Nadia's Hands

April 1, 1999
K-Gr 3-Nadia, a Pakistani-American girl, is chosen to be the flower girl at her aunt's wedding. On the day of the ceremony, Auntie Amina applies a henna paste (mehndi) to the girl's hands and then draws intricate patterns on them. Nadia knows that the designs will not wash off by the time she goes back to school on Monday, and she is very concerned about what her classmates will think. This story of one girl's coming to terms with her heritage is illustrated in oil pastels. Textured, impressionistic, full-page paintings in neon shades of green, red, fuchsia, and blue are set on ample white space sparely decorated with patterns taken from Nadia's hands. While the story is slight and the illustrations are undistinguished, the effort gives a glimpse into another culture.-Diane S. Marton, Arlington County Library, VA

March 1, 1999
Ages 5^-9. A Pakistani American child is pleased to be flower girl at her aunt's traditional wedding, but she worries about it, not only about messing up her role of sprinkling rose petals down the aisle but also about having her hands painted with "mehndi "(henna paste). What will the kids at school think of her orange hands with their intricate designs? Weiner's full-page oil pastel illustrations show the wedding preparations and the ceremony. The best pictures focus closely on the details of Nadia's amber hands, decorated with deep orange flowers and swirls of stars, as she comes to see the richness of her tradition and what it means to her loving extended family. Children will enjoy the wedding story, and many will recognize how a family custom can be a source of both embarrassment and pride. ((Reviewed March 1, 1999))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1999, American Library Association.)