CIAO CROCUS 2010!!

And thus the second edition of our in-house book fest, CROCUS 2010 - Celebrating Reading Culturally Unique Stories, draws to a close today.

As an insider, I recall the mail in early September, from Praba goading us to think a bit on what we could do for CROCUS 2010 and also capturing the 2009 fest for some of us newbies. We had 15 contributors versus the nine of the previous year.

After a quick round of brainstorming, it was very clear that Ranjani's idea to "explore uniqueness based on aspects that make up the crux or core of a culture" should be the theme for CROCUS 2010.

Being enthu cutlets/ pattanis, each of us would have churned out a review a day through this week but better sense prevailed. We did a max of 4 posts each.

Teams were formed and logistics sorted out.

The artwork for the evocative and much appreciated flyer was done by Lavanya and executed by Sheela with creative inputs from the creative design team comprising Meera, Praba, Tharini, and Vibha.

Consistency in look and scheduling (imagine over 40 posts in 7 days ) was superbly planned and executed by the planning team comprising Ranjani, Sheela and Praba. We brought you 6 reviews per day spread over 7 days.

The BR team ( Blog Relations team consisting of Artnavy, Sandhya,Chox, Madmomma, Kodi's Mom) publicized the event in a professional manner sending press releases to a network of publishers and bloggers such as Pratham, Papertigers, Zoe, Tulika, Starry, Monika and our blogs.

There was media coverage – features in The Hindu’s Young World, and an interview at Women’s Web featuring CROCUS and Saffron Tree. And mid-October, we even had a couple of feeler/teaser posts from Kodi’s mom and Sandhya.

On Oct 23rd, the stimulating CROCUSWORD 2010 by Meera was thrown open to participation. And with Ranjani‘s welcome post the celebrations officially began.

The reviews were organised by theme this CROCUS.
- Art including fine art, music, dance, theatre and craft
- Mythology and Fairy tales,
- Lifestyle including food, games and philosophy and
- Traditions & festivals

This we hope will help you revisit all reviews that belong to the chosen genre.

We traveled through time with an assortment of tales, modern and ancient, real and far fetched, through countries far and wide, some fun and some thought provoking. We pondered as to what possibly had been the authors’ and illustrators’ intention and motivation. We shared what we felt had gone on in the minds of both child and adult readers.

But whatever the style, content, genre or location, the books finally spoke the language of tolerance, generosity, consideration and oneness. In exploring the uniqueness of each culture, we also discovered unifying threads across the board.

We were enchanted by some wonderful people who shared the story behind their stories-through the main interview and via their answers to reader queries in the comments section. So much awe inspiring passion and talent -
From India –
- Author – Editor- Sandhya Rao of Tulika &
- Story teller & teacher - Geeta of Kathalaya
- From the US –
- Author Ferida Wolff
- Author T.V. Padma
- From Argentina-
- Illustrator Valeria Cis

Thank you all, for being so forthcoming, generous and most of all entertaining!

We were visited by some noted publishers such as Lee and Low books, much loved author Uma Krishnaswami and of course many bloggers, who share our love of books. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING US!

Going by the comments and emails we received, it was indeed an exciting and enriching week of discovery of many new/ rare gems and rediscovery of some old/ known ones. We note with satisfaction that our followers have increased and so has our traffic.

To adapt what Sandhya Rao had mentioned You, dear reader, are the star.

And remember, this is certainly not good bye to wonderful reviews and great books and interviews at ST. It is just that the pace will be a bit - no - a lot more relaxed. So make sure your grab a cup of coffee or tea and drop by at least once a week for reviews- old and new at Saffron Tree.

And Keep Reading!

RESULTS OF CROCUSWORD 2010

The Crocusword contest closed earlier today, the last day of Crocus 2010, and its now time to announce the winners!

Thank you all for your terrific enthusiasm and valuable support! And for your kind words in your emails. THANK YOU!

Without much ado -

The winner of Crocusword 2010 is The Davis Family from Naperville, Illinois, USA! Yoo-hoo...Congratulations!!!

The consolation prize winner is Shashank Swamynathan, Bangalore, India! Congrats Shashank!

The contest was meant to titillate guests and readers, young and old, during the festive mood of Crocus. And to celebrate books and reading in a special way. I think it did. Both! But here is something that quantifies its success - below are all those who sent in all (both words and the final message) correct answers, in the order they were received. We truly appreciate your effort and participation! That is why we thought we should gather you all here, under the tree, as well:)

(Please let me know if there is a correction in your name. Apologies if I have missed out or misspelt anyone!)

Asha Sivakumar
Chandra Iyer (& her family)
Cantaloupe's Amma
Katherine Aitken
Radha Thiagarajan
Anuradha Shankar
Bindu Juneja with 9 yr old daughter Amrita Ghosh
Simran Dhaliwal
Arundhati Venkatesh
Manju K
Bitsofchocolate
Vibha Balaji
Anitha Krishnamurthi
Gowri & Narayanan
S.Preethi
Balaji Balasubramaniam

Thank you all!!

Here are the answers -

FANTASY
FICTION
PAPERBACK
MAGAZINE
LIBRARY
PICTURES
MYSTERY
BOOKMARK
DEDICATION
AUTHOR

"READ AND BE MERRY"


Stick around for another whole year of words - words through books and reading, for you and your children!

A Calendar of Festivals

A Calendar of Festivals
retold by Cherry Gilchrist
illustrated by Helen Cann

Ages 9-12

Barefoot Books

Many communities around the world set aside special day(s) each year to commemorate a certain unique aspect of their cultural proclivity. Celebrated as a festival, these events not only stand to mark the cycle of our calendar, but also provide an opportunity to gather together with family and friends and rejoice, share a meal, and express our wonder and gratitude for life itself.

A Calendar of Festivals presents eight such festivals celebrated around the world, at different times of the year, starting with Purim in March to Russian New Year in December.

A one-page introduction of each festival presents the history, significance, and the traditional manner of celebration still observed today. The story behind the festival then unfolds, with bright and colorful illustrations.

For instance, the introduction to the Indian festival of Holi begins with, "Imagine being allowed to squirt all your friends with different colored paints!" Not having experienced this first-hand, my five-year old daughter found it exciting that children and adults are encouraged (and cheered) to indulge this way once a year, every year.

Celtic New Year fell on November 1st, known as Samhain. The day before was believed to be the time to scare away the ghosts and demons (symbolically our own fears and negativity perhaps?) by lighting bonfires. The book traces how this ancient Celtic festival came to be known as Halloween today.

