4 Stars

As an Indian, I’m no stranger to reading book about the horrors of Partition. Millions were displaced, murdered, and assaulted. Those who survived tried to rebuild their lives from scratch. This book shares one such story of a Sindhi family who had to flee from Pakistan to live in India. 

Given the age group of the target audience, the details of Partition are highly diluted. The focus is on food, especially the roti which Veena makes. This is a semi-fictionalized version of a real story (the author’s great aunt), which makes it special. 

The illustrations are warm. I love the rich earthy colors and the shades of blue, green, and yellow as dresses. The bindis are missing but okay! The features are rough sketches, a single line or a curve for the nose, lips, etc. The overall feel is cozy and heart-touching. I’m glad to see the Indian map with fully intact Kashmir. 

There’s a glossary at the end, followed by an author’s note about her family’s personal journey, and a brief note about the Partition. The content here too is kid-friendly and only hints at the dark side of what had happened. 

To summarize, Veena and the Red Roti is a good place to start talking about Partition to little kids. The first step is to make them aware of it. Then, slowly reveal the horrors that continue to haunt many families even today (especially the Sindhis who are almost a micro minority). 

Thank you, NetGalley and Kids Can Press, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley #VeenaAndTheRedRoti