How To Wear A Sari written by Darshana Khiani & illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff
Out Now from HarperCollins; 32 pages
About the Author: “Darshana Khiani is an author, engineer, and advocate for South Asian children’s literature. She is infinitely curious about the world and enjoys sharing her findings with young readers. If she can make a child laugh, even better. Her debut picture book, How to Wear a Sari (Versify), was an Amazon Editors’ Pick. She enjoys hiking, solving jigsaw puzzles, and traveling. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family and a furry pup” (Bio from author’s website).
Find Darshana Khiani on the following platforms:
About the Illustrator: “I am an illustrator of picture, chapter, middle grade, and educational books. Born in Malaysia, I grew up in Los Angeles and NY. I am currently living between Malaysia and Amsterdam. After receiving my BA in Illustration from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, I worked in the television industry as a character and concept illustrator for clients pitching children’s television shows. A year later, I moved to NYC and worked as a graphic designer/art director at a design agency” (Bio from illustrator’s website).
Find Joanne Lew-Vriethoff on the following platforms:
Khiani’s young protagonist is tired of grown ups treating her like a little kid—she can be mature, too! One way to get the adults’ attention and respect is to wear a sari. She believes she will become so respected by the adults and the other children that they will shower her with praise and affection. However, the narrator quickly realizes how difficult it can be to wear a sari. The specific tucks and ties she has to do to make it look elegant are just so confusing. Despite her struggles, she is determined to wear this sari and nothing will stop her.
Reading this insightful book was a lot of fun. If I am being completely honest, I never knew the name of this garment and this book helped me identify it. I did not realize how difficult it is to wear a sari, and this book helped to break down the process. The pictures were well-drawn and painted a clear picture of this girl’s struggles as well as how to properly wear a sari. I love that this book teaches that it is okay to make mistakes, to not be perfect one-hundred percent of the time, as long as you get back up and try again. This book finds humor by tapping into the kid’s imagination. By learning to wear a sari, the girl thinks she will become popular and respected by the adults, because in her mind this is the next step to becoming an adult. Utilizing kid logic can be hard, but this book executes it perfectly. I think sari-wearing girls will love this book because it represents them and their culture in a fun light. It can be life-changing when kids see themselves in media and have something or someone to look up to.
Sadelle Gibson, Pine Reads Review Writer