From Vesak (enlightenment of the Buddha) to the Japanese festival of Tanabata, from the ancient Roman midwinter celebration now observed as Christmas to a relatively modern festival of Kwanzaa created by Dr.Maulana Karenga, the book manages to inform and entertain the young readers.

The book does touch upon the underlying deistic beliefs for each festival, drawing from mythology, folklore and biblical references. While the book doesn't intend to be a comprehensive list of popular festivals, or an exclusive subset of lesser-known festivals, there is a conspicuous absence of representation from certain cultures that would have made this book wholesome and well-rounded.

[image source: Amazon.com]

Day of Delight

Day of Delight

A Jewish Sabbath in Ethiopia

Maxin Rose Schur

Illustrations by Brian Pinkney

When asked about Ethiopia, I can only think of coffee, Haile Gebrselassie(the incredible marathon runner) and music. Little did I know that it is a country as diverse and ancient as India. This landlocked country nearer to Asia was once home to a group of black Jews called Falasha(strangers in Ethiopian). Most of them seem to have now moved to Israel.

This wonderful book is a story of a day in the life of these people - their culture, their traditions, food and livelihood. The book is choc-a-bloc with details that is sometimes over-whelming. I had to stop every once in a while to go online to find out more about what is being described in the book. If we take a small excerpt from the book, one can understand the details incorporated -

"Today she has much to do. Besides making jugs, she must sweep the hut with horsehair broom, prepare wat, our peppery chicken stew, and bake dabo, our white Sabbath bread. Simcha kneels in the dirt beside her, scratching alphabet letters with a sycamore twig" -

In that one sentence, one gets know what the women do when the men folk are out working(making jugs/clay items), what food is cooked(wat and dabo), how their homes are cleaned(horsehair broom) and what are plants/trees around them (sycamore). There is more if you follow the accompanying illustration - it shows the mother working on a making a clay pot and a kid writing alphabets (Ge'ez alphabets - one of the oldest forms of written scripts) on the dry, brown earth.

Imagine every line and illustration of these 32 pages book, working together to give us a complete glimpse of the life of these people. At times, one could mistake the book to be a non-fiction book. And this is good! In order to give a glimpse of history and culture of some region, nothing works better than a non-fiction book disguised as a fiction book.

Th book is about a kid called Menelick, his family and his extended family, the village. They are woken up early one morning with drums informing them that Sabbath, the day of Delight, is starting at sun-down. Menelick and his father, a black smith, go to work early; while is mother and younger brother Simcha helps around in the house. The whole village retires early that evening, in order to meet at the synagogue at the top of the mountain next day morning.

The illustrations - one look at them and one could only shake the head in amazement. The illustrations look very different and unique. It would make you wonder why are there so many distinct white lines? The answer lies in the technique that Brian Pinkney uses. He uses a technique called scratchboard drawing. His website explains it all - "Rather than adding black lines or paint to a white canvas or paper, he subtracts; it's almost like drawing in reverse. Starting with a white board covered in black ink, Brian uses sharp tools to scratch away the ink to expose the white board below, creating white lines that emerge to form the image he is trying to portray. ".

A wonderful book, a great stop over for CROCUS as we deal with variety of multi-cultural books.

The Whispering Cloth & Dia's Story Cloth

"The Hmong (pronounced mung) are an ancient tribe of mountain people who migrated from China in the mid-nineteenth century in search of freedom and a land of their own. Indeed, the word Hmong means "free." The freedom they cherish is an all-encompassing liberty that means far more than their independence from a political government or a system of economics. It is a freedom of the spirit, a freedom to be their own people, and it is the very essence of their being." ~ Carla J. Hassel

A brief look at Hmong history

The Hmong were strong supporters of the United States during the Vietnam war and were in grave danger both during and after the war. The war and its aftermath forced many Hmong into refugee camps in Thailand until they could immigrate to the United States and other supportive countries, which involved a long period of readjustment for them from their simple close-knit traditional life. Their folk art including their highly skilled needlework has helped them keep their identity and traditions.

Hmong history of needlework is a combination of both ancient traditions as well as recent adaptations, started during those long years in the refugee camps, as a way to earn income, by selling these pieces to tourists. Fine needlework has always been a source of great pride to Hmong women. Possibly the most difficult of all was the reverse appliqué called "Pa nDau" (sometimes spelled "paj ntaub") meaning flower cloth. Making one of these lovely appliquéd pieces is painstaking and takes years of practice to develop the skills for it.

Perhaps the best known form of Hmong needle art is "Paj Ntaub Tib Neeg" also called "story cloth". The Whispering Cloth and Dia's Story Cloth are two such representations of the Paj Ntaub Tib Neeg, and the newly adapted tradition of preserving the memories of their life and their culture, through this art form.

Dia's Story Cloth

The Hmong People's Journey of Freedom

by Dia Cha

Stitched by Chue & Nhia Thao Cha

Published in Cooperation with Denver Museum of Natural History

Published by Lee and Low Books

Ages : 7-10 years

The story in the book starts with this story cloth arriving in the mail, from Dia's Uncle and Aunt from a refugee camp in Thailand. But the story of Dia and the people of hmong starts long before that. To a time when the Hmong, became a displaced people, having lost their homes, and living out most of their lives in refugee camps, and later on, adapting to a whole new way of life in the United States. They took to needlework, to pass the long hours in the camps and also as a means of income. In the introduction, Dia tells us a few facts about the embroidery. That it is all hand embroidered. That even men would partake in the needlework to pass the time. That it takes many months to complete a story cloth. That no patterns are used, no measurements made. And everything is done by eye, and it comes out perfectly everytime! 

Through the book, Dia tells us about they Hmong, and their way of life, when there was still peace. She tells us a little bit about her childhood and her chores. And how everything changed one day. The story is vivid, through the painstaking embroidery pictured on every page, adding the graphic imprint to this story of sorrow and loss, and also to the spirit of survival and preservation of a way of life through a traditional art form.

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The Whispering Cloth

a refugee's story

Written by Pegi Deitz Shea

Illustrated by Anita Riggio

Stitched by You Yang

Published by Boyds Mills Press

Ages : 7-10 years

The Whipering Cloth is based on the life of a little girl that the author watched, while visiting a refugee camp in Thailand. It may not correspond to her young life in every inimitable detail, but it is the story of many of the Hmong people.

