Review by Booklist Review
Roti--a round flatbread made from wheat flour and water--is a ubiquitous staple food all over the Indian subcontinent and throughout the diaspora. Mama's Roti is dedicated to the farmers whose labor produces the grains from which roti is made and whose work is often exploited (as the author's note tells). The book also pays tribute to the women who carry on the tradition of making roti for meals and snacks. Over time, roti has morphed so that it can be eaten with peanut butter and jelly as readily as with curry. Mirchandani juxtaposes the ease of buying ingredients in a supermarket with the hardships of the farmers who depend on rain and good growing conditions and fair prices for their crops, and as such, this serves as a reminder to readers that our food is produced by people who deserve respect and appreciation. Curious readers might want to do their own research to find out what the farmers were protesting, as this information is not provided.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3--Mirchandani makes a concert piece of the creation of Mama's roti from atta, water, salt, and oil. The ingredients are combined and then allowed to rest. Mama pats, stretches, and rolls the dough while music fills the air. Readers are taken to the location where the grain grows, because roti is more than just flatbread--it's a tradition that crosses boundaries and borders and spans hundreds of years. It's lunch for a road trip or hanging out with friends. Most importantly, the grain in it comes from the hard work of the farmers who harvest it. These farmers struggle with lack of rainfall, starvation, and unfair working conditions, but with protest and reform, that'll hopefully change. This book shows how roti is such a creator of connection, it can even make streets full of strangers feel like they're suddenly home. Mama's Roti is a great tribute to the multifaceted nature of the pillowy flatbread. The picture book sheds light on the unfortunate situation many farmers face and how unfairly they're treated. Several vocabulary words may be unfamiliar to readers and could hamper the reading experience for some while enriching it for others. VERDICT This tribute to roti is a solid purchase.--Myiesha Speight
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Roti has great significance in Indian life, history, politics, and culture. Though roti is made with flour, salt, oil, and water, it's so much more than that, as Mirchandani explains. Similar in structure to Kevin Noble Maillard'sFry Bread (2019), illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal, the book relies on statements beginning with the phrase "Roti is." Roti is the memories of mothers and grandmothers passing their recipes across continents and over generations. It's the farmers who grow and harvest the grains--and who lie awake at night, worried about their crops. It's the parents who fret about their children going hungry. It's the agriculturalists protesting unfair laws and those who march beside them in solidarity. Roti is also a way for immigrants to bring their cultures with them when they leave home. "Roti is life," as the author concludes. Gupta's warm illustrations, dominated by earthy yellows and deep blues, alternately follow a family of farmers in India and a family of immigrants carving out new lives in America--both linked by their love of this South Asian flatbread. This tender, lyrical picture book is a clever, poignant look at the myriad ways food nourishes us. It also explores issues of systemic inequality, though readers may be confused about the demonstrations referenced in the narrative. The author's note states that in 2020, Indian farmers, primarily from Punjab and Haryana, protested "unfair" laws--a vague explanation that will require additional context. Overall, though, this is a visual delight and a pleasure to read. A touching ode to a South Asian culinary staple.(Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
