Many things at once

"My parents tell me I'm lucky to be both Indian and American, to be both Jewish and Hindu, to be part of many things at once," says the thoughtful young narrator of this picture book from Hiranandani (The Greatest). After the child's Jewish American mother and Indian American father fall in love and have the protagonist, they tell stories of escape and hard-won success that inform both sides of the child's family tree. But after a scene of an exuberant extended family gathering, portrayed in busily peopled pencil and digital sketches by Alam (The House Without Lights), the story turns contemplative. The narrator describes not knowing "all the words to the Hebrew songs" that some cousins sing or the Hindi that others have learned. Parental guidance ("It's okay to feel many things"); the presence of butterflies, no two alike; and the deep-rooted flowers from which the insects drink prompt a visualization of "all the journeys I'm connected to and grow from" in this book about defining oneself in more than one way. An author's note concludes. Ages 4--8. Author's agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties. Illustrator's agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. (Jan.)

A Jewish Indian girl learns about her family's history. As the young narrator looks at old family photographs, her parents tell her stories about her grandparents. Her maternal grandmother was a Jewish seamstress in Brooklyn, while her paternal Indian grandmother liked to cook "spicy sai bhaji and bubbling dal." Her maternal grandfather escaped the pogroms in Poland, while her paternal grandparents fled their home during the Partition of India. Years later, her parents met in New York. They tell her she's lucky "to be both Indian and American, to be both Jewish and Hindu, to be part of many things at once." But the girl sometimes feels as though she doesn't quite fit in anywhere--she doesn't know the words to the Hebrew songs at Passover, and she doesn't understand Hindi like her relatives do. At school she learns that no two butterflies are exactly the same. As she considers this idea, she realizes that she, too, is unique and part of many things at once. This thoughtful portrait explores the doubt that many interfaith and biracial children feel about not fully belonging. Hiranandani gives her young protagonist room to appreciate both of her religions and cultures and to accept herself. The scrapbook-esque illustrations, which shift between pictures from the family's album, memories, and present moments, offer a nice visual touch that tells a story of its own. A quiet reflection on belonging and acceptance. (author's note)(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.