CURRY MEANS MORE

Unsure about the definition of curry, a young girl of South Asian descent discovers that this term encompasses many things all at once.

Shirin goes outside to play, floating in a fragrant cloud of the curry she loves. Her friend Charlotte, who’s pale-skinned with light brown hair, asks about the “spicy smell” surrounding her, so Shirin brings her home to show her. Shirin’s Amma (mother) begins by tempering spices in hot ghee, then shows the two girls how curry is cooked, step by step. Together, the children sniff and smell, touch and taste the different ingredients. Finally, Shirin adds her own twist to her mother’s chicken curry. Under Amma’s guidance, the girls discover that a curry can take on different forms, depending on the mix of ingredients and the cook’s creativity. This book affords a dual reading experience; sensory-rich text styled in a bold font reads like a poem (“Curry was a bead, popping and swirling,” “Curry was art—vibrant and magical”) accompanying the main narrative. Read together, both texts complement each other. This tale will especially appeal to readers of South Asian heritage, who will welcome this authentic representation of the lingering fragrances of a complex food, although others will, too. Evoking the enticing aroma of beloved foods, Ladi’s swirling illustrations extend Marianayagam’s words nicely, while the backmatter uses apt comparisons to further define what curry is.

A clever stew of poetic words spiced up with joyful illustrations.