Veena and the Red Roti

If you are looking for a book to introduce the topic of Partition to young kids, “𝘝𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘥 𝘙𝘰𝘵𝘪” is perfect. It provides a gentle entry point into the subject without delving into the horrors and trauma of the event.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡?

• It is inspired by the Namita’s grandparents’ journey during Partition.

• It focuses on the Sindhi community’s resilience.

• The use of ragi for the roti was an eye opener.

• It includes the Radcliffe Line in the illustrations (the east and the west), helping readers without the background knowledge understand the concept of Partition.

In terms of subtlety, I loved how Veena, the protagonist is asked to wear all her gold bangles, and how, as the story progresses, she rolls down her sleeves to cover them. Even today, gold jewelry traditionally symbolizes financial security in the south-Asian region.

Highly recommended!