American Desi
Lovely celebration of Indian and American cultures blending.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that American Desi, by Jyoti Rajan Gopal, is a gorgeous celebration of the ways Indian and American backgrounds combine in a family's life. ("Desi" refers to people of Indian, Pakistani, or Bangladeshi heritage who live in another country.) Eye-catching illustrations by Supriya Kelkar splash color across the pages as a young girl recounts the many differences in food, clothes, rituals, and events, and the smaller differences in colors, sounds, and sports. There's joy, love, and gratitude throughout the book, and a lot of ways for young readers to see how the two cultures are both similar and different.
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What's the Story?
The young girl in AMERICAN DESI talks about the ways her Indian heritage weaves into her American life, from the foods she eats, the clothes she wears, the sounds of her words, the games she watches, and the small details of her everyday world. She sees that she doesn't need to choose one over the other, that she can bridge her worlds together, celebrating all aspects of herself.
Is It Any Good?
This gorgeous, warm picture book celebrates the differences in big moments and small details that are part of a multicultural life, centering the everyday life of an Indian American family. American Desi makes moments remarkable with a loving theme of inclusion, that the family gives space to grow and there's no need to hide any part of the person the child is becoming as she navigates and celebrates her past and her present. The illustrations are especially engaging, full of colors and textures that reflect a blended life.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about ways the family in American Desi blends traditions. What traditions do have from the different sides of your family?
Not every family has such clear cultural differences as the family in American Desi. But every family has things that make it unique. What are some of the things that make your family unique? What do you do differently from your neighbors and friends? What's the same?
How do you like the art in American Desi? Which page is your favorite? Why?
Book Details
- Author: Jyoti Rajan Gopal
- Illustrator: Supriya Kelkar
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Great Girl Role Models
- Character Strengths: Gratitude
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: June 21, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Number of pages: 40
- Available on: Hardback
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: July 8, 2022
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For kids who love tales of inclusion and stories with Desi characters
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