Author: Rajani LaRocca
Illustrator: Archana Sreenivasan
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
What an absolutely delightful read. Sejal is looking forward to an upcoming trip to Kanyakumari, on the tip of India, where three oceans meet. Though the book is about Sejal, Sejal’s mother, and her grandma, Pati, traveling, the author magically takes the reader too on this exciting trip. I felt like I was with Sejal packing her things for the trip, taking a car, a train, a boat, meeting friends and places, and eating delicious foods. And then in the end, as they look upon the three oceans come together, we realize it was always about Sejal and her family coming together too. I also love how all the references to clothes, food, places were so familiar to me – I had an instant feeling of home. My favorite page was the one where Sejal and her Paati are communicating in a mish-mash of words and gestures. Sejal explaining that her mouth is on fire after eating something spicy, maybe the pickles on the table, and Paati bringing a glass of water in a steel tumbler connected with me so much, made it real. A masterfully written book that will delight children and adults alike.