Available:*
Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Oakdale Library | EASY MAK | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | EASY MAK | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
When a seven-year-old girl eyes her mother's suitcase full of gorgeous silk, cotton & embroidered saris she decides that she too should wear one, even though she is too young for such clothing. Her mother tells her no, but soon realises how important it is for her little girl to feel like a big girl.
Author Notes
Pooja Makhijani's writing for young adults has been published by teen literary magazine, Cicada. She is the editor of the Under Her Skin: How Girls Experience Race in America: How Girls Experience Race in America, an anthology of essays. She earned a Masters in Fine Arts from Sarah Lawrence College in 2005 and is currently an Associate Editor for Weekly Reader, an educational magazine with games, quizzes, and articles for kids.
Elena Gomez has illustrated a number of children's books including A World of Prayers, Elliot and the Big Wave, The House that Jack Built, and Through the Heart of the Jungle. She has also illustrated greeting cards, posters and calendars.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-On her seventh birthday, the narrator helps her mother select a sari to put on for her party and they recall the various occasions at which she wore each beautiful outfit. In the process, readers learn that the girl's mother only dons a sari for special events, while her grandmother dresses in one every day. The child pleads to be allowed to wear one and her mother finally agrees, saying, "just today, because it's your birthday." Mama wraps the cloth around her, finishing with bangles and a bindi (a decorative mark worn on the forehead). The child's happiness is evident in her expression as she tells her mother, "I think I look like you!" The colorful, detailed acrylic illustrations complement the simple storyline by showing the designs of the various saris mentioned in the text. A glossary of the Hindi words is provided. A pleasant offering about family traditions that depicts a positive interaction between mother and daughter.-Margaret R. Tassia, Millersville University, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Featuring a rich palette of colors and intricately detailed patterns, Gomez's (Through the Heart of the Jungle) realistic acrylic paintings deftly depict the lovely saris at the center of Makhijani's (Under Her Skin: How Girls Experience Race in America) simple story. On her seventh birthday, an Indian-American girl begs to wear one of her mother's saris, which she keeps in a suitcase under her bed. In evocative, lyrical language, the young narrator explains that, though her mother wears a sari only on special occasions, her grandmother wears them every day: "The folds and nooks of Nanima's saris hold lots of secrets. I always find coins tied into the ends and safety pins fastened on the inside, and I smell the scent of cardamom and sandalwood soap all over." As the youngster recalls the specific saris her mother has worn at various events, she tries to convince Mama that she is indeed old enough to wear a sari, and the woman finally relents. The girl selects a blue sari "with gold flowers that dance along the border," and Mama carefully wraps the fabric around her-and even lends her fancy bangle bracelets and places a bindi on her forehead. A final, affecting illustration reveals mother and daughter reflected side-by-side in a mirror, while the child (responding to her mother's question, "So, what do you think?") says, with obvious pleasure, "I think I look just like you!" Narrative and art pay satisfying tribute to a treasured tradition. Ages 3-6. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Readers can empathize with the Indian narrator, who longs to celebrate her seventh birthday by discarding her everyday Western clothes and, for the first time, wearing a sari just like Mama. Though the figures in the illustrations look stiff, the rich patterns and colors of the saris are eye-catching. A Hindi glossary and a note about saris (and playing ""dress up"") are included. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
It's a girl's seventh birthday, and she wants to wear a sari, like her mother, who wears one on special occasions. "When you get older," Mama gently tells her, and then asks for help in choosing one to wear. Together they go through all of the saris, each one more beautiful than the next, each with its own memories. When they find a glowing orange one that Mama wore when the girl was born, it's clearly the best choice. Compared to Mama, though, the girl feels drab, so Mama finally agrees that it's time for the girl's first sari. The girl chooses a glittering blue-and-gold one, and Mama carefully pins it on, adds some bangles and finishes with a bindi. Enthralled, the girl turns to the mirror, and she is overjoyed to see that she looks just like Mama. Bright glowing saris float across the pages and frame this loving mother and daughter as they share memories and appreciate the beautiful fabrics and patterns. (glossary, author's note) (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
On her seventh birthday, an Indian girl watches her mother put on a sari ("so different from the gray sweaters and brown pants that she wears to work"), and she yearns to wear one, too. After all, she's growing up: "I don't need a nightlight anymore, and I can pour my own glass of milk." Together, mother and daughter remember the occasions when Mama wore each sari. Finally, Mama relents, and the girl drapes herself in brilliant blue fabric. The Hindi phrases are clearly defined in an introductory glossary, making this both a good choice for Indian children seeking stories about themselves and a welcome introduction for kids of all backgrounds. The story's universal themes transcend cultural specifics, though. Many kids will relate to the little girl who uses grown-up outfits to try on grown-up identities, and Gomez's paintings, as richly colored and patterned as Indian cloth, show the love and closeness as mother and daughter remember the past and think about the future together. Pair this with Rao Sandhya's My Mother's Sari (2006). --Gillian Engberg Copyright 2007 Booklist
