Henna is . .

What is henna? And why do we use it? Each spread of this picture book begins with a brief statement about henna, a powdered dye made from leaves of the henna tree. "Henna is nature," Abbas tells us, "seeds sprouted into shrubs / leaves kissed by tropical rain / Plucked and dried under the golden sun / Pounded to powder." Readers learn about henna's various hues ("Henna is color / The orange of juicy mangoes… / Bright and smooth green… / Sun-kissed brown … / Black like kohl") and where it's commonly used: "Henna is place / South Asian / North and East African / Middle Eastern." Marrying both art and function, henna can be used everyday or for special occasions. It looks beautiful when applied to the skin, it can be used to condition hair, and it's a cooling agent, too. Henna is intricately tied to celebrations such as weddings, birthdays, and baby showers, as well as holidays including Diwali and Eid. Most pages end with the refrain "But henna is so much more" as Abbas segues into another aspect of henna. Writing in vivid, sensory language, she offers an all-encompassing exploration of the topic, accompanied by Chouhan's enticing illustrations dominated by floral patterns and symbols from the various cultures where henna is popular. Nontraditional henna designs--smiley faces, ice cream cones, thunderbolts--appear, too, lending a playfulness to the art. A joyful look at an important cultural tradition. (author's note) (Informational picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.