(2) K-3 Illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy. A young girl passes by an unremarkable patch of ground on her way to and from school. One day she notices "something small and gray beneath a clump of weeds." She and her friends clear some of the weeds and accumulated garbage and find "stones upon even more stones." The children tell their elders, and word spreads throughout the neighboring villages. Everyone helps dig until they unearth steps leading to an ancient well. The girl's grandmother recalls stories from long ago about old wells that caught rainwater. And when the rains come, waking up "deep, sleeping springs," they send water to the old well. Slowly the dry and dusty fields turn green, and butterflies, bees, crickets, and other creatures return. Resembling tribal Gond art, the acrylic, poster-color, and watercolor illustrations are rich with details of traditional Indian village life, including people collecting firewood, women balancing water pots, carts piled with fruits and vegetables. Accompanying the lively prose, Krishnaswami's refrain -- "Look! Look!" -- captures the joy of discovery that unites the community. As the villagers work together to clear out the abandoned well, they learn about ancient methods of water preservation that bring the fields, flora, and fauna back to life. An author's note provides context.

Reviewer: Sadaf Siddique | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) 4-6 In WWII California, Maria discovers empowerment on the softball field. Meanwhile, her Indian father and Mexican mother struggle to make ends meet as sharecroppers barred from buying the land they farm. Maria and friends from similar mixed marriages help their parents and themselves by speaking out and fighting discrimination. Krishnaswami creates a relatable heroine, and the clean, nuanced prose doesn't shy away from the political.

Reviewer: Sarah Hannah Gomez | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2017

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Julianna Swaney. Nine-year-old Yasmin is horrified when her friend Book Uncle, who runs a free lending library on a street corner in her neighborhood, is told he must shut it down. She enlists friends, teachers, and the media to fight the ban. Krishnaswami effortlessly evokes everyday life in this Indian import, incorporating details of India's food, transportation, commerce, and more to paint a vibrant picture of Yasmin's world.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2016

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Aimée Sicuro. A rare conjunction of Saturn and Mars will make both visible at the same time--if they're not obscured by clouds and light pollution. The clouds blow away, and thanks to a citywide blackout, Phoebe and her dad can see "stars in the hundreds." Circular drawings and collages capture the wonder; near-breathless prose recounts the sights. "More About Our Night Sky" appended. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2015

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Nasrin Khosravi. Krishnaswami uses the illustrations from a 1999 Farsi edition of "Thumbelina" as her primary source material, and it's easy to see how she was inspired: Khosravi's acrylic and tissue paintings brim with allusive imagery in a luminous palette crowned with the luscious cherry red of tiny Lina's gown. The text suits the pictures, though the most lyrical passages are sometimes more musical than meaningful.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2013

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Abigail Halpin. Back from India, Dini (The Grand Plan to Fix Everything) is thrilled to be with BFF Maddie. Dini's favorite Bollywood actress will be in Washington, DC, too, and Dini tries to ensure the star has everything she needs (including an elephant). Both narration and spot art are light, and readers will relate to Dini's earnest efforts, even when they end in disaster.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy. This look at urban development manages to stay cheery and upbeat as an Indian village grows into a city. Traffic of all kinds, animals, and people keep moving on the road past a small tree that grows through the decades and retains its importance as a meeting place. Traditional and contemporary imagery is artfully combined in black line drawings and swaths of bright colors.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Abigail Halpin. Dini's family is moving from Maryland to a small town in India. She worries about missing her best friend; however, a cast of memorable characters, including Dini's favorite Bollywood star and some chocolate-cake-eating monkeys, keeps her busy. The third-person present-tense narration, which reads something like a movie script, leads readers to expect the unexpected. Cheery black-and-white illustrations set the scene.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Layne Johnson. One year after her grandpa's death, rabbit Daysha tries to cheer up Grandma. Daysha collects things that remind her of happy times outdoors with her grandfather: e.g., leaves and a snakeskin. Overly sentimental oil paintings illustrate this quiet tale set in the gold- and purple-toned desert.

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jamel Akib. Arun waits for many months before his baby sister's adoption is complete. She arrives from India just in time for the Hindu holiday Rakhi, which is "special to brothers and sisters." Although the story is heartwarming, the static chalk-pastel illustrations depict only two facial expressions: mouth open for happy, angled eyebrows for sad. An author's note about adoption is included.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(2) 4-6 Maya and her mother, who haven't talked much since Maya's parents' bitter divorce, travel from New Jersey to India to sell Maya's grandfather's family home. Maya is a budding photographer, and the sharp powers of observation that cause her to reach for her ever-ready camera are reflected in the equally acute perception she brings to her narration. The setting and characters are vividly drawn. Glos.

Reviewer: Susan P. Bloom | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2004

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jamel Akib & Jamel Akib. An Indian family living in a large city waits for the monsoon rains that will cool off the people and bring rain for the crops. Although the author explains in a note how dangerous monsoons can be, she also talks about the inspiration that the rain brings to musicians and artists. Akib creates lively urban scenes, filled with people that herald the diversity of the city.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Soumya Sitaraman. Neel adores his great-uncle Chachaji, whose most prized possession is a china teacup that his mother carried from Pakistan to India after Partition in 1947. When Neel accidentally breaks the cup, Chachaji's health seems to decline and Neel must find a way to set things right. History is artfully woven into this story featuring regrettably garish paintings.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Maniam Selven. Clever, fierce, modest, beautiful, loving, or vengeful, the heroines in these eighteen tales, drawn from Hindu and Buddhist mythology, oral tradition, legends, and literary masterpieces, as well as Krishnaswami's own memory, provide a multifaceted view of Indian women. Selven's black-and-white line drawings are an understated complement to these well-told tales. Source notes are included. Glos.

Reviewer: Pamela McCuen