AWESOME ORANGE BIRTHDAY

When Priya Chakraborty starts her own party-planning business, her community comes through to help her succeed—and to calm her anxiety.

Priya, a young South Asian American girl, loves crafts, her best friend, Melissa (depicted as light-skinned in the illustrations), and quokkas, fuzzy Australian animals in danger of extinction. What she doesn’t love are surprises. So when her mother’s best friend, Layla Aunty, asks Priya to throw her birthday party, Priya uses her diary to stay organized and avoid the unexpected. While she’s excited about Layla Aunty’s orange-themed party, she’s also anxious and overwhelmed: There are orange snacks to prepare, orange decorations to make, and orange invitations to deliver. Luckily, Priya doesn’t have to do any of this alone: Melissa helps her deliver invitations, her Dida helps her make snacks, and, on the day of the party, her mother’s friends help her decorate. Thanks to Priya’s creativity, the day is a resounding success—such a success, in fact, that it leads to even more business for Priya’s Parties. Priya is a well-rounded, nuanced protagonist whose enthusiasm and anxiety will resonate with readers, and the narrative, peppered with bright images, is fast-moving. The text offers pronunciation guidance for potentially unfamiliar words, such as quokka or the various snacks for the party (jalebi, chevdo, etc.).

A layered, upbeat tale starring a determined, relatable protagonist.