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Illustrated by Jamie Hogan. Charlesbridge, MA 96 pages Review by Mahadev Desai Award-winning author of Children’s fiction, Mitali Perkins has written yet another gem of a book Rickshaw Girl, set in a village in Bangladesh. Like her previous books, this enchanting story-book has also garnered ecstatic reviews.” Money is tight, and Naima wants to do something to help her family. If only she were a boy like her friend Saleem, she’d be able to drive her father’s rickshaw and add to the family’s income. Naima does have a special talent; she can paint beautiful alpanas-traditional patterns used by women to decorate Bangladeshi homes during special occasions-but how can this help her make money? When Naima decides to disguise herself as a boy and drive the rickshaw, she accidentally crashes it, and the family’s debt soars even higher. Now Naima is more determined than ever to help her family-and prove that being a girl can be a good thing…A child-eye’s view of Bangladesh that makes a strong and accessible statement about heritage, tradition and the changing role of women, Naima’s story will be relished by students and teachers alike.(Fiction 7-10)- Kirkus Reviews comments of the book. Naima’s father, a rickshaw driver in a village in Bangladesh cannot afford fees for both daughters Naima and Rashida, so elder Naima stays home and helps her mother with household chores. Naima wishes she was a boy, so like her friend Saleem; she could drive her father’s rickshaw and supplement family income. She is a very gifted artist and can paint prize-winning alpanas, but unable to earn money with her fetching alpanas. One day, spunky but impulsive Naima disguises herself as a boy and attempts to drive her father’s rickshaw but unfortunately crashes it. The riveting story tells how with the help of her supportive family, and her friend Saleem, resourceful Naima uses her skills and resolves her problems. Mitali has deftly tried to weave universal human need for artistic expression and how micro credit is empowering millions of poor women in developing countries overcome their poverty with small loans at very low interest-rates and to enable them to set up self-employment ventures. Only recently, important role of micro credit was recognized with 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Award to Mohamed Yunus of Bangladesh. Hogan’s black-and-white illustrations, a useful glossary of Bangla words and author’s informative notes further embellish the uplifting, inspiring and heartwarming story of a bright young girl struggling in times of gender bias and other social and economic restraints. This book deserves to be read out loud in middle-school classrooms. Mitali Perkins was born in Kolkata, India. Her family immigrated to the United States from Bengal and eventually settled in the San Francisco Bay area. Mitali is the author of Monsoon Summer (Delacorte) and The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen (Little, Brown). She lives in Newton, Massachusettes. Jamie Hogan is a freelance illustrator of newspapers, magazines and consumer products, as well as picture books. This is her first chapter book for children. Jamie lives on Peakes Island, Maine. |
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