Mai lives in the refugee camp with her grandmother. She loves to sit at the Widows' store and listen to the older women as they talked, while working on thier pa'ndau, embroidered story cloths. All her cousins have already emigrated to the US and she is one of those who have been left behind. She, and her grandmothers and many others. Her grandmother ropes her in to fill in some of the simpler stitches, short and straight, loops, strands, dots. Until very soon, it becomes obvious that Mai has a natural talent for it. Much like her mother, who is no more. Mai gains in skill with the summer, and one day she is consumed with the desire to stitch a whole pa'ndau by herself, to sell to the traders. But her grandmother tells her very firmly, that if you do not have a story of your own, you are not ready to do a pa'ndau.

For days, Mai tries to think of a story to stitch. But all the good ones are already whispering around her. But a sensitive event of a restless night from her aching hands, is what finally gives her the story for her very own pa'ndau. Feeling very homesick and missing her parents desperately, she decides to tell the story of her own life. She labors over it and one day it is done. And she asks her Grandma how much it will be worth to the traders. Her wise grandmother tosses the question back at her. And from the depths of her very own heart, and from the memories lodged deep within every stitch of her pa'ndau, Mai finally realises, that what she has is not worth anything at all. Because the pa'ndau is not for sale.

This sensitive, aching tale is rendered in soft watercolor paintings and captures life at the refugee camp very poignantly. In addition to showing all the promise of life that comes from the creation of beautiful embroidery,  from scratch. Particularly sensitive is the soft sketch of Mai lying snugly asleep, in between her mother and father, a whisper of the life that could not be, making us ache for her loss and for her dreams, and appreciating the story of her people and this tradition of telling it through the intricate skill of their bare hands, all the more!


[Pics Courtesy of : Amazon ; Writing up a storm ; Willesden Book Shop]

Ismat's Eid

Title : Ismat's Eid
Retold By : Fawzia Gilani - Williams
Illustrated By : Proiti Roy
Age Group : 4 to 8 years


This story is an old Turkish Tale in a new and succinct avatar. Ismat is a shoemaker who comes across as a very contented person. After having made a good sale of shoes a day before the big Muslim festival - Eid, he decides to buy special gifts for his family members. He very diligently selects just perfect gifts for everybody - his mother, his wife and his daughter.

He is delighted with his purchase but then the shopkeeper convinces him that he should buy something for himself too on the auspicious occasion of Eid. Unfortunately there is only one pair of trousers left in the shop and that too a little longer for Ismat.

But this is not such a big problem, a long dress can easily be shortened - by cutting it short. So Ismat excitedly takes all these gifts home and requests his wife to cut short his trousers to make it fit for him but since next day is Eid, she is too busy making some goodies for the festival and she urges him to ask his mother to do this job. But his mother and his daughter are equally busy too, they seem to have no time to make the trousers fit for Ismat. Ismat decides to do this cutting business himself as it isn't that big a job anyway, he cuts it short and neatly hems the edges.

The day of Eid arrives, Ismat's wife, his mother and his daughter, all are ready in their new dresses. But there is a bigger surprise (or a shock?), when Ismat goes in to wear his new trousers, what the family members hear from outside his room are Ismat's shocking screams. Can you guess what would have happened? I don’t want to spoil the surprise, let's just say that a family is truly a united family when all members think about others and do a little extra!!! to help others. They all were stunned beyond words, then they had a hearty laugh and got down together to solve the problem.

What I liked about Ismat's family was their ability to laugh together, to work together and to be considerate for each other. Isn’t it what festivals try to remind us every year? This hilarious story perfectly supported with expressive spread of illustrations captures and brings out the true spirit of festivals.

The brilliant drawings are by none other than the well known name behind the beauty of many interesting books like - What Should I Make, Mathematwist and Putul and the Dolphins.

This book is also available in Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati and Bengali.

Image source - Tulika Books

Lin Yi's Lantern

Lin Yi's Lantern
A Moon Festival tale
by Brenda Williams & Benjamin Lacombe
Published by Barefoot Books

Ages : 7-10 years


The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival is a popular harvest festival celebrated by Chinese and Vietnamese people, dating back over 3,000 years to moon worship in China's Shang Dynasty. It is also sometimes referred to as the Lantern Festival or Mooncake Festival.

It is celebrated sometime in September or early October, coinciding to when the moon is at its fullest and roundest. It is one of the few most important holidays in the Chinese calendar.

 Farmers celebrate the end of the summer harvesting season on this date. Traditionally on this day, Chinese family members and friends will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon, and eat moon cakes and pomelos under the moon together. They also carry brightly lit lanterns, plant mid autumn trees and retell the story of the moon fairy, who on the night of the moon festival, might just be seen dancing across the face of the moon, like a beautiful shadow!

The story in our book is based on a celebration of the moon festival and all the excited preparations by a little boy, Lin Yi, who is sent to the market, by his mother to use his bargaining skills to get the best prices for moon cakes, star fruit, rice, yams, and peanuts for Uncle Hui, who simply loves them. And if after all that, there is still some money left over, he would be able to buy himself a red rabbit lantern for the moon festival that night.

Well, we can perhaps sense what may have happened. Of how he would have made his way to the market, dancing and skipping along, bargaining eagerly and buying all the items on his list, in the order laid out by his mother. And how he may have ended up not having enough to buy his cherished red rabbit lantern. In fact, he reaches a point, where he has to choose between buying Uncle Hui's favorite peanuts or his favorite lantern, which decorated in gold, looked just too good to resist. But resist, he does, albeit a little sadly. And goes home with his purchases of the day. And bites back his tears and puts up a big smile as he presents Uncle Hui his peanuts.

It really is touching.....to be a witness to this internal struggle, as much as it is an honor, to take pride in his internal triumph. And even more deeply satisfying to see that Uncle Hui has a gift of his own to give, to his little, sweet nephew. A beautiful, red rabbit lantern, even more beautiful than anything Lin Yi ever dreamed of having. It is a moment of happiness, such that we all feel like climbing the moonlit mountain, munching peanuts along the way and eating mooncakes on the top, sitting under the night sky, giving thanks to the beautiful moon, and perhaps being even lucky enough to glimpse a wisp of the shadow of the beautiful moon fairy!

The cover picture of the little boy, on top of the great, big moon, his face glowing in the soft light of a beautiful, red rabbit lantern in the mystique of the night, perhaps says everything about the illustrations, that lead up to this grand and fitting finale. And of happy endings, where you can close your book with a smile, knowing that all is well that ends well!

