4.5 Stars!

Arthi comes from a family of doll makers. On the first day of her new school, she gets teased by a classmate. After all, who wants to play with simple wooden dolls in the world of shiny new machine-made toys? Disgruntled, Arthi races back home to find out why her father wants to keep making these dolls. It takes more questions and answers and a personal experience for Arthi to see the truth. 

I was delighted to see the book’s cover and synopsis in my email. Though there are many children’s books (on the global level) with Indian rep, I haven’t come across enough works set in Andhra Pradesh/ Telangana. This one works on multiple levels, and I couldn’t have been happier. It showcases the wonderful Kondapalli Bommalu and gives a glimpse into the lives of artists. This doll-making art is taught to the next generations to keep it alive. It’s family-run, too, and every member has a role in the entire process (from seasoning the wood to painting the dolls). 

The story is informative and shows how Arthi realizes that the bomma is not just a doll. It’s an emotion and carries a part of every person who worked on it. I love the use of Telugu words like nanna, thatha, akka, anna, etc., and that too with the correct spellings (there’s a glossary at the end). The remaining text is in simple English and easy to understand. 

What elevates the book is the artwork. I absolutely love it! The illustrations recreate the setting and bring out the minor details. Right from Arthi’s dress (the green dresses are usually uniform in government schools) to the name boards in Telugu, the street vendors, a tile with god’s image outside one’s home (Hindu houses commonly have Ganesha’s image at the top of the main door), the detailing of the bommalu, etc., are wonderful. 

Arthi has a bottu (bindi) and a tiny nose pin. The older women are dressed in simple cotton sarees and high-neck blouses, while the men have a banyan (sleeveless undershirt) and loose pants or lungi. The dark skin tones, glossy black hair, and twinkling eyes make them look real. And oh, the photo frames of dead parents (with a garland around them), the antique wooden box used for storage… I could go on and on about the illustrations. Every page has a few bommalu in the background, showing how integral they are to people’s lives. 

I wish the story was a little more rounded and Arthi goes back to school to flaunt her identity and put the other kid in place. Also, Arthi easily makes her (possibly) first doll. This could have been elaborated a wee bit to make it seem more realistic. Minor complaints, though. 

There’s a note at the end providing more information about the history of Kondapalli Bommalu and the current situation. We need more initiatives to ensure the art doesn’t die. We can’t afford to let something so precious be entirely replaced by mass-produced plastic toys. 

To summarize, Arthi's Bomma is a must-read to see the beauty of trading the Indian doll-making community and their art. The book does justice to the topic. Grab it for the illustrations (which themselves tell the story). 

Thank you, Edelweiss and Yali Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.