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When I first heard of this book, the title itself brought a smile to my face. The fact that such a book existed made my heart jump with joy. And once I glanced through a few pages I knew that I had to show it to my daughter and know what she thought of it. "My Dadima Wears a Sari", is a beautiful picture book written by the lovely Kashmira Sheth that sensitively brings out the unique bond that a grandmother shares with her American granddaughter!
Sari, in Sanskrit, translates as “strip of cloth”, that usually measures six to eight meters in length.
Most of us, who have grown up in an Indian household, would have seen our Moms or grandmoms wear the Sari. The Sari is unlike any other attire! It comes with a rich traditional, cultural, religious, and regional history. A Traditional Sari is in fact passed on from one generation to another! One could hear stories like - 'This was my mother's wedding Sari or this sari was passed on from my grandmother to my mother to me!'
Every day, Rupa’s grandmother (Dadima) wears a beautiful sari. She wears her saris around the house and around the town. Some are made of cotton and some are made of fine silk. Each is brightly colored and very beautiful.
“Don’t you ever want to wear a gray skirt and red blouse with round buttons like Mommy or a green dress like me?” Rupa asks. But Dadima prefers to wear her traditional saris. She shares with her granddaughter all the wonderful things that saris can do—from becoming an umbrella in a rainstorm to providing a deep pouch to carry seashells. Soon Rupa’s imagination is sparked as she envisions saris protecting her in the scary Gir jungle, bandaging up an injured knee, and holding a special secret for her and Dadima to share!
The book provides young readers with a unique view of Indian culture and tradition through an affectionate, sensitive portrait of a grandmother and her American granddaughter. Illustrator Yoshiko Jaeggi’s sweeping, colorful, and fanciful watercolor illustrations capture the extraordinary bond that unites families across generations despite cultural differences.
As Dadima takes us through all the various reasons why she likes to wear a Sari, we see a unique, special bond that she forms with her grandkids! This beautifully illustrated page I think brings out the essence of the book so perfectly.
This was one of our favorite parts of the story that culminates with Dadima showing her grandkids how to wrap a saree around themselves! My 7 yr old loved that ....and am pretty sure, she is going to ask her grandma to wrap one for her too!
