*"Ritu loves the sun in the evening, when it
splashes up streaks of orange and pink.
Abbu and Ammu are busy finishing their
chores for the day, so Ritu gets to spend
time with just her nani.
Ritu helps Nani shell peas for dinner. When
she presses on the pods, the peas shoot into
a bowl in Nani's lap."
You can see by the smile on her beautiful face that Ritu loves the sun. She loves how it shines through the window in the morning. Ritu is going to help her grandmother make aloo bhaji and roti for breakfast. Before she gets up to help, Ritu takes on the persona of a cat who loves the sun as much as she does. Ritu loves to swim in the afternoon sun with her parents. Nani worries about the sun's effect on Ritu's skin, and the tanning that happens when she is in sunlight for too long. Nani sit alone in the shade of a nearby tree; Ritu gets out of the pool and joins her. In the evening sun, Ritu sits alone with Nani and helps her shell the peas they will have for dinner. Nani is sitting in the shade.
Ritu asks why. Nani explains that when she was a child, her mother warned her that her skin would grow very dark if she spent too much time in the sun. Nani remembers it as a lonely time in her life; all of her friends were outside playing. Ritu shares that she likes her Nani's skin.
"Nani looks at their hands intertwined.
They are the rich brown of henna and of
tea steeped just right."
After a change of heart, Nani plans a surprise for her granddaughter the following morning. They are going to take a breakfast picnic outside to share ... and they are going to sit in the morning sun to enjoy it.
Illustrations created using acrylic paint and graphite inspire readers to carefully observe both light and shadow on each of the lovely pages. They allow those sharing the story to move from present to past and back again, as Nani explains why she stays out of the sun. An author's note discusses Ms. Hossain's inspiration for writing her story. She wants children to know that being in the warmth of the sun, and the beauty found in skin of all colors are just part of life's many wonderful experiences. Finally, recipes for Nani's aloo bhaji and roti are appended.
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