  | Vaisakhi to remember Author: Singh, Simran Jeet | |
| Price: $23.78 | ||
Summary:
After moving to a new country, a young Sikh girl finds comfort and familiarity as she celebrates Vaisakhi with a special outfit, a trip to the gurdwara, delicious food, and new friends. Includes a recipe for lassi.
| Illustrator: | Kaur, Japneet |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (03/15/25)
School Library Journal (00/12/24)
Booklist (02/01/25)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/03/25)
The Hornbook (00/05/25)
Full Text Reviews:
Other - 12/02/2024 A kaleidoscope of events and perceptions swirl around a young protagonist on Vaisahki, the Sikh spring harvest festival, in this telling that occurs partially in memory. The narrator first recalls awakening in a field to the nudging of a goat and the sounds of peacocks calling. Arriving to the village on "the best day of all," the child remembers "everyone joining, dancing together" to celebrate harvest as well as preparing foods and listening to "stories of hope and renewal and heroes." But now, living in a big city where small flowers, not harvest, represent spring ("No green fields. No pet goats"), the narrator wonders how the family will celebrate. Kaur’s dense, jewel-like watercolor illustrations expand moments beyond Jeet Singh’s bustling text, leaning into group scenes and linking celebrations: "new friends and shared memories, with old foods and new games." Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. An author’s note and recipe conclude. Ages 4-8. (Mar.) - Copyright 2024
Booklist - 02/01/2025 All over the world, members of the Sikh community celebrate the abundance of spring and the birth of their spiritual leader, Guru Nanak, on a holiday called Vaisakhi. In this lush, colorful story, a girl reminisces about being back in her village in India, where “the best day of all was Vaisakhi.” When the harvest has been good, people come together to sing, dance, eat, and give thanks. A vibrant watercolor palette renders the festivities of this day in great detail as the protagonist takes readers on a nostalgic journey from resplendence in India to gray homesickness of a new place devoid of all those distant wonders. The family piles into its car and drives to the gurdwara to celebrate Vaisakhi with its new community in the diaspora. The child realizes that all the cultural traditions have been recreated in this new home, where there are friends to be made, parathas to be shared, and sweet pistachio kulfi to be relished. A heartfelt story of home, tradition, and continuity. Recipes for three kinds of lassi provide an added treat. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.