But the fun sort of continues, even after you close the book. For featured on the last few pages, are detailed instructions on how you can make your very own red rabbit lantern. Once Winkie set his eyes on it, he was seized with motivation, and quickly went about getting all the supplies, and without asking for any help whatsoever, crafted his very own lantern, with a rabbit motif to boot. Maybe we shall welcome the next full moon, with our own homemade celebration! Care to join us?  :)

[Pic Courtesy of : Mama's Little Helper via Google images]

The Year of the Dog

Author and Illustrator: Grace Lin
Reading level: Ages 9-12 (Grade 3 - 5)
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers;
Picture Source: www.taiwaneseamerican.org

We have enjoyed so many picture books by author, Grace Lin. The two that have clearly remained our favorites are “The Ugly Vegetables” and “Red is a Dragon”. Familiar with Grace Lin's simplistic and lucid writing style, I was curious to check out her debut novel, "The Year of the Dog" (published in 2005). I therefore brought the book home this summer for my 8 year old who seemed ready for middle grade novels.

Through a voice, honest, funny and gentle, in her novel, Grace Lin weaves a story revolving around culture, traditions, family, friendship and school. With no excess frills, she evocatively illuminates the experiences of Taiwanese American culture, an aspect of the American melting pot that many may not be aware of. The story begins with Pacy's family celebrating Chinese New Year. It happens to be the Year of the Dog. The main plot centers around Pacy, the protagonist, who hopes the Year of the Dog turns out to be a lucky one.

Pacy makes a new friend at school, another Asian-American girl. The two girls share many delightful moments together. From science fair to sharing aspects of their culture and even a crush on the same boy, the girls work their way in between two cultures. The weaving in between two cultures was completely relatable - an oft- reverberating theme in our family as well.

Pacy wins the natinal-book writing contest that year. The year does after all end up being a great year in which she eventually succeeds in "finding herself". Interestingly, the narrative is made of several short anecdotal family stories. The incidents and stories that Pacy's mother share from her own childhood in Taiwan, naturally help Grace/Pacy connect to her Taiwanese roots.



A realistic and gentle, yet a fun story sprinkled with interesting details about culture, school and assimilation enthralled my little girl.The text is also accentuated with precisely done, little ink drawings, which can be appealing to children who like seeing pictures in their chapter books.

The author who is also the illustrator has done a remarkable job in capturing the imagination of the young reader in my house. The novel is a quick read yet profound and can be fun to explore by children of all backgrounds. Discovering some underdogs in young adult novels has been lot of fun. I particularly enjoy bringing home young adult novels that portray diverse cultures. Friendship stories being one of her favorite themes, this book clicked instantly with my eight year old, whose best friend also happens to be a girl of Chinese-American heritage. Much to my delight, both the girls read the book and its sequel over the summer.

The Polar Express

Author & Illustrator - Chris Van Allsburg
Published by - Houghton Mifflin Company
Ages- 4 -8 yrs

Decades ago, to a Hindu child, not very exposed to Christmas or the rituals associated with it, in the pre cable television era, in India, The Polar Express with snow and a story centred around Christmas seemed almost glamorous. While I remained undecided as to whether Santa really existed or not, I would pretend that I could hear him as well and the magic of the story stayed alive.

When I read this great tale to my daughter recently, I realized that it is all about hope and believing. About innocence and all things tender. About the generous Christmas spirit even if one does not believe in Santa as a breathing living entity.

A really warm magical book set in snow. There is so much soul in the art and the words are equally moving. No wonder it was awarded the Caldecott Medal for children's literature in1986.

The story as narrated by a young boy- opens at his bedside on Christmas eve. While his friend maintains that there is no Santa, the boy keeps looking out for a sound. He does hear one and boards a train to the North Pole.

After this incredible journey, he reaches Santa’s abode. He is the chosen one and receives the first gift of Christmas. Not entirely in keeping with most children’s wants, he chooses a simple gift - a silver bell from the reindeer’s harness.

Santa gifts it to him but the boy loses it on the way back home. Lucky again, he finds it beneath his Christmas tree at home. With a note from Mr. C asking him to fix the hole in his pocket!

While his sister, Sarah and he are able to hear the bell, his parents only view it as a broken bell which does not work.

The boy ages and many years pass. Sarah, his sister, ceases to hear the bell ring but he continues to enjoy it - “At one time, most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound. Though I've grown old, the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe.”

The books plays up the magic of Christmas – Santa, Christmas trees, snow, elves, gifts, reindeer and most of all the spirit of kindness, simplicity and faith.

The illustrations almost look like photos or shots from a movie. Very evocative- be it the boy eagerly looking out for Santa on Christmas eve, the train engine cruising across bridges, forests with scary looking wolves, the very French looking chefs on the train loaded with expectant children, the huge army of elves, the boy’s contained joy at being chosen by Santa, his despair at losing the gift, the boy and his sister finding the gift again on Christmas day signed Mr C…. in fact every page and the huge amount of detail on it, is a pleasure for young and old readers.

Words are very effectively used to complement the soft, gently mysterious and beautiful artwork.

The boy remains unnamed through out. While one could assume it is the author himself narrating the story, I prefer to think it could be anyone who is reading the book, making it more charming and accessible to the reader.

Do visit the website to learn more about this book .

Miss Tutu's Star

Miss Tutu's Star
by Lesléa Newman
illustrations by Carey Armstrong-Ellis

Over summer, we read an assorted collection of books on ballet: picture and photo books, fiction and non-fiction.

One of them, Miss Tutu's Star, has bowled us over, making us giggle uncontrollably, even keel over laughing at times, that I wanted to dedicate a post to this delightful book.

Ms. Newman's lyrical text is catchy and easy for Ana to read by herself; and, is a pleasure for me to read aloud to both the 5 year old and the 2 year old.

The illustrations by Carey Armstrong-Ellis elicited un-muffled laughter as they told little stories of their own on every page, while managing to depict and complement the text successfully.

Selena is a little girl who does not walk so much as twirl.

Thus starts this simple story about little Selena who wants to learn ballet more than anything else. And she does, as the story culminates in her first recital.

What could be more inspiring than to read about a little girl who achieves her dream, with diligent practice and perseverance?

