A Gift for Amma: Market Day in India (Book Review)

Interest level: Ages 4 - 8 years
Author: Meera Sriram
Illustrator: Mariona Cabassa
Publisher: Barefoot Books, 2020
Retail: $16.99 & $8.99 (also available in Spanish)
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Have you ever searched for the perfect gift for your mother? In A Gift for Amma a young girl visits an Indian market in search of the perfect gift for her Amma. As she travels from stall to stall she discovers a rainbow of colors: saffron orange, jasmine white, lotus pink, peacock green, vermilion red, and more. The way Meera Sriram describes the sights, sounds, and smells of the market transports the reader. If you are a cook, you will especially love the pages of saffron, mint, coriander, sweetcorn, kebabs, turmeric, sweets, and tea. 
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Mariona Cabassa's illustrations are vibrant and offer a sensory feast. The peacock page just might be my favorite. The richness and design lines repeated in the peacock feathers and herb leaves is so soothing to the eye.  

This book includes endnotes that further describe the items you might find at a market in the author's hometown of Chennai and introduces markets around the world! The real treat for me was discovering a page of photographs at. the end of this beautiful book featuring the author with her Amma and the actual market she visited. In her dedication the author honors her Amma's gentle strength. I feel the combination of descriptive text and gorgeous illustrations create a book with gentle strength, as well. I highly recommend it as a wonderful Own Voices addition to your home or classroom library. 

Purchase from Barefoot Books

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