Concept books–counting, ABC, color–are the evergreens of the nonfiction world. They have an important place in children’s lives, but usually my reading of them isn’t marked by much surprise. A Gift for Amma by Meera Sriram charmed and delighted me by all the extras it brought to the reader.

A Gift for Amma is, at heart, a color book. But it is set in an open market in Chennai, India–Meera’s hometown. A girl tries to find the perfect present for her mother by searching the stalls and talking to the vendors.

The setting was vividly depicted in both word and art–a true pleasure to my wanderlust. I loved that the book explores a range of colors not always present in color books. We look at white, brown, and black objects. I didn’t see the ending coming, but it struck the perfect tone.

The setting of this story makes it a book that will appeal to a much wider range of readers than color books usually attract. I can imagine lots of fun imaginative play inspired by A Gift for Amma.

The art is vibrant and fun to examine closely. The pallette is rich, as one would hope with a color book!

The book will be available on August 21, 2020. A Spanish language version is being published concurrently.

A Gift for Amma by Meera Sriram, illustrated by Mariona Cabassa (Barefoot Books: 2020). I received access to a free electronic review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.