Scan barcode
kristenremenar's review
4.0
I'm so glad to find a beautiful picture book on this topic! So many of us have seen people wear bindis and wondered what they meant and why they are worn.
I love the art and the clever way of teaching without sounding didactic. The ending felt a bit constructed. It was brilliant, though, the way the author/illustrator worked in the way brown people and immigrants can be mistreated in our country. When Bindu goes to pick up her Nani from the airport, they see angry White people holding up signs that say "Go back". The solution is wonderful and easy. Bindu and her family talk to each other and walk proudly.
This is how we make the future a little better. We share beautiful picture books that answer questions and inspire empathy. We see Bindu and her family not as "the other". We see a little girl who loves the pretty bindis and loves her Nani, someone to whom we can relate. Lovely and important.
I love the art and the clever way of teaching without sounding didactic. The ending felt a bit constructed. It was brilliant, though, the way the author/illustrator worked in the way brown people and immigrants can be mistreated in our country. When Bindu goes to pick up her Nani from the airport, they see angry White people holding up signs that say "Go back". The solution is wonderful and easy. Bindu and her family talk to each other and walk proudly.
This is how we make the future a little better. We share beautiful picture books that answer questions and inspire empathy. We see Bindu and her family not as "the other". We see a little girl who loves the pretty bindis and loves her Nani, someone to whom we can relate. Lovely and important.
fallingletters's review
4.0
Ohhh, I do love Supriya's illustrations! The narrative is a bit disjointed, but I do also love an inter-generational story...
miszjeanie's review
3.0
Bindu’s Bindis is a warm picture book about the bond between a grandmother and granddaughter and the love of bindis and culture they share. This book also highlights the impact of xenophobia and prejudice and reinforces cultural pride for kids who may be hesitant to display the culture that ties them to their loved ones. The rich illustrations by Parvati Pillai are dazzling and vibrant and add to the story’s depth.
Read my full review on my blog.
Many thanks to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Read my full review on my blog.
Many thanks to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
abigailbat's review
This is a delightful and colorful story about a young girl celebrating parts of her culture that make her unique and bond her with her grandmother, even when being unique feels scary.
backonthealex's review
4.0
Bindu loves to wear the different bindis her Nani sends to her from India. She wears them to temple, at home and on holidays. And she has bindis for whatever was going on in her life - even a squiggle bindi that says "I'm Unique!" But when Nani comes to visit, bearing new bindis, Bindu's excitement quickly changes from happiness to worry. At the airport, they meet protesters who want foreigners to go home. But Nani just tells Bindu to march by with pride. At home, Nani teaches Bindu some Indian dancing for the school talent show and the two have fun choosing the perfect bindi to wear for it. But at her school talent show, Bindu suddenly doesn't want to feel unique, to wear her bindi and do the dance Nani taught her when she sees people laughing at them. So Nani gets up on the stage all by herself and begins dancing alone. After watching her Nani dancing with a big smile and a sense of pride, Bindu decides to get on stage so they can dance together for everyone to see. This is a great story about learning to appreciate and be proud of who you are despite what others may think, and about the strong bond that exists between grandparents and grandchildren despite distance. There is spare text, and sometimes the illustrations tell more of the story than the words do, but if your young readers are like mine, they will pore over each illustration and fill in the missing words. That said, this story is as joyful as the beautiful, boldly colored cartoon-style illustrations.
hearth_hobbit's review
5.0
This book is about a young South Asian girl who loves to wear her bindis. It's something that is apart of her culture and something her and her grandmother share. I love the illustrations and the story.
jodil's review
4.0
Adored! I love the way Bindu would use her bindis to reflect her mood, Nani was such a powerful character, and the illustrations are delightfully rich! I only wish Kelkar would have included the bigotry element in a more realistic scenario in Bindu's everyday goings-on that she and her Nani could overcome together, rather than a protest at the airport.
erine's review
4.0
I've been reading a lot of books with grandparents today ([b:Can You Whistle, Johanna?|6715527|Can You Whistle, Johanna?|Ulf Stark|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1338369566l/6715527._SX50_.jpg|6911587], [b:The First Blade of Sweetgrass|55678461|The First Blade of Sweetgrass|Suzanne Greenlaw|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627681270l/55678461._SX50_.jpg|86827865]), and this one is very different but just as charming as the others. Bindu has a special relationship with her Nani, who sends her different colored and shaped bindis to wear. Bindu wears the bindis everywhere, but not at school.
When Nani comes to visit, Bindu sees generic anti (-immigrant, -brown people, -foreigners) protesters and becomes a little hesitant about wearing her bindis out and proud. When Bindu is due to dance in front of her classmates, her confidence is nonexistent. But Nani comes to the rescue and they dance beautifully together.
A lovely representation of culture and intergenerational relationships.
Note: author is from Michigan.
When Nani comes to visit, Bindu sees generic anti (-immigrant, -brown people, -foreigners) protesters and becomes a little hesitant about wearing her bindis out and proud. When Bindu is due to dance in front of her classmates, her confidence is nonexistent. But Nani comes to the rescue and they dance beautifully together.
A lovely representation of culture and intergenerational relationships.
Note: author is from Michigan.