by Meenal Patel for #MCBD
I participated in the Multicultural Children’s Book Day because there is a world of diverse books out there for all of us to discover. #MCBD is a fantastic attempt to bring these voices and stories to the fore. I received Priya dreams of Marigold and Masala written and illustrated by Meenal Patel to review as part of this effort.
‘Priya dreams of marigold and masala’ is a sensitive story of a little girl who is curious about where her Grandmother, Babi Ba came from. She wants to understand more about her culture and her roots. She asks Babi Ba every day “What is India like?” and Babi Ba describes it to her each time. In the winter, when Priya senses how much Babi Ba might be missing India, she gets together with her classmates to prepare a special treat for her grandmother.
I love the details in the book, the clang of metal pots in the kitchen, the drizzling of ghee on the rotli, the beep-beep of a tuk-tuk, the swish-swish of a sari. The alliterations and onomatopoeia immerse the reader in the sights, sounds, and smells of India. The relationship between Priya and Babi Ba is endearing and highlights the universal value of family.
This book is so important in today’s world to introduce all children to different cultures and to see your own culture represented in the books that your children read. The story brought back many pleasant memories from my past, my childhood home in India. Perhaps the best line in the book for me is “Sharing India with others is the very best way to carry it with you.” Beautifully said and so very true! Just like Priya and Bai Ba, many immigrants bring elements of their home into their new lives blending it in beautiful ways and sharing it with everyone.
There are a lot of activities that can accompany this book. Kids would be delighted to roll out rotlis just like Babi Ba does. A tactile and very simple activity with even play dough if not real dough. We got inspired after seeing Priya help Babi Ba make rotlis, to make round rotis of our own.
The other delightful craft activity is making marigold flowers. It is symbolic of India and the garlands found outside homes in India. We attempted to make marigolds at home today and this is one of our flowers. Maybe we will have a garland of it eventually!
Multicultural Children’s Book Day was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen. MCBD’s missions is to not only raise awareness for the kid’s books that celebrate diversity, but to get more of these books into classrooms and libraries.
FREE RESOURCES from Multicultural Children’s Book Day
· Free Multicultural Books for Teachers
· Our New FREE Teacher Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit http://ow.ly/kcbZ30p3QWz
· Free Empathy Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians, and Educators
· Free Understanding Developmental & Physical Challenges Classroom Kit
TWITTER PARTY! Register here
Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.
