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“…this cheerily illustrated picture book is a quirky and affectionate introduction to a typically South Asian rite of passage. The tongue-in-cheek text expertly balances humor with sincerity, and the protagonist’s antics—which are communicated mostly through the expertly paced illustrations—are hilarious. In addition to appealing to young readers, this book will ring true with South Asian adults who tried to fashion their own saris as children.”
—Kirkus Reviews

How to Wear a Sari

Written by Darshana Khiani
Illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff
Published by HMH Books

Being a little kid isn’t always fun and games. Sometimes, it’s downright annoying.

When a little girl tires of being treated like she’s TOO little, she sets out to prove to her family that she can do ANYTHING she puts her mind to . . .

. . . including putting on a colorful, twinkly, silky sari. Sure, they’re long and unwieldy—but that only means her family will be even more impressed when she puts it on all by herself.

Naturally, there are some hiccups along the way, but she discovers that she’s not the only one in her family who has set out with something to prove, with hilariously chaotic results. That’s what photo albums are for!

Primary ISBN: 9781328635204
Available As: Hardcover
Picture Book, Age 04 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , ,

Setting: United States

Character’s New Arrival/New American Status: 2nd Generation

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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Engagement Projects & Resources:

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ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES

Source: I’m Your Neighbor Books

Event Guide: Welcoming in the South Asian Community

Why not turn your event into a celebration of South Asian community members? Canvassing children’s librarians and South Asian librarians and colleagues, Curious City has created a short list of possible ways to fold in community members as partners and participants. Why not include a guest reader, sari demo, sari “runway,” and/or the share of food and stories?
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Activity Sheets: Step-by-Step Guide to Wearing a Sari

Readers of all backgrounds are enchanted by the colors, patterns, and draping of saris. We took Joanne Lew-Vriethoff illustrations and lots of advice from South Asian women to create a step-by-step guide to tucking, wrapping, and pleating a sari or length of cloth.
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Activity Sheets: Make Your Own Paper Sari

Joanne Lew-Vriethoff offers an activity to design your own paper sari for her Desi character! Use one of Joanne’s patterns or have your readers draw one of their own.
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Book List: South Asian Kidlit

One of the very best things about books is that reading one book can almost certainly lead to reading another (and another). For an event takeaway, we have included a quarter-sheet reproducible that highlights the book resources at
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Event Sharing

To help share your event, feel free to download these two .jpegs:
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Explore & Download: Social Media Image