If this sounds fairly run-of-the-mill, banish that thought. The clever and playful illustrations conceal little nuances that we might miss in the first read unless we take our time to relish each page. I could relate to almost every little bit woven into the illustrations like:

• Selena's infant sibling on mom's backpack carrier is busy clutching a handful of mom's hair and tugging it
• Selena's mom starts knitting a scarf while waiting in Selena's dance studio during her lessons and manages to create a 3 mile long one which wraps around quite a few cold necks in the audience at Selena's debut
• Selena's baby sibling manages to crawl, toddle, walk - grow- by the end of the book indicating the elapsed time from Selena's first ballet class to her first recital

But, best of all is the portrayal of Miss Tutu, the ballet teacher - regal and elegant, yet kind and patient, - plus her little kitty. Yes, her little striped gray kitty. His presence in every page not only aptly captures the feline antics but adds to the mood of the moment through his human-like expressions.

Cat lovers can easily recognize the body language and expressions of Miss Tutu's kitty, adding another layer of hilarity in a book that is already jam-packed with mirth... especially as we see this frisky little kitty grow up right along with the kids, finally chasing a mouse as is his wont, on stage, during Selena's recital .

The last page showing Selena taking a bow is a masterly touch that unmistakably triggers convulsive giggles in my kids (and me, even if I won't admit to it in public) and ties in perfectly with the front cover image, making us give this book a full round of applause. Every time we read it.


While filled with witty charm that elicits chuckles all the way, the story also manages to elegantly impress upon would-be ballerinas the lesson of perseverance and practice leading to realization of one's dream.

Chachaji's Cup

Author: Uma Krishnaswami
Illustrator: Soumya Sitaraman
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Publisher: Children's Book Press (March 2003)
Picture Source: www.umakrishnaswami.com

In Chachaji’s cup, talented children’s book author Uma Krishnaswami, dearly loved and admired here on Saffron Tree, tells the story of a warm and initimate relationship a little boy and his father’s old uncle, Chachaji share. Through skillful storytelling surrounding a simple, yet precious teacup, Uma masterfully ties in a subject you won’t come across often in children’s literature - the partition of 1947 between India and Pakistan.

Teatime with Chachaji is very special. Sipping his chai, Chachaji often spins tales from Hindu mythology and Bollywood movies for his grand nephew, Neel. And during teatime, Chachaji always drinks his chai from a special teacup. But, the teacup holds much more than chai. It is a family heirloom holding some very special memories. Memories of partition and the story of a family and a country divided in two.

The flowered piece of china traveled with Chachaji's mother (Neel's great grandmother) as she migrated with young Chachaji from Pakistan to India. One day, in one careless moment, Neel accidentally breaks the teacup. Following this, Chachaji coincidentally falls ill. Neel feels devastated, but eventually comes up with a neat idea to fix the broken pieces of the cup and even find a special use for it. In the process, he also reconnects with Chachaji and grows to appreciate more the value of family and heritage.

I've been fortunate to come across several wonderful picture books written by Uma. In all her books, the prose has a certain charm that is hard to miss. The lyrical quality of her text never fails to lure me back to her picture books. I have delighted in reading her book, Monsoon, at my daughter's school. Chachaji's Cup is no exception. The poetic style awakens your senses, much like the sweet fragrance of cardamom chai. The description of the curly, swirling steam, sure enough, left me craving for a cup of chai. That, of course, I promptly made myself right after reading the book.

The drawings are lush, vividly colored and radiant. The close-ups and expressions pop out of the page leaving a lasting impression of the human faces and the family setting.The full-page and double-page illustrations, especially of the partition with refugees walking in long lines with their bags and belongings rendered a poignant feel. But overall, the book with its positive appeal is a real treasure useful in explaining to children a difficult topic in history. Uma's lucid description on the back of the book about partition provides an opportunity to take the topic for further discussion with older children.

In her books, Uma has the knack of capturing and integrating details about Indian culture and traditions. Stories illuminating the experiences of Indian-American families come as a rare and delightful treat in the world of children’s literature. Especially, considering the scarcity of picture books featuring stories set in the Indian backdrop, here in the west.

Perfectly brewed with a balance of history, family and traditions, Chachaji's Cup played host to several warm and cozy read-aloud sessions, while I cuddled with my little girls. And trust me, it is even more delightful when paired with a cup of steaming chai!

Market Day

Author: Eve Bunting
Illustrator: Holly Berry
Publisher: Harper Collins
Ages: 5+



Image Source: Fantastic Fiction

Come summer, the Seattle area fills up with farmer's markets. There is live music, stalls selling fresh flowers, sweet berries, kettle corn, people in bright summer clothes, curious toddlers by their side and babies peeking out of strollers. This past summer, rain or shine, we visited at least one farmer's market a week. We adored the liveliness and the energy in these weekly events so much that we resolved to do it every summer, year after year. We have made it our summer tradition.

So when my 5 year old and I read Market Day, we were reminded of the sounds and sights from a couple of months ago. Market Day talks about a similar monthly market in a small Irish village.

We walk through a hilly Irish village with Tess and her friend Wee Boy, spotting horses, color coded sheep (to match with their owners!), squeaky clean pigs ready for sale, sweet stalls selling unheard of, but delicious sounding treats. We see a variety of entertainment, from a sword swallower to a somersaulting monkey. We see a woman selling Donegal lace and "Tinker", the pots and pan repairman.

The authenticity of the text completes the Irish experience. Words such as ha'penny (half a penny), Wellies (Wellington boots), sweeties (candy), dearie sound like a tempting addition to my everyday vocabulary!

The undercurrents in the story are not to be missed. There is pathos in how the Jehosophat the coal walker, whose feet look like "corrugated paper", walks on coal hot enough to boil tea, all just to make a living. There is humanity in how Tess spends one half of her allowance on a bagpiper who doesn't have any spectacular shows, and the other half to cheer up her friend.

I did have one crib with the illustrations. In a picture book, we have come to expect pictures to follow the text precisely. While they did for the most part, there were at least two separate instances when we noted they were not correlated.

But this tiny oversight does not take the light away from the main objective of the book which is to give us a sample of a lively Irish tradition. As Market Day proves, a tradition could be as simple, delightful and satisfying as spending the day at the market with your very best friend, the first Thursday of every month.

What is God?

WHAT IS GOD?
Written by Etan Boritzer
Illustrations by Robbie Marantz
Published by Firefly books
Ages 6-12 yrs

The Big Question that has had great minds searching for an answer for all of history. Even for all of pre-history, which holds the beginnings of mythology and folklore. When anything that was not understood or was feared or revered was attributed to the divine- giving rise to multitudes of gods and goddesses. These had power over almost everything to do with life, and were often worshipped.

