Materials from India
When a young girl in India discovers a slab of stone, she brings together her community to help dig around the stones, which reveals steps leading down to an ancient well–one that will cause an much-needed underground spring to flow once again.
Every summer, the branches of a little girl’s favorite tree droops heavy with mangoes. And this year, she is finally old enough to help her family harvest them. Her brother shares a memory about his first time mango picking: his father holding him steady as he reached high above for the fruit. But when the girl climbs the tree, she becomes too dizzy. Then her grandma shares a mango memory: learning, many years ago, to toss a stone that knocked the fruit from the branches. But when the girl throws her stone, she keeps missing. How can this little heroine create her own mango memory if she can’t even pick a mango?
Because his grandmother is arriving from India, Rishi wants to cook curry alongside his dad using the flavors from his family’s special spice box, but when he drops the box that holds the family’s heart and history, he draws courage and meaning from their treasured past to set things right.
Featured in WOW Review Volume XVII, Issue 1.
A young girl embarks on a journey of discovery alongside her grandmother, Paati, as they explore the significance of bindis—the traditional red dot worn between the brows in Indian culture. Eager to understand the meaning behind the bindi, the girl learns from her grandmother the art of making one. Together, they blend turmeric, sandalwood powder, and ghee in a clay pot until the mixture transforms into a vibrant red hue—a process filled with magic and tradition. As they create bindis of various shapes and sizes, the girl realizes that her bindi represents more than just a dot. It is a symbol of celebration during festivals like Diwali, a source of inner calm and focus during everyday life, and a connection to her cultural heritage.
Inspired by interviews conducted with children in rural African and India, author Aaron Friedland tells the story of a brother and sister, Shaka and Nandi, who must find a way to get to school safely. With their father having to go to work in a mine far away, they won’t be able to go to school anymore because of the long, and unsafe, distance. But after discovering a yellow toy school bus, Shaka and Nandi come up with a brilliant solution that will take the whole community to help bring it to fruition.
Featured in WOW Review Volume XVII, Issue 1.
Friend of Numbers tells the true story of Srinuvasa Ramanujan, who left his home of southern India in 1914 to study under the acclaimed mathematician G.H. Hardy at Cambridge University. Fascinated with numbers since he was a child, Ramanujan’s love of numbers and math keep him going despite the difficulties of adjusting to a place that is so different from home. Recognized as a genius during his time and our own, Ramanujan’s short but brilliant life is portrayed vividly in this picture book biography. The book includes back matter with an author’s note, a glossary of Ramanujan’s world, and mathematical content about number patterns and magic squares.
At the turn of the new year in 1948, Amil and his family are trying to make a home in India, now independent of British rule. Both Muslim and Hindu, twelve year old Amil is not sure what home means anymore. The memory of the long and difficult journey from their hometown in what is now Pakistan lives with him. And despite having an apartment in Bombay to live in and a school to attend, life in India feels uncertain. Nisha, his twin sister, suggests that Amil begin to tell his story through drawings meant for their mother, who died when they were just babies. Through Amil, readers witness the unwavering spirit of a young boy trying to make sense of a chaotic world, and find hope for himself and a newly reborn nation.
Amil and the After is the WOW Recommends Book of the Month for June 2024.
A boy makes one hundred chapatis with his grandfather while they wait for news of his new baby sibling’s arrival.
During the pandemic lockdown in India, almost nine year old Swara’s irrepressible spirit helps her come to terms with the death of her grandmother and solve a neighborhood mystery.
Malli loved weekends with her Paati. The head massages, the hugs, the engrossing stories, and most importantly, Paati’s delicious, piping-hot rasam. But then, one day, everything changed. And Malli’s world became dark and colourless. No more warm hugs, no more rasam, no more Paati. Can Malli find a piece of her beloved grandmother to hold on to?