A Garland of Henna [Hardcover]

Nikita’s family takes pride in creating beautiful henna art, and she’s ready to try her hand at it—but it’s harder than it looks!

Nikita is part of a long line of henna artists. Her grandmother even brought a treasured notebook of designs with her to the US when she moved here from India. But the first time Nikita tries to make henna art, the mehndi paste looks like an ugly blob, and she feels like giving up. Still, she continues watching her mother and grandmother make gardens bloom on hands and is intrigued by the beauty of it all. Will she find the courage to try again?            

New York Times bestselling author Varsha Bajaj’s poetic text and Archana Sreenivasan’s dynamic illustrations perfectly capture Nikita’s frustration, then pride, as she takes part in a beautiful family tradition.“Bajaj sensitively explores the frustration children encounter when trying new tasks. With gentle coaxing from her family, Nikita learns to trust herself and take pride in her henna art. Dynamic illustrations filled with traditional floral designs of creeping vines, blossoming flowers, and paisleys trail across the pages. The hues of henna—which is dark green when first applied and dries to a warm red—are reflected in the earthy colors throughout the story. A warm and tender tale of family traditions.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Born into ‘a long garland/ of teachers and keepers of art,’ a girl worries over her early efforts at rendering henna designs in this rhythmically narrated and lusciously drawn tale. . . . Henna art motifs swirl throughout Sreenivasan&