Bringing Asha Home
Kindergarten-Grade 3–Just a couple of months after Arun wishes he had a sister with whom to celebrate Rakhi Day, his parents announce that they are adopting a girl. As he awaits his new sibling's arrival, he carefully crafts a special paper airplane, pretending that it is flying to India to bring her home. After more waiting, Dad finally retrieves Asha, who gives Arun therakhibracelet she clung to during the flight. An author's note provides additional details about adoption and the North Indian Hindu holiday that celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters, symbolized by a bracelet given by the sister. Realistic illustrations spread across the pages in muted colors and show well the characters' range of emotions, but Arun's adultlike narration does not match the innocence of his actions. While the text states that Arun is eight, his size seems to vary from picture to picture. Although Krishnaswami does add a unique perspective to a genre largely focused on Chinese adoptions, Janet Morgan Stoeke'sWaiting for May(Dutton, 2005), Jean Davies Okimoto'sThe White Swan Express(Clarion, 2002), and Ed Young'sMy Mei Mei(Philomel, 2006) more fully describe the adoptive family's process.–Julie R. Ranelli, Kent Island Branch Library, Stevensville, MDCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.