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American Desi

American Desi Open the full-size image

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Contributors

By Jyoti Rajan Gopal

Illustrated by Supriya Kelkar

Formats and Prices

On Sale
Jun 21, 2022
Page Count
40 pages
Publisher
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13
9780316705301

Price

$18.99

Price

$23.99 CAD

Format

Hardcover

Format:

Hardcover $18.99 $23.99 CAD

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For fans of Eyes That Kiss in the Corners, this poetic story filled with expressive art empowers South Asian children living in the United States and celebrates being bicultural.

Pavadais in bright gold colors
Jersey shirts and faded jeans
Swapping, changing, feeling seen…
Which is the color of me?


A young girl longs to know where she fits in: Is she American? Or is she Indian? Does she have to pick or can she be both? With bright, joyful rhyme, and paired with an immersive art style using American and Indian fabrics, American Desi celebrates the experiences of young children growing up first and second generation Indian American: straddling the two cultural worlds they belong to, embracing all they love of both worlds and refusing to be limited by either.

This story is a powerful tribute to the joy of being South Asian and for every reader who aspires to bridge their worlds with grace, grit, and confidence.

Genre:

  • Children's Books
  • Juvenile Fiction
  • People & Places
  • United States
  • Asian American
  • Asian American & Pacific Islander

Jyoti Rajan Gopal is a kindergarten teacher, writer, and mom who loves taking any opportunity to break out her Bollywood moves and hip-hop grooves. She grew up in Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, India, and China and now lives in New York City, so she knows what it feels like to be caught between multiple cultures. She chooses to embrace all her wondrous colors! This is her debut children’s book.
 
Supriya Kelkar grew up in the Midwest, where she learned Hindi as a child by watching three Hindi movies a week. Supriya is a screenwriter who has worked on the writing teams for several Hindi films and one Hollywood feature. She is the author of Bindu’s Bindis; American as Paneer Pie; and Strong as Fire, Fierce as Flame, among others. This is her debut illustrated book. She invites you to visit her online at www.supriyakelkar.com.

  • * "A perfect read-aloud for young children or an independent read for early elementary grades… What a celebration of self! This is a joyful book, for every age."
    School Library Journal
  • "This captures the duality of a child who has strong claims to her Indian heritage and equally strong ties to the culture she is absorbing in the U.S….Sumptuous illustrations…provide the visual metaphor for the many threads that weave together harmoniously in the girl’s community."
    Booklist
  • "In rhyming text, Rajan Gopal’s picture book debut smartly explores the duality of one child’s bicultural American and Indian identity."
    Publishers Weekly

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Jyoti Rajan Gopal

About the Author

Jyoti Rajan Gopal is a writer, mom, and former kindergarten teacher. Growing up, she lived in Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, India, and China. She has published multiple children’s books, including American Desi. Jyoti currently lives in New York with her family. She invites you to visit her website at jyotirajangopal.com.

Olivia Sua is an illustrator for children’s and adult books as well as magazines. Born and raised in a small mountain town in the Pacific Northwest, she is inspired by seasons, nature, and rich storytelling. Some of her children’s works include If I Could Choose a Best Day, Water Day, and Uno Más, One More. Olivia currently lives in Washington State. She invites you to visit her online at oliviasua.com. 

Learn more about this author

Supriya Kelkar

About the Illustrator

Supriya Kelkar aprendió hindi de niña mirando tres películas hindi a la semana. Supriya es guionista y ha trabajado para equipos de guionistas de varias películas hindi y un largometraje de Hollywood. Sus libros incluyen American as Paneer Pie, Strong as Fire, Fierce as Flame y Ahimsa. Vive con su esposo y sus tres hijos, que tienen un color para cada ocasión, y también con un perro que prefiere el rosa. Obtén más información visitando supriyakelkar.com.
 
Alea Marley es una ilustradora de libros infantiles a quien le encanta crear escenas llenas de plantas, colores y extravagancias. Actualmente, vive en el norte de Inglaterra y puedes hallarla en línea visitando aleamarley.co.uk.
 

Learn more about this illustrator

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