by Anitha Rao-Robinson (Author) Anoosha Syed (Illustrator)
Critically-acclaimed artist Anoosha Syed brings Anitha Rao-Robinson's stunning text to life in this story about getting dressed up and the enduring bonds between sisters.
Ruhi is ready for her weekend tradition: a dance party with her older sister, Kayra! Everything is ready to go--the music, the lights, the glitterballs--but where is Kayra?
Ruhi finds her sister getting ready for the weekly family gathering and carefully tying a sari for the first time. When Kayra emerges from her room, Ruhi is in awe of her sister and can't wait to wear a sari too. But her mother and sister say she's too young to carry all that fabric without tripping.
Ruhi fears that she's missing out on all the fun that her older sister and the aunties are having upstairs while she's in the basement with the other kids, so Ruhi comes up with an idea to loosen the adults up and bring everyone together: have a sari dance party! Ruhi spends all week learning to tie and pleat with her mom's saris so that she can show everyone the following weekend, and reignite her dance party tradition with her sister. But when the big moment arrives, Ruhi trips and her sari begins to unravel! Luckily her sister is there to help secure the fabric and get them back to their favorite tradition.
This beautifully written story by Anitha Rao-Robinson is about the tight-knit bond between sisters as they navigate adolescent milestones and the beauty of updating traditional customs for a modern audience, and features art by Anoosha Syed--the critically acclaimed and bestselling illustrator of That's Not My Name!, Bilal Cooks Daal, and I Am Perfectly Designed.
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PreS-Gr 2--Kayra and her younger sister Ruhi are very close, but on this day, Kayra's time to wear a sari (a traditional dress of the South Asian subcontinent) has arrived as she celebrates her coming-of-age. Ruhi is sad she does not have one, but this celebration presents her with an opportunity to showcase her creativity and resilience. With vocabulary words, this picture book for kindergarten-age children is more than a dressed-up story; it highlights family cultural ties and sisterhood as Kayra helps her younger sister overcome challenges. Although set to a small, black font, the festive narrative is spread playfully around the vignette-like and full-page gouache, colored pencil, and tissue paper collage illustrations, created in a soft palette of colors. Syed offers detail-oriented art featuring home decor that attests to the cultural setting of this story. Back matter contains an author's note about the saris. VERDICT An engaging and culturally thoughtful picture book for libraries, especially for a family story time focusing on mirror-and-window encounters with heritage families.--Kathia Ibacache
Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
A winning story about mingling old and new traditions.