A Bindi Can Be… by Suma Subramaniam

Suma Subramaniam’s joyful book highlights all the things a bindi can be to the young narrator of this story. The illustrations are bright, beautiful, and full of the delight the girl feels while wearing her bindi. The book does a fantastic job balancing providing information about what a bindi is and celebrating its place on the girl’s forehead. The back of the book features information about what bindis are, why people wear them, and how they are made. There is also a glossary of terms and pronunciation guide to help anyone not familiar with the terminology in the book. This is a great addition to any home or school library.

The No-Dogs Allowed Rule

Ishan (pronounced E-Shan) a third grade boy and his brother Sunil, a fourth grader, desperately want a dog.  However, Mom has a “no dogs allowed” rule.  Ishan goes to great lengths to try to persuade his Mom into a “dogs allowed” rule.  He helps his elderly neighbor walk his dog to prove he can be responsible (ok and to also get his dog fix for the day).  He tries to cook a special meal to please his mom and try to win her over. He even changes all the family pictures in the house to dog pictures.  Each well intentioned act becomes more of a disaster than a gift.  So much so, that Ishan is grounded to the house during a neighborhood block meeting held at his home.  During the meeting an emergency involving his neighbor occurs and Ishan saves the day.  Will this be the action that changes mom’s mind to allow a dog to enter the family home?

Written with realistic speech patterns and plausible scenarios this multicultural novel introduces readers to foods of India, Hindi words and social interactions of Indian culture and family life.