A Sari for Ammi

K-Gr 2--A young Indian girl notices that, although her mother works tirelessly to make beautiful saris, she never wears one herself. She is selling them all at the market. The girl, who narrates but is never named, enlists the help of her sister Sadaf to buy their mother one of her own saris. They break their gullak, or bank, in order to count the money they have saved from odd jobs, then sell found items and scrap in the market, help a neighbor color threads for her weaving, and finally have enough. This brief and charming tale of a loving family takes place in the village of Kaithoon, India, and the text is sprinkled with Indian words that are defined in a glossary, alongside a brief history and explanation of the famous saris created in the region. Prabhat's boldly colored and cheerful digital illustrations fill the pages, presenting a vivid picture of the family's life and work, with hundreds of details to peruse during repeated readings. VERDICT This universal story of a loving family working together to care for and support each other, and of generous children who cleverly find ways to express their love, is highly recommended.--MaryAnn Karre, Binghamton, NY