Anni Dreams of Biryani

Description

The cafe across the street from Anni's home in Little India makes the best biryani in the world. Fluffy and fragrant, spicy and succulent-Anni could eat it every day. In fact, Anni loves that biryani so much that she's determined to uncover the secret to the recipe. She has so many questions for Uncle, the grumpy chef and owner of the cafe. But he isn't providing any easy clues. So, with some careful planning, Anni sets out on a mission to find out the secret ingredients to this most special dish. Will Anni get the answers she's looking for...before it's too late?

Namita Moolani Mehra is a children's book author, cookbook author, and a food and parenting writer. She wrote the children's cookbooks The Magic Spicebox and Superfoods for Superheroes. Anni Dreams of Biryani is her first picture book. Namita also runs a social-impact business called Indian Spicebox that helps fund hot meals for underprivileged children in India. Namita was born in a remote village in Nigeria, grew up in the UK and India, studied in Chicago, and worked in New York for over a decade. She currently lives in Singapore with her husband and two children. Learn more at www.namitamehra.com, and follow her on Twitter @namstwit. Chaaya Prabhat is an illustrator based in Chennai, India. She holds an MA in graphic design from Savannah College of Art and Design. She has illustrated several picture books, including Bracelets for Bina's Brothers, written by Rajani LaRocca. In addition to her books, Chaaya has created illustrations for numerous clients, such as Google, Facebook, Snapchat, the Obama Foundation, the Times of India, and more. Learn more at www.chaayaprabhat.com, and follow her on Instagram @Chaaya23.

"Mehra's text brings to life the sights, sounds, and smells of the neighborhood, while Prabhat's vivid and effusive digital illustrations weave in expressive faces and cultural details, including the biryani ingredients and scenes of dirty dishes in the sink...A curious and determined young cook gets her biryani recipe in this tale to savor." -Kirkus Reviews "This title will have readers scrambling, recipe in hand, to their kitchens or a South Asian restaurant for a taste of biryani... Anni's plucky vivaciousness and a heartwarming resolution will leave readers smiling." -Booklist