As philosophical and theological thought matured, there were many thinkers who thought deeply over this question, and came up with their own answers, passing on these as teachings to their people. Over many, many years, these teachings formed the basis of individual religions. Every religion has their own book which has all these teachings, and what they say is essentially the same- maybe done differently in different cultures!

"If everyone thought of all the ways
In which all the different religions are the same,
Maybe people wouldn't have so many fights
About all the different answers to the question,
'What is God?' "

A question, that we often face from our children. It does not matter if we do or do not believe in a God. At some point of time, children become aware of an entity called God- from home or from the world outside, and the question is popped. How do we answer it? Much depends upon our cultural heritage- what we grew up believing, and what we do believe in now. So by its very nature, our belief can vary widely the world over.

We had the question put to us long before I discovered this book. I do not follow rituals on a daily basis, but we do have the occasional pooja on festivals, if only as a part of the celebrations. There are also the bedtime story sessions which invariably feature stories from Indian mythology and the epics, Ramayana and Mahabharatha. Tales about gods and goddesses, an integral part of our cultural heritage.

So I sat down with A and tried to explain the concept of God in a way I best could. As a power that guides us in everyday life, as the voice inside you that tells you what is right and what is wrong, as something that helps us along when things are good, and helps us face bad times with courage, as something that makes the world beautiful for us. And if you want to call that power by a particular name, that's fine.

I was thrilled, then, when I found this book, a universalistic answer to the questions that invariably followed my explanation. Especially as some of her peers follow faiths other than ours, but in no way do they seem to be different from her. Questions like "What is religion? Which are they? How are they similar? How are they different? Why are there different festivals for different religions? Why do people of different religions fight? (Oh, yes, kids her age are very aware of this unfortunate fact!) What is prayer?"

Etan Boritzer, the author, has tackled many such themes, and among his many books we have titles like "What is Love?, What is Death?, What is Beautiful?, What is Funny?, What is Right?, What is Peace?, What is a Friend?," etc. The text is in simple free verse, complemented by equally charming full page water-colour illustrations on opposing pages by Robbie Marantz.

So, as the book answers the question- in words that can be easily visualised by a child:
"Maybe God is what you feel
When you stand on a very high mountain...and see a big beautiful view all around you.
When you hear beautiful music,...sometimes soft, sometimes loud.
When you see a million stars at night...and you feel very small looking up at them....

....If everything is God...All of us are God!" 

A book for anyone looking for answers to the Big Question- whether deeply religious, or just looking like me to provide an anchor for my child to have faith in all things great and good !

Image courtesy fireflybooks.

Padma Venkatraman (T.V.Padma) speaks to Saffon Tree

It's been two years since hosting author, TV Padma and Climbing the Stairs blog tour on Saffrontree. This CROCUS, we have the honor of hosting her once again on Saffrontree. Please join me in welcoming Padma! We would love to hear the latest buzz in her writing career, and also discuss her experiences writing for children.

1.From being a chief scientist on cruise ships to being the Director of a school in England, and later a PhD in Oceanography and a post-doctoral research stint at Johns Hopkins, your scientific and academic pursuits are goosebumpy and awe-inspiring! Could you tell us a little bit about the aspects that shaped your writing career? And in general, what inspired you to write for children?

Writing has always been my first love - even if I never admitted it to myself. As you know I've written for children and adults ... and I think both types of writing are equally challenging... writing for children inspires me in particular, though, because children are so honest in their appreciation. Adults may read a book and pretend to like it even if we didn't just because of peer pressure...and while children do succumb to peer pressure as well, at least they'd never pretend to like something just to make others think they're intellectuals!


2. Your book, The Forbidden Temple that we have particularly devoured in our family is a breath of fresh air in the genre of Indian historical fiction for children. Is history a passion as well, like Math and Science? Any interesting anecdotes on the research aspect of the book that you would like to share?

I confess I don't feel quite the same passion for history as I do for maths or science. Yet, my first novel is historical fiction (CLIMBING THE STAIRS) and I spent years researching the background for the stories in The Forbidden Temple. I'm not sure if it's an interesting anecdote or not, but I started historical research at a little library in Yorktown, Virginia, where I sometimes ran away to hide and read, just like my heroine, Vidya, in CLIMBING THE STAIRS.



3. After your debut novel for young adults, Climbing the Stairs, we are thoroughly excited for your upcoming novel, The Island’s End. When can we expect your next novel to be out and what are some of its highlights?

Thank you so much for all the lovely things you've said about CLIMBING THE STAIRS and all you've done to let others know about it. ISLAND'S END will be published in 2011 - late spring/early summer. It was inspired by my time as a researcher on the Andaman Islands. While there, I had the unique opportunity to be close to a tribe that preserves an ancient way of life - and it's about the clash of cultures between them and our invading modern lifestyle. It's also about their surviving a calamity that wreaked havoc in our modern world.

4.You have worked with publishers both in India and the US, and leading magazines. What is your advice to aspiring authors?

Be professional and be yourself. Be honest and be hopeful.


5. Your Diwali story in the Highlights magazine is one of our favorite holiday stories. What are some of your observations on stories and books that reflect the Indian-American immigrant experience? And also, how important is it to read a variety of books across varied cultures?

I think it's important to read books that AUTHENTICALLY reflect the diverse and increasingly global world we live in. For a while I left the topic of the Indian-American immigrant experience alone because I thought a lot of excellent books already had been written on this topic - but my third novel reflects on this question of identity.

6. Like many, having been fed an overdose of children's books set in the west growing up, it’s great that the Indian publishing for children (in English) is blossoming. What are your thoughts on books coming out of India these days?

There are several wonderful authors who write about India without making it extra-exotic - and I'm really glad about that. It's important for children to see active, positive portrayals of characters who are like them - heroes and heroines in whom they can see themselves - and there wasn't a whole lot of that when we were growing up...


7. Some of us are ardent fans of your writing and books. Anything in particular that you would like to tell our readers and contributors passionate about children’s literature.

