My Mother's Tongues

“𝗠𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀” written by 16-year-old Uma Menon, is a book to look out for. It is a picture book about multilingualism, very common amongst those originating from the South Asian and the South-East Asian region. But for the vast majority of immigrant children who trace their roots to this region, watching their parents codeswitch effortlessly would seem almost as if they have more than one tongue!

More importantly, the book addresses the power of multiple languages, the choice of one language to communicate with family and another for the wider community, navigating language challenges while visiting their hometown, and how one’s accent can give away the place of origin – this is a picture book that a lot of immigrant children will identify with. Book releases February 2024.