India

Materials from India

Child of Dandelions

The river of jubilant people alarmed Sabine as they bobbed along Allidina Visram Street in Kampala….The dark faces drew closer. Women in bright gomesi and headscarves danced, and bare-chested men punched their fists into the air, chanting, “Muhindi, nenda nyumbani! Indian go home.”Sabine felt she was drowning in their cries.In August 1972, President Idi Amin declares that a message from God has come to him in a dream: all foreign Indians must be “weeded out” of Uganda in the next ninety days. Fifteen-year-old Sabine and her father, a successful businessman, are confident that their family will not be affected, since they are Ugandan citizens, but Sabine’s fearful mother is certain that they will have to leave.As the ninety days tick by, the President’s message – the “countdown monster,” as Sabine calls it – is broadcast every day on the radio, and life becomes more difficult for her family and other Indians in Uganda. Sabine tries to hold on to her optimism, counting on her best friend, Zena, and her grandfather, Bapa, to keep her spirits up, but after her beloved uncle Zulfiqar disappears and Zena turns against her, Sabine begins to share her mother’s fears. When a new law is declared on the radio – all Indians must leave – Sabine and her family have a hard decision to make. Should they stay and defend their rights, or should they go? And how will they begin a new life in a different land?

See the review at WOW Review, Volume 4, Issue 2

Divali Rose

Ricki is looking forward to Divali, the Hindu Festival of Lights. He’s also waiting for two special rosebuds to bloom. The buds are on the bush that his grandfather had planted in the front yard. His grandfather promises that the roses will be the color of Divali. One morning, on his way to school, Ricki bends one of the rosebuds to get a closer look and accidentally snaps it off. When his grandfather believes the new neighbors have stolen his rosebud, Ricki must summon the courage to confess what he has done.

Mama’s Saris

When a young girl eyes her mother’s suitcase full of silk, cotton and embroidered saris, she decides that she, too, should wear one, even though she is too young for such clothing. When the mother finally realizes how important it is for her little girl to feel like a big girl on her seventh birthday, she dresses up her daughter in the folds of a blue sari. The daughter is thrilled to look just like her mother, even if only for a day.

The Rich Man and the Parrot

In this retelling of a tale by Rumi, a parrot tricks a wealthy merchant into setting him free.

Elephants Never Forget!

When a terrible storm scatters a group of elephants, a little elephant finds himself all alone in the jungle. Where can he turn? The water buffalo look nice enough, but he couldn’t become a part of their herd. He decides to stay with them, but when they meet up with some elephants, he must make an important decision.

When I Met the Wolf Girls

Two little girls—raised by wolves—have just arrived at the orphanage, and life will never be the same. Based on a true story, this book is about many things at once: family, friendship, and what it means to have a home.