A poetic story about the relationship between a grandmother and grandchild and the joy that can be found when children are allowed to express themselves freely, regardless of gender norms.
“My paati’s saris are stories,” a Tamil boy tells us as this story opens. He waxes poetic about their patterns, textures, and colors as he takes them out of her wardrobe and wraps them around himself. He and his paati (grandmother) then go shopping at the local outdoor market full of almost overwhelming sounds and smells, while he stays close to her, “safe and sound” under a fold of the sari she wears.
They go home and he delights in the scents of her cooking as she prepares for a party. At the party, there is dancing, and the boy (who wears a boy’s outfit) delights in how his paati’s sari swirls.
The next day, however, “my paati’s saris invite me to EXPLORE, DARE, BE,” and he tries one on, then runs out to the garden to twirl for his parents and grandfather. “They see me. ME,” he says. His paati’s saris mean home, family, and memories of his paati and him, he explains as the book closes.
Jyoti Rajan Gopal’s text treads the line between poem and story, focusing more on feelings than a structured plot. Art Twink’s illustrations are lush and bold, capturing (as much as a printed page can) the colors and patterns of the saris and the vibrancy of the people in the community. The book is a joyous, swirling, colorful delight, and notable for showcasing a gender creative boy without anyone questioning or teasing him.
