Ritu in the sun

PreS-Gr 2--Nani (grandmother) and Ritu (her granddaughter) both have brown skin. Nani's is darker, and she worries that Ritu will become "as dark as me if you stay in the sun." Moreover, Nani is wary of exposing herself to sunlight. When she was a very little girl, she was told that the sun would make her skin too dark. As a result, she often stayed inside and didn't have a lot of fun. Gently and gradually, Ritu teaches Nani that her skin is beautiful, and that it's fine to get out into the sun. It's hard to teach self-acceptance and self-esteem to young children, but this book does so in an indirect, organic way. Though racism is a common topic in children's books, colorism is rarer. Adults will pick up on deeper messages, but children will easily understand that Nani is extremely self-conscious of her skin color, and that through Rani's loving words and actions, she's able to finally accept herself. VERDICT An excellent read-aloud for all children, this book will be a welcome addition to any elementary school library.--Benjamin Ludwig

A young girl of South Asian descent helps her grandmother grapple with age-old assumptions about skin color. Brown-skinned Ritu lounges in a sunny spot indoors, much to the chagrin of her traditionally attired Nani (maternal grandmother). Ritu loves the sun and doesn't mind her tanned skin, unlike Nani, who cautions her about turning "as dark as me." But a shift occurs one afternoon as the sun-worshipping Ritu sits with Nani and learns about her grandmother's own childhood experiences: Nani's mother worried about her daughter's skin darkening, and Nani felt lonely, watching the other children play. Slowly grandmother and granddaughter embrace each other's point of view and their collective past as this simple yet powerful and empathetic tale unfolds. Hossain's exquisitely crafted similes uplift the prose: Rotis "are pale and round and speckled with brown craters"; "aloo bhaji is like the sun, bright and hot and yellow"; and the characters' hands are the "rich brown of henna and tea steeped just right." Elegantly composed yet infused with a childlike sensibility, López's vivid illustrations blend past and present beautifully as Nani's reminiscences mingle with present day. Just as Joanna Ho'sEyes That Kiss in the Corners (2021) celebrated East Asian heritage, this picture book will be a welcome addition to South Asian diasporic stories and will encourage age-appropriate dialogue about colorism, self-image, and beauty standards. A joyful and tender story of building understanding and generational bonds. (author's note, recipe)(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.