauty of India through color and pattern choices in the illustrations. The simple text introduces Asha and her family, then expands to a story of love and artistry. Papa creates amazing wooden toys to sell at the market to help provide for his family, but sometimes, Asha explains, he doesn't sell a single toy. Readers are immediately able to identify why that might be, as his beautiful though plain wooden toys are starkly contrasted with the bright colors and vivid patterns at the market. Because of Papa's past poverty, he wants Asha to concentrate on her studies and on creating a better life than he had as a child. He encourages her to focus more on school and less on painting, but Asha wants to prove to Papa that her art is not a waste of time and help him be a success. Mangal perfectly paces the story, all the while showing the strength of a family and the tenacity of a child; the text introduces a few Hindi words such as lakdi ki kathi and damaru. The pictures show representation of different skin tones and abilities, while also capturing the atmosphere of an Indian market. VERDICT With a well-told story whose simple illustrations convey complex emotions, this book will be a great addition to any library.--Jessica Clark

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes




Sakshi Mangal
Sakshi Mangal is naturally drawn toward the fascinating world of children's book illustration--- the bold colors and scribbly lines inspire her work. Drawing inspiration from her own childhood, she finds immense joy in imagining the world through children's eyes where bears are getting ready for a tea party and the squirrels are dancing to Spring. She grew up in the colorful city of Mumbai, India, and then moved to England to complete a master's degree from the Cambridge School of Art in Children's Book Illustration. Since then, she has been illustrating and developing picture books from her home studio in Vancouver, Canada, where she spends her day creating new book ideas and working on her favorite picture book projects. Every year, Sakshi spends months in her hometown, Mumbai, to seek inspiration from its rich cultural heritage, the colorful bazaars and centuries-old streets, and to explore the mouthwatering Indian cuisine.
Classification
-
ISBN-13
9781525306662
Lexile Measure
520
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Kids Can Press
Publication date
October 03, 2023
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV003000 - Juvenile Fiction | Art & Architecture
JUV013000 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | General
JUV014000 - Juvenile Fiction | Girls & Women
Library of Congress categories
-

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