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Happy Asian American Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month! Here are a few books to check out that feature Indian American families. Thank you @candlewickpress and @randomhousestudio @randomhousekids for the gifted copies!
Many Things at Once by Veera Hiranandani; illustrated by Nadia Alam
A book about a biracial girl whose family is also interfaith. I love how the history and reasons behind her families migration was shared. On her mother’s side her grandparents were Jews who escaped the pogroms in Poland in the 1920s. On her father’s side her grandparents had to relocate to another part of India after Great Britain refined the country borders and created Pakistan. The illustrations are set up to feel like a family photo album. The girl shares her feelings about being Indian American, Hindu and Jewish. While her family encourages her, sometimes she feels like she doesn’t really fit in anywhere. A great book to discuss family history and feelings of belonging. Also Happy Jewish Heritage Month!
Mountie and Me by Rajani LaRocca; illustrated by Nadia Alam
If you grew up with a big family, then you might be familiar with some of the aspects of this story. Priya has a lot of cousins, but when everyone gathers, she is often left by herself. Thankfully she has a favorite aunt that she calls Mauntie that always plays with her. But when a new cousin her age moves to town, Priya does not like the idea of having to share Mauntie. This story is about dealing with jealousy, changing relationships and making room for possibilities. Nadia Alam is also the illustrator of this family story and I love how her style captures the emotions of the characters.
Eli and the Uncles by Jehan Madhani; illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh
This is a fun and funny book about a young boy who has eight fun uncles. All of them have a beard with a different twist and each of them has their own personality that Eli loves. The story captures a hilarious visit between Eli and his uncles. It’s a great bedtime book option. Meeting each uncle serves as a countdown that then reverses as Eli begins to drift to sleep. Loved the illustrations and how they captured the descriptions of each uncle.
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