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Synopsis
An Indian grandmother and her American granddaughter explore culture, imagination, and individuality through a collection of saris.Every day, Rupa's grandmother wears a beautiful Indian sari. Each is brightly colored and very pretty. "Don't you ever want to wear a gray skirt and red blouse with round buttons like Mommy or a green dress like me?" Rupa asks. But Dadima prefers to wear her traditional saris.
Dadima shares all the wonderful things that saris can do—from becoming an umbrella in a rainstorm to providing a deep pouch to carry seashells. Soon Rupa's own imagination is sparked as she envisions saris protecting her in the scary Gir Jungle, bandaging up an injured knee, and holding a special secret for her and Dadima to share.
Kashmira Sheth provides a warm, unique peek into Indian culture in this sensitive portrait of a grandmother and her American granddaughter. Hindi words defined and sprinkled throughout the text further add to the story's authenticity.
Yoshiko Jaeggi's sweeping, colorful, and fanciful watercolor illustrations capture the extraordinary bond of love that unites families across generations and cultures. A note from the author and instructions for wrapping a sari are included.
Editorials
Children's Literature -
This book features two young American sisters as they describe their East Indian grandmother, who always wears her sari. When they ask her why, she shows them the many ways she can use it, to fan a breeze when it's hot, or cover their heads in a rain shower. The girls begin to imagine other uses as well. Dadima then shows them her many saris, in different colors and fabrics, and describes her three favorites from special occasions in her life. Finally, she shows the girls how to put on a sari, so they all are wearing them. Transparent watercolors project the delicacy and colors of the materials of the saris as well as the various scenes, both real and imaginary, where the saris are worn or used. Warm family affection is evident in both story and illustrations. The end-papers are a plus, adding almost a dozen patterns, some of which appear incorporated in the saris or decorations in the story. The author adds a personal note on the sari in her life, along with instructions on how to wrap a sari, complete with photographs.School Library Journal
K-Gr 3
Soft watercolor paintings capture the magnificent fabrics of Dadima's saris and accentuate this loving story of a grandmother and her two granddaughters. When Rupa, the older girl, asks if Dadima misses wearing skirts or blouses or pants, the woman responds, "I never thought about it." When she asks, "Why not?" Dadima explains that it is because she can do so much with her sari. She can use the end, the pallu , as a fan for cooling, as a pocket for carrying shells, or as an umbrella in case of an unexpected storm. Inspired, Rupa generates a few ideas of her own, including tying a knot in the sari to remind her grandmother to give her a hug. A wonderful complement to Sandhya Rao's My Mother's Sari (North-South, 2006), this text, too, explains how to wrap the garment.
—Alexa SandmannCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.