Review by Booklist Review
Readers are treated to an upbeat adventure in an Indian market as a girl shops for a gift for her mother. Her task is challenging, as there are so many lovely options: saffron to season the rice, jasmine to scent her mother's hair, a fan of peacock feathers to cool her. The list of exotic delights is long, and ultimately the girl's decision satisfactorily reflects them all. Cabassa's use of vibrant colors, contemporary styling, and myriad textures make this book a true visual delight, which is the point, for in addition to teaching the reader about items for sale in an Indian market, each double-page spread, through simple yet poetic language, teaches the names or origins of specific colors: indigo, vermilion, and more. Back matter contextualizes the goods at this market in Chennai and connects it to markets across the world. A beautiful exploration of color, a cultural touchstone, and an engaging read-aloud.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
It's market day, and a young Indian girl is looking for a gift for her mother. But with so many colorful goods on display, how can she possibly decide what to get? As she wanders through the narrow lanes, the dark-skinned narrator inhales the scents of jasmine, kebabs, mint, and coriander, listens to the beating of large black drums, ducks out of the way of rickshaws and goats, and sneezes in a windblown cloud of spicy red chili powder. In the end, the pigtailed protagonist stops at a bangle stall, deciding that, since she cannot possibly choose just one color, she'll have to choose them all. Based on the author's childhood experiences of markets in Chennai, the book's poetic prose actively engages all five senses. With a few well-chosen details, Sriram avoids making the story overtly Hindu: For example, the narrator takes care to explain that Amma doesn't wear vermillion powder on her forehead, something typical of modern Indian families that is often overlooked in Western picture books. The illustrations are colorful and vibrant but at times lack key details. Script on signs in the background--which should be Tamil--is instead a set of scribbles, an artistic choice that misses an opportunity to fully realize the setting. A culturally authentic journey through a modern Indian market lovingly told through the eyes of a child. (Picture book. 2-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
