The Boy & the Bindi

October 10, 2016
A small boy asks his mother about her bindi, the dot Hindu women wear on their foreheads: “Above her nose is where it goes./ What is this dot? I want to know!” He looks up at her in the bathroom as she peers into the mirror to make sure it’s in the right position. “My bindi keeps me safe and true,” she explains. “My bindi tells me where I’m from.” She offers the boy his own bindi—a break from convention, since they are more commonly worn by married women—and he senses its effects for himself. “As soon as it’s on, I feel so calm—/ Like all the noise around is gone.” The bindi watches over the wearer, “Making sure I don’t hide/ Everything I am inside.” Newcomer Perera’s illustrations sometimes stumble into cliché with stars and tie-dye effects, but other spreads compel attention. A tight-focused portrait of Ammi gazes out from the page; she’s strikingly beautiful, with dark skin, dark eyes, and swirling black hair. Shraya’s (God Loves Hair) story defines and affirms important values of Hindu culture—and nudges gender norms, as well. Ages 4–8.

An unnamed South Asian boy becomes fascinated with the decoration on his mother's brow, and when she explains what it means to her, he asks for one of his own. The bindi makes him feel safe, calm, sure. His white friends at the playground wonder what it is, and he has trouble explaining, but he decides he'll never be without it. He feels small and ugly sometimes, but the bindi brings beauty where there was none. Shraya uses rhyme, sometimes a bit awkwardly, to tell her tale. At the end, her protagonist imagines readers asking, "Why is it so special anyway?" More sure of himself now, the boy explains that it's like a third eye watching over him, reminding him not to hide himself away and to embrace his potential self. The bright, beautiful illustrations by Perera do the heavy lifting, symbolically infusing the boy's cultural difference with the spiritual power it carries for the wearer. The book does not say that bindis are mainly worn by Hindu women in relation to their marital status, allowing readers familiar with the culture to imagine what it means for the boy's mother. Her decision to give one to her son opens up discussions of gender within cultural norms, including the fact that some Hindu men wear bindis for spiritual reasons unrelated to marital status. The mostly easy rhyming and vivid colors make this an unforgettable look into Hindu culture. (Picture book. 4-8) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2017

K-Gr 2-A young boy, curious about his "Ammi's dot...a bright and pretty spot," innocently asks, "Why do you wear that dot?/What's so special about that spot?" His mother crouches to eye level so he can touch her forehead as she explains, "It's not a dot... It's not a spot, it's a bindi!" As for the why, her simple response resonates: "My bindi keeps me safe and true." When the boy receives his own golden bindi-his mother's is red-he connects with generations past and is inspired to embark on a journey of empowered discovery. Indian Canadian musician/filmmaker/writer Shraya (God Loves Hair) makes her picture book debut with gentle rhymes and warm whimsy, amplified by Toronto artist Perara's richly hued illustrations. The author, a transgender woman, deftly explores difference and self-acceptance, the subversion of gender expectations, and the power of "making sure I don't hide/Everything I am inside." While acknowledging the bindi's significance to the boy's own family, Shraya seems to purposefully avoid discussing its historical/religious meaning or the possibility of cultural appropriation. VERDICT Imparting an important lesson on inclusivity and individuality, this multicultural, intergenerational story of young agency is a timely acquisition for all libraries.-Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon, Washington, DC

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