The Boy & the Bindi
By Vivek Shraya and Rajni Perera
4.5/5
()
About this ebook
In this beautiful children’s picture book by Vivek Shraya, author of the acclaimed God Loves Hair, a five-year-old South Asian boy becomes fascinated with his mother’s bindi, the red dot commonly worn by Hindu women to indicate the point at which creation begins, and wishes to have one of his own. Rather than chastise her son, she agrees to it, and teaches him about its cultural significance, allowing the boy to discover the magic of the bindi, which in turn gives him permission to be more fully himself.
Beautifully illustrated by Rajni Perera, The Boy & the Bindi is a joyful celebration of gender and cultural difference.
Ages 3 to 6.
Vivek Shraya is a performer, musician, and filmmaker, and the authors of God Loves Hair and She of the Mountains.
Vivek Shraya
Vivek Shraya is an artist whose body of work crosses the boundaries of music, literature, visual art, theatre, and film. Her best-selling book I’m Afraid of Men was heralded by Vanity Fair as “cultural rocket fuel.” She is the founder of the award-winning publishing imprint VS. Books that supports emerging BIPOC writers. A seven-time Lambda Literary Award finalist, Shraya lives in Treaty 7 territory, where she is Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Calgary.
Related to The Boy & the Bindi
Related ebooks
God Loves Hair: 10th Anniversary Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Next Time There's a Pandemic Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Million Quiet Revolutions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTurtle under Ice Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5even this page is white Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shine of the Ever Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Place Called No Homeland Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Art of Running Away Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNight-Blooming Jasmin(n)e: Personal Essays and Poetry Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Gospel of Breaking Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hillbilly Queer: A Memoir Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Fail as a Popstar Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What Momma Left Me Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5my yt mama Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Green Glass Ghosts Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLila Lou's Little Library: A Gift From the Heart Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Together We March: 25 Protest Movements That Marched into History Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBaby Teeth: a novel in verse Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5We Are Gems: Healing from Anti-Asian Microaggressions through Self-love & Solidarity Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAll Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories Of Queer Teens Throughout The Ages Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summer Love: An LGBTQ Collection Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Return Flight Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Bring Down the Chandeliers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5nedí nezų (Good Medicine) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWithout: Body, Name, Country Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This Is One Way to Dance: Essays Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lawless Spaces Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Deepest Breath Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Children's Social Themes For You
The Horse and His Boy: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Out of My Mind Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Amari and the Night Brothers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Prince Caspian: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Keeper of the Lost Cities Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Stuart Little Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Last Battle: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Silver Chair: The Classic Fantasy Adventure Series (Official Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The School for Good and Evil: Now a Netflix Originals Movie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Witch of Blackbird Pond: A Newbery Award Winner Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Number the Stars: A Newbery Award Winner Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Unlocked Book 8.5 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bridge to Terabithia Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Pout-Pout Fish Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Nightfall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Way of the Warrior Kid: From Wimpy to Warrior the Navy SEAL Way: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Velveteen Rabbit Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Invisible Things Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Shiloh Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sarah, Plain and Tall: A Newbery Award Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Neverseen Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The One and Only Bob Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Good Egg Presents: The Great Eggscape!: An Easter And Springtime Book For Kids Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pete the Kitty Goes to the Doctor Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Julie of the Wolves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Trumpet of the Swan Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for The Boy & the Bindi
34 ratings4 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was such an affirmative read! I like how the gender non-conformity is seen as nothing unusual and how the mother didn't hesitate to give her son a Bindi. Since this is a children's book, I would've appreciated it, if there was a tad more backstory regarding Bindis. Nevertheless, it is such an empowering book and definitely a gem.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A little boy is both proud and curious about his Ammi’s dot. He has already noticed many things about it, its many hues, how she applies it, and where she wears it. Now he wants to know exactly what it is. The boy’s mother tells him her Bindi keeps her safe and true. With this explanation, the boy now wants a Bindi, too and asks his mother if she has one to spare.Critical Analysis: Storybooks can help children make realistic positive judgments as they come to see themselves in relationships and compare themselves with others in characteristics and in physical appearance. The book is a strong choice for developing many components of personality development and especially for building self-concept because it is a model for ethnic identification for the protagonist. Furthermore, Georgis informs that a child's developing self-concept also involves identifying with one’s heritage. Favorite Quote: "I do not have the words to say but if I close my eyes and wait my bindi turns into a star, and then my forehead turns into the sky, that's when all my fears fade out of sight and my body feels so light - Ammi was so very right."
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A young boy is fascinated by his mother's bindi in this rhyming picture-book from Canadian artist and author Vivek Shraya. Attracted to the "bright and pretty spot," he is given a poetic explanation of what a bindi is and does, keeping one "safe and true," and reminding the wearer of where she comes from. When the boy asks his mother if he can have a bindi, she gives him one to wear, and he immediately feels calm and happy...Although not associated exclusively with women in all Asian cultures, in India the use of the bindi - a decorative mark that is situated over the spot in the forehead considered the location of the mystical "third eye" - does seem to be a gendered practice. I have vivid memories of a college friend from India who would become very incensed about the topic, considering the bindi a symbol of the oppression of women. For my part, having not studied the subject, I have no strong or fixed opinion on the matter, and approached The Boy & The Bindi with curiosity. Here the practice seems more a marker of identity, although its spiritual aspects are touched upon as well. The text is somewhat clunky at times (always a risk, with rhyming tales), but overall the narrative is positive and upbeat, and the artwork, done by Rajni Perera, is lovely. This one reminded me of Jacob's New Dress, a similar story of a boy embracing traditionally female attire, but it is nice to see a story bringing in South Asian culture as well. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories in which the characters experiment with gendered behavior and dress.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5affirming, and challenges masculinities and gender roles in vivek's trademark emotional, tender way. illustrations by perera are GORGEOUS.