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Synopsis
Naima excels at painting the traditional alpana patterns with which Bangladeshi women and girls decorate their homes for holiday celebrations. But she wishes she could help her father earn money like her best friend helps his family by driving his father's rickshaw. When Naima's rash efforts to help put the family in deeper debt, she draws on her resourceful nature to use her talents and follow the changing model of women's roles in Bangladesh.
Children's Literature
In Naima's Bangladeshi village, girls paint alpanas, patterned decorations adorning the pathways on special occasions, and boys drive rickshaws. Naima fiercely resents the fact that she is unable to do any work that would help her impoverished family survive: "All that a girl could do was cook, clean, wash clothes, and decorate. . . Painting alpanas wouldn't help Father get rest. Or add to their earnings. It was a waste of time." When Naima tries to drive her father's beautiful new rickshaw, disaster ensues, and the family's only source of livelihood is ruined—all Naima's fault for her heedless attempt at helping. While this twist of the story is almost unbearably heartbreaking, Perkins, who was born in India and lived for a while in Bangladesh, manages to make everything come right, as Naima's artistic skills prove unexpectedly valuable, after all. Readers will share in Naima's hopes and disappointments, and will appreciate the love and loyalty of her family, while vicariously experiencing what it is like to live in contemporary Bangladesh in a time of transitioning gender roles. Hogan's accompanying illustrations complement the story effectively and provide accurate renderings of the alpanas Naima loves to paint.