Hope Is a Girl Selling Fruit

Gr 6 Up—Readers who pick up Das's debut title may find themselves in for a surprise. This is not a simple, linear story but rather a winding journey that reflects on life and its many complicated pieces. The author/artist describes a journey she once took and how that journey later became an inspiration for her art. Rather than focusing on the train's physical path, Das describes being emotionally moved by a poor girl traveling alone, heading toward what sheimagines as a limited future. Is the girl limited by her caste, her gender, or both? She provides no easy answers but further reflects on how these factors impacted her own life and art. The paintings are done in the Mithila tradition of folk art, which is described in some detail in the book's afterword. That this type of art, often done by women in the home, is used to question traditional women's roles adds another dimension to the book's overall impact. While this is a lovely picture book, it is one that will be best enjoyed by adults or teens who are questioning their own roles and the paths that they choose to follow.—Heather Webb, Worthington Libraries, OH