Vivek Shraya’s first book is a collection of twenty-one short stories following a tender, intellectual, and curious child as he navigates the complex realms of sexuality, gender, racial politics, religion, and belonging.
God Loves Hair
religious belief
Cousins
In Cousins a little girl lives in two opposite worlds. There’s the house where she lives with her father and grandmother that is full of beautiful and expensive things, but rather quiet. Then there’s her other grandmother’s house where her cousin lives, which is always brimming with people. She loves her cousin’s world. But when she does something she regrets, she must confront her feelings of guilt. Eventually, she realizes she is very lucky to be able to move gracefully between two such wonderful worlds.
Bamboo Hats And A Rice Cake
Wishing to have good fortune in the new year, an old man tries to trade his wife’s kimono for rice cakes. Characters from the Japanese alphabet are incorporated into the text.
A Sunburned Prayer
As he makes a 17-mile pilgrimage to the Santuario de Chimayo that he hopes will save his grandma from cancer, 11-year-old Eloy is joined by a friendly dog that helps him keep going.
A Faith Like Mine
A faith like mine is a 
celebration of the diversity of religious faith, as experienced through the daily lives of children around the world. What do other people believe? How do they pray? When are their holy days? What are the differences between churches, temples, & mosques? ” Come & visit us & our friends to find out what we believe in & how we practice our faith.”