American Desi

by Jyoti Rajan Gopal (Author) Supriya Kelkar (Illustrator)

American Desi
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

For fans of Eyes That Kiss in the Corners, this poetic story filled with expressive art empowers South Asian children living in the United States and celebrates being bicultural.

Pavadais in bright gold colors

Jersey shirts and faded jeans

Swapping, changing, feeling seen...

Which is the color of me?

A young girl longs to know where she fits in: Is she American? Or is she Indian? Does she have to pick or can she be both? With bright, joyful rhyme, and paired with an immersive art style using American and Indian fabrics, American Desi celebrates the experiences of young children growing up first and second generation Indian American: straddling the two cultural worlds they belong to, embracing all they love of both worlds and refusing to be limited by either.

This story is a powerful tribute to the joy of being South Asian and for every reader who aspires to bridge their worlds with grace, grit, and confidence.

Select format:
Hardcover
$18.99

ALA/Booklist

This captures the duality of a child who has strong claims to her Indian heritage and equally strong ties to the culture she is absorbing in the U.S....Sumptuous illustrations...provide the visual metaphor for the many threads that weave together harmoniously in the girl's community.

School Library Journal

Starred Review

K-Gr 4--"Which is the color of me?" is the question at the center of this picture book in which a young girl explores her dual identity of Indian and American. Told lyrically, with bold adjectives that portray a universe of dancing, feeling, words, spices, food, bindis, bangles, fabrics, moods, and more, Gopal examines how young children make sense of their world when it crosses cultures through multiple sensory experiences. This book can evoke conversations of religion, race, and culture as the book discusses Hinduism, Indian dress, and baseball, among other topics. The language is crisp, specific, and concise, making it a perfect read-aloud for young children or an independent read for early elementary grades. The vibrant illustrations swirl with the colors of a marketplace, where there might be too many choices, but this small girl can handle it. What a celebration of self! This is a joyful book, for every age. VERDICT This rhythmic picture book articulates a common experience for young children who straddle two cultures. Highly recommended.--Tracey S. Hodges

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes



Jyoti Rajan Gopal
Jyoti Rajan Gopal is the author of American Desi and My Paati's Saris. Growing up, she lived in Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, India and China. She now lives in New York, in a quirky old Victorian in Yonkers, with her husband, where they raised their two daughters. Her favorite place in the house is the wrap around porch where she loves to gather with family or friends, read, write and drink coffee.

Svabhu Kohli is an visual storyteller. His practice focuses on the intersection of magical realism, conservation and art as a medium to understand our relationship with the universe and its complex life forms. He has illustrated for Google Doodle, The Guardian and GQ. The Desert Queen is his first book for children.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780316705301
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date
June 21, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV013030 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Multigenerational
JUV039250 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emigration & Immigration
JUV011020 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Asian American
Library of Congress categories
Identity
Picture books
Stories in rhyme
East Indian Americans

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