Jamel Akib

It's Rakhi Day, a Hindu celebration special to brothers and sisters, and Arun wishes he had a little sister. Soon his wish comes true when he finds out that his parents will be adopting Asha, a little girl from India. Waiting for Asha is hard, though, and Arun is impatient. Arun's patience finally pays off when Asha arrives — just in time to celebrate another Rakhi Day. Beautiful pastel illustrations bring Arun and this uplifting story to life.

Ricki is looking forward to Divali, the Hindu "festival of lights." He's also waiting for two special rosebuds to bloom — buds on the bush his grandfather had planted in the front yard. Grandfather promises that the roses will be the color of Divali, but Ricki can't imagine what color that might be. One morning, Ricki bends one of the rosebuds to get a closer look and accidentally snaps it off. When his grandfather believes the new neighbors have stolen his rosebud, Ricki must summon up the courage to confess what he has done.

As a child in India waits for the rains of the monsoon to begin, she watches the sky, the clouds, and the animals closely. She wonders what will happen if the rains bring floods, or if the rains do not come at all. This is a story of the seasons, and of people who have an intimate relationship with their natural surroundings. The colorful sketches will transport readers to another world, prompting them to wonder when the rains will begin.

This collection of multicultural poetry celebrates the color brown and all of the delicious and familiar places it can be found, from the reddish-brown mountains of the Southwest to the tamarind paste used in Mumbai to the acorns found on a city street. Author Malathi Michelle Iyengar uses the poems to express an appreciation for the many ethnic backgrounds who describe their skin color as "brown" around the world. Jamel Akib's warm drawings are a perfect complement to the poetry.