I want to thank all of you who take the time to read my work. We are all so very busy with so many things and I truly am grateful that people read and respond emotionally and positively to my work. I would like to say something though - reading a book is wonderful, but unfortunately some of us stop there. We don't go the extra mile and buy the book - we even shamelessly say things like "I'll wait till it comes out in paperback". Well, here's what I think: go to libraries to read dead authors and go to bookstores to buy the books of living authors. Librarians should of course buy books of living authors and keep them on library shelves - but if all you do is read in the library, it doesn't help preserve and promote authors who are alive and need to make a living. I want to borrow a sort of npr-ish approach sometimes and say - a book is usually less than a week's worth of coffee...or a manicure... and it lasts your entire lifetime! Don't we all love to dip into books again and again - rereading our favorite bits at least? I know money is tight these days but do support art and buy books as well as read them!

I can't think of a better gift for a child - any child - than a book written (or better still signed) by an author you love or know (or maybe both)!

By The Light Of The Halloween Moon

By The Light Of The Halloween Moon
by Caroline Stutson
illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

Cumulative rhyming text with progressively complex build-up leading to a possibly anti-climactic twist at the end certainly has its appeal. At least for me.

The lilting text and whimsical illustrations seem to have appealed to both the five- and two-year old in residence, making this book a recent favorite in our household.

Celtic New Year fell on November 1st, known as Samhain (Summer's End), possibly coinciding with the harvest. The day before was believed to be the time to scare away the ghosts and demons (symbolically our own fears and negativity perhaps?) by lighting bonfires, which, history tells us, is possibly one of the origins of Halloween (All Hallows Evening) as celebrated today.

Halloween, with its roots reaching across many cultures, is probably not embraced universally - elements of anxiety and foreboding seem to be practically mandatory around this festival. Especially since the various supernatural and unearthly creatures are supposed to swarm the human world on this particular eve, seizing their one chance to live up to their names.

While we focus on harvest and read many wonderful books on the subject at home, it is nice to indulge once in a while and pick out a "Halloween" book, whether we choose to celebrate it or not. Especially when it has something interesting to offer, not just run-of-the-mill.

The illustrations in By The Light Of The Halloween Moon are delightful: All we see at the top of the page is a decrepit wooden bridge over marshy water that reflects a full moon, with a pair of legs dangling.

A toe!
A lean and gleaming toe.
That taps a tune in the dead of the night
by the light, by the light, by the silvery light of the Halloween moon!

Thus starts this tale, with the slip of a girl sitting by the river wriggling her innocuous toe.

One by one, a (thin black wisp of a spying) cat, a (watchful) witch, a (bungling bouncy breezy) bat reach for this tapping toe. Each one thwarting the previous one's attempt in order to get the said toe, and its owner, for themselves.

A ghoul, a ghost, a sprite come along doing their best to get that toe, while not letting the others get it first, quite unbeknownst to the girl who is quietly playing her violin under the silvery moon. That is, until she notices and...

smacks the sprite,
who bites the ghost,
who trips the ghoul,
who swats the bat,
who bumps the witch as she snatches the cat,
when he springs through the air to catch the toe,
that taps a tune in the dead of the night...

Kevin Hawkes (whom we first encountered in Library Lion) adds clever touches that are witty and whimsical, invoking a mixture of absurd and scary at the same time, on each double-page spread that has a pitch black night as the background.

As each creature reaches out for the toe, the tension builds up as the young readers hold their breath wondering who will eventually grab the toe and assimilate its owner.

However, the mounting suspense is beautifully counterbalanced by the little touches in the illustrations that even the two-year-old found amusing. For example, the expression on the little black cat's face when the witch snatches him and tucks him under one arm, while the saucer-eyed bat bungles on with a wild and startled expression, instigates un-muffled giggles in both the two-and-five-year old every time we read it.

Also, having a resident black cat, one of our much-hugged and totally-adored pet, probably helped nix any superstitions/fears regarding these sweet yet misrepresented creatures.

All that anticipation is not wasted when we see a self-assured girl stating in no uncertain terms, "Oh no, you don't!" as she smacks the sprite when it almost had her toe.

Now you get the picture, don't you?! The book is not so much about showcasing the scary creatures in their hair-raising form or dismissing them with goofy enough representations to inspire unadulterated laughter. It presents what could be a very real close-encounter-of-sorts if we let our fears manage us, while subtly planting the message that all the little girl has to do is stand up for herself and refuse to be intimidated or victimized by things that assume they have some sort of power over her.

At least, that is one possible interpretation this mom likes to contrive.

Although the supernatural world is crossed with reality when the girl encounters these strange beings while relaxing by the river, the book also presents a powerful tool at every child's disposal: "No! Go Away!" is all the little girl had to say to banish them from her realm and gain control over what she feels and experiences - tangible or otherwise.

The book is certainly not in the cute end of the spectrum, nor is it in the spine-chilling end. It has elements that could potentially unsettle an impressionable child, even if temporarily: why do they want her? what would they do with/to her? - are relevant questions in this context, but rather moot. The overall tone is quite cheerful and affirming - especially the last page where these creatures just disperse quietly knowing they've been categorically rejected.

The feet-tapping rhythm and lively unfolding of events, coupled with delightful illustrations, makes this book a real treat, possibly even an emerging a Halloween classic for us, much like The Night Before Christmas has become the Christmas Eve tradition.

[image source: multcolib.org]

An Ode to a baby

Lullaby - Etymology From Middle English lullen, to lull + bye. First recorded circa 1560, says an online resource.

Some lullabies, I think, are intentionally devoid of logic. Some are intelligently crafted to educate. While some are soaked in love, some others are plain funny. But interestingly most lullabies carry meaningful particulars of the land and its culture.

The books below are well enjoyed by my toddler and me, so much so that when read at times other than bedtime, he typically wants to at least lie down for a bit after our session.



Title: Hush Little Baby
Author & Illustrations: Sylvia Long
Published by: Chronicle Books

Disturbed by the materialistic attitude of the lyrics of the traditional American lullaby “Hush little baby” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hush,_Little_Baby), award-winning artist Sylvia Long has reworked it for a more nature-centric version. This one oozes warmth and lulls the listener and singer, in the same stillness of the night that Mama bunny and her baby in the book share.

The adorable details in the ink-and-watercolor drawings of Long, still urges the eye to wander in search of them. Like carrot prints on the curtains, bunny doodles on the lampshade and a quilt with a patchwork of playful things. Mama bunny points out to some of nature’s wonders around her porch and bedroom ( a humming bird, a lightning bug, a shooting star, a cricket and finally the moon), before kissing goodnight to her baby.

