My Dadima Wears a Sari

Description

An Indian grandmother and her American granddaughter explore culture, imagination, and individuality through a collection of saris. Every day, Rupa's grandmother wears a beautiful Indian sari. Each is brightly colored and very pretty. "Don't you ever want to wear a gray skirt and red blouse with round buttons like Mommy or a green dress like me?" Rupa asks. But Dadima prefers to wear her traditional saris. Dadima shares all the wonderful things that saris can do-from becoming an umbrella in a rainstorm to providing a deep pouch to carry seashells. Soon Rupa's own imagination is sparked as she envisions saris protecting her in the scary Gir Jungle, bandaging up an injured knee, and holding a special secret for her and Dadima to share. Kashmira Sheth provides a warm, unique peek into Indian culture in this sensitive portrait of a grandmother and her American granddaughter. Hindi words defined and sprinkled throughout the text further add to the story's authenticity. Yoshiko Jaeggi's sweeping, colorful, and fanciful watercolor illustrations capture the extraordinary bond of love that unites families across generations and cultures. A note from the author and instructions for wrapping a sari are included.

Kashmira Sheth was born in India with Guajarati as her mother tongue and began learning English in fifth grade. She had lived in Bhavnagar and Mumbai before moving to United States when she was seventeen to attend Iowa State University, where she received a BS in microbiology. Before becoming an author Kashmira had many different jobs, including running a dance school and choreographing and performing Indian dances, working in a bakery, and working as a food microbiologist. She is the author of several picture books, chapter books, and middle grade and young adult novels. Taking inspiration from her own life and experiences, much of Kashmira's work centers on Indian culture and features Indian and Indian American characters. Yoshiko Jaeggi was born in Kagoshima, Japan, which is famous for its volcano. She drew her first picture in the ashes that rained from the sky. Yoshiko was trained at the Osaka Municipal Institute of Fine Art and has illustrated several picture books. She lives in Maryland.

"A strong depiction of family, this story shows how meaningful traditional clothing can be." -Kirkus Reviews "The continuous, loving exchange heightens the intergenerational warmth that's extended in Jaeggi's delicate watercolors, particularly in scenes of Dadima and the girls unfurling luxurious lengths of cloth. Young listeners will want to follow the appended, illustrated instructions demonstrating how to wrap a sari." -Booklist "Soft watercolor paintings capture the magnificent fabrics of Dadima's saris and accentuate this loving story of a grandmother and her two granddaughters." -School Library Journal