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A Garland of Henna

Author Varsha Bajaj
Illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan
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Hardcover
$18.99 US
Penguin Young Readers | Nancy Paulsen Books
On sale Jun 11, 2024 | 32 Pages | 9780593325117
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Nikita’s family takes pride in creating beautiful henna art, and she’s ready to try her hand at it—but it’s harder than it looks!

Nikita is part of a long line of henna artists. Her grandmother even brought a treasured notebook of designs with her to the US when she moved here from India. But the first time Nikita tries to make henna art, the mehndi paste looks like an ugly blob, and she feels like giving up. Still, she continues watching her mother and grandmother make gardens bloom on hands and is intrigued by the beauty of it all. Will she find the courage to try again?            

New York Times bestselling author Varsha Bajaj’s poetic text and Archana Sreenivasan’s dynamic illustrations perfectly capture Nikita’s frustration, then pride, as she takes part in a beautiful family tradition.
Varsha Bajaj (VarshaBajaj.com) is the author of the middle grade novels Thirst (a New York Times bestseller and Global Read Aloud selection) and Count Me In. She also wrote the picture books Family of Friends, A Garland of Henna, The Home Builders (an Imagination Library selection), and This Is Our Baby, Born Today (a Bank Street Best Book). She grew up in Mumbai, India, and when she came to the United States to obtain her master’s degree, her adjustment to the country was aided by books, which helped her learn about the culture. She lives in Houston, Texas. View titles by Varsha Bajaj
Archana Sreenivasan is a freelance illustrator based in Bangalore, India. Her illustrations have been published in magazines, children's books, book covers, and comics. She finds the natural world and people watching most inspiring and engaging. She is an alumna of the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad. In 2015 she attended the summer residency in illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York. View titles by Archana Sreenivasan

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Nikita’s family takes pride in creating beautiful henna art, and she’s ready to try her hand at it—but it’s harder than it looks!

Nikita is part of a long line of henna artists. Her grandmother even brought a treasured notebook of designs with her to the US when she moved here from India. But the first time Nikita tries to make henna art, the mehndi paste looks like an ugly blob, and she feels like giving up. Still, she continues watching her mother and grandmother make gardens bloom on hands and is intrigued by the beauty of it all. Will she find the courage to try again?            

New York Times bestselling author Varsha Bajaj’s poetic text and Archana Sreenivasan’s dynamic illustrations perfectly capture Nikita’s frustration, then pride, as she takes part in a beautiful family tradition.

Author

Varsha Bajaj (VarshaBajaj.com) is the author of the middle grade novels Thirst (a New York Times bestseller and Global Read Aloud selection) and Count Me In. She also wrote the picture books Family of Friends, A Garland of Henna, The Home Builders (an Imagination Library selection), and This Is Our Baby, Born Today (a Bank Street Best Book). She grew up in Mumbai, India, and when she came to the United States to obtain her master’s degree, her adjustment to the country was aided by books, which helped her learn about the culture. She lives in Houston, Texas. View titles by Varsha Bajaj
Archana Sreenivasan is a freelance illustrator based in Bangalore, India. Her illustrations have been published in magazines, children's books, book covers, and comics. She finds the natural world and people watching most inspiring and engaging. She is an alumna of the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad. In 2015 she attended the summer residency in illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York. View titles by Archana Sreenivasan

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