I sometimes tend to think that this version might still leave some of us promising our child the impossible, but I resort to the fact that nothing can be more calming than nature’s precious little things. Or as Sylvia Long claims in her note to readers at the end of the book It seems much healthier to encourage children to find comfort in the natural things around them…



Title: A Norse Lullaby
Author: M.L.Van Vorst; Illustrator: Margot Tomes
Published by: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books

A Norse Lullaby. That was reason enough for me to bring this home from the library. The book gave me the story later. The lullaby first appeared in January 1897 in a children’s magazine. When illustrator Margot Tomes discovered it, she wanted to paint the wintry Scandinavian landscape herself to go with the lullaby.
A family awaits the arrival of the father. The father is rushing on a sled to the “warmth” that is waiting for him at home. The children are playing. A baby is trying to retire for the night. Hush Hush in your little nest, And mother’s voice is singing.

The artwork is amazing. The greys and whites of a snowed in landscape juxtaposed with the reds, browns and greens gives us that perfect feel of the far North and its culture. Details of a traditional household are aplenty. The wood in a barrel near the huge fireplace, the rocking reindeer toy, the hurricane lamps, the clothes, the small wooden crib all transport us to the home that stands amidst mounds of snow, with the wind whistling on a wintry evening.



Title: Hush – A Thai Lullaby
Author: Minfong Ho ; Illustrator: Holly Meade
Published by: Orchard Books

This book stole my heart. And my little boy’s. Sometimes even our sleep.

The setting is a very remote Thai village. With native flora and fauna generously encompassing the small hut, a mother goes great lengths to assure her child of the quietness she needs for a peaceful sleep.

A blue cloth hammock carries a baby. Traditional Thai basketry, prints, fabrics and architecture take us to a Thai household. The mother begins her rounds by hushing a mosquito. She moves on to the cat, the mouse by the rice barn, the leaping frog, the pig, duck, monkey, even an old water buffalo and even…even...the great big elephant! Not surprising considering what the illustrations portray. Cut paper and ink illustrations of lush forestry in warm earth tones and a bold orange-red outline makes the images come alive.

Interestingly, we notice the baby getting out of the hammock and wandering in the background, just as her mother turns her back to her. My own baby took upon himself the task of finding his counterpart’s tiny depiction in every page. It was also immensely refreshing to hear and make rather new animal sounds, “uut-uut” for the pigs , “ghap-ghap” for the ducks and “jiak-jiak” for the monkeys!

As all living creatures wind down, Mother is also falling asleep. However the closing spread shows the baby wide awake on the blue hammock! As for us, the onomatopoetic verses in question and answer format are sedating enough to go down.
While some sing it by rote, some others make it a bonding experience. But lullabies, from Scandinavia or Asia or from America, are all delightfully hypnotic. A mother’s care for her child’s sleep transcends cultures.

Pictures Courtesy: Author and Bookstore websites.

Acker Backa Boo: Games to say and play from around the world

Title: Acker Backa Boo

Author: Opal Dunn

Illustrations: Susan Winter

Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books

When we began sorting through our books for CROCUS 2010, I picked up this book atleast 10 times and then discarded it before finally settling on it. It wasn't a story book, you see. But I eventually came back to Acker Backa Boo. It's a book on games for children. We've all grown up playing street games and over the years they've all morphed into one amorphous group that you cannot place geographically. For instance growing up in Uttar Pradesh we often played a game called Akkad bakkad bambe bo. I was surprised to find that Acker Backer Soda Cracker is played in Canada, UK and USA. Which came first? It doesn't matter. What does matter is that the games we think were ours have been played out across the world, for years.

The illustrations by Susan Winter are beautifully done. The book is divided into sections like Easy Peasy, Whose Turn?, Hands and Feet mover, Hide and Seek, Catch you, Singing, Ball games and more. Each set takes up a specific issuee, teaching children rhyme, rhythm, teaching them to count, make decisions, learn to play fair and take turns, improve their motor skills, feel the excitement and danger of being almost caught, escaping, catching a ball, and even the art of skipping.

Each game comes with a tidbit of info. For instance, did you know that the game Wolf, Wolf, where are you, came from France? Have you heard of Olika Bolika that is played in Belgium and Germany? What about Tickum Tackum from Iran? There are games from Egypt, Peru, Thailand, Zaire, Chile, Cambodia, Tanzania and much more.

The Brat, Bean and I, have been at the book for some months now and not yet learned all the games. There always seems to be something new and fun to pick up from it, to say nothing of the fact that they learn where it comes from. A section at the back of the book gives you the music for the singing games (if you can read music, that is!).

If you can get your hands on this book, I'd recommend it for the sheer fun of learning new games, jumping around manically and generally having a lot of fun.

Seven Spools of Thread - A Kwaanza Story

Pic source: books.google.com

Title: Seven Spools of Thread : A Kwaanza Story
Author: Angela Shelf Medearis
Illustrator: Daniel Minter
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Ages: 6-10

Set in a small village in Ghana, Africa is this story of the seven Ashanti brothers who fight and argue day and night. Their tired father leaves a conditional inheritance for his sons upon his death. The village chief hands out seven spools of thread of different colors, one spool to each brother and tells them about the conditions that need to be met so they could get their inheritance :

1. They must convert the spools of thread into Gold - and this to be done before the moon rises
2. They must not argue or fight while they are doing (1).

The Ashanti brothers are perplexed and angry. Has anyone ever heard of thread turning into Gold? They look at the threads for hidden gold but to no avail. They could each weave a cloth out of their spools but that would not fetch them any gold. Had their father set them an impossible task? Would they lose their inheritance?

How they eventually weave the threads together and create Kente (multicoloured cloth) and in the process how they follow the seven principles of Kwaanza forms the rest of the story. But wait a minute - what is Kwaanza?

There is a foreword on how the festival Kwaanza was begun by an African American Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966. Kwaanza (means first fruits in Swahili) is a community festival based on ancient African customs and is celebrated between Dec 25 until Jan 1.

During Kwaanza the seven principles (Nguzo Saba) are to be discussed and deliberated on. Umoja (I am we), Kujichagulia (Self Determination), Ujima (community responsibility), Ujamaa (economic strength of the community), Nia (personal goals that benefit the community), Kuumba (creativity used to benefit the community) and Imani (faith in oneself and one's community) are each celebrated on one day of Kwanzaa.

For an older child it is educative to try and find the principles in the story. The author includes a craft activity at the end of the book that involves making a loom and weaving a kente belt.