Arthi’s Bomma
Written by Mamta Nainy
Illustrated by Shruti Prabhu
Published by Yali Books
Arthi’s father is a doll maker, but she wishes he would be anything else. No one plays with the wooden bommalu her nanna makes anymore.
But crafting dolls from wood is her father’s entire world, so Arthi sets out to find out why these dolls mean so much to him. She asks everyone she knows in her small doll-making community and learns that bommalu are memories, warm as the sun, whispering stories older than time and capturing colors that run wild. They are a celebration of life and more. Much, much more!
This joyful picture book is an ode to the traditional craftspeople of Kondapalli, India, and a shared appreciation of handmade objects in the digital age. When she finally creates a bomma, Arthi discovers a special joy in doll making that is all her own.
Primary ISBN: 9781949528749
Publication Date: September 2023
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook
Picture Book, Age 05 or older
Community Represented: Indian/Indian American
Themes: Arts, Cultural Empowerment, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Celebrations & Traditions, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Family, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Storytelling, Discrimination: Cultural, Discrimination: Economic, Family Relationship: Grandparents, Family Relationship: Parents, Generational Differences, Genre: Fantasy & Folklore, Multilingual: Telugu Featured Words, Own Voices/Lived Experience, Religious Background: Hindu, Setting: Home Country
Setting: India (Kondapalli)
Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Home Country
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
Click here for details about how we define our titles.
Engagement Projects & Resources:
Share your favorite resources for this book with info@imyourneighborbooks.org.
Engagement Materials:
An Author’s Note from Mamta Nainy
Yali Books Flipbook: Arthi’s Bomma
Source: Yali Books