A Garden in My Hands
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- 4,99 €
Beschreibung des Verlags
This touching picture book celebrates the custom of applying henna for special occasions through a mother and daughter who share family memories and stories.
The sweet smell of henna, and stories we carry, fill us with pride of a faraway home.
There's a wedding tomorrow! And one little girl sits patiently while her mother tenderly applies intricate, delicate henna designs on her hands. As she does, she shares family stories--about weddings, monsoons, and ancestors long gone. The little girl must be careful to protect her hands as the henna dries--one smudge could ruin a story! After a whole night of anticipation, when the flakes are washed away, what will they reveal?
Lyrical text pairs with vibrant illustrations for this poignant picture book that blooms with heart, connects us to our roots, and sweetly reminds us of the the garden of love we curate with those closest to us.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Greens, magentas, and purples dominate this vibrantly rendered picture book, which follows a Southeast Asian–cued family applying henna ahead of a special occasion. "Stories and seeds/ Mama plants in my palm/ for a wedding tomorrow" begins the child narrator as Mama squeezes henna paste on their hands. Each motif has meaning: "pearls on a string, petals on a vine" prompt Mama's wedding story, and other designs represent "ancestors long gone." As the paste dries, the child—careful not to "smudge a story"—has parental help with nighttime ablutions. Wearing cotton gloves at bedtime, "I tuck my henna in/ and snuggle with my stories." Via saturated digital images that incorporate peacocks and paisley patterns alongside familial scenes, Prabhat's art juxtaposes fantasy, memory, and reality as Sriram details how "The sweet smell of henna,/ and stories we carry,/ fill us with pride/ of a faraway home." Back matter includes an author's note and additional henna facts and designs. Ages 4–8.
