Desert Girl, Monsoon Boy
written by Tara Dairman
illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan
published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons/Penguin Random House
ISBN: 978-0525518068
ages 4 and up
- A Kirkus Best Picture Book of the Year
- A Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Book of the Year
- A Betsy Bird/SLJ Best Picture Book of the Year
- Finalist for the Bill Martin Jr. Picture Book Award
Extreme weather affects two children’s lives in very different ways and shows how the power of nature can bring us together.
One girl. One boy. Their lives couldn’t be more different. While she turns her shoulder to sandstorms and blistering winds, he cuffs his pants when heavy rains begin to fall. As the weather becomes more severe, their families and animals must flee to safety–and their destination shows that they might be more alike than they seem. The journeys of these two children experiencing weather extremes in India highlight the power of nature and the resilience of the human spirit.
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Old Firehouse Books (for signed copies) Bookshop.org Penguin Random House Books A Million Barnes & Noble Amazon Indigo (Canada) Book Depository (International) KoboPraise for Desert Girl, Monsoon Boy
☆ “A beautiful and important book about climate change featuring those who are most affected by it.” –KIRKUS, starred review
☆ “While introducing the diversity of the Indian subcontinent through thoughtful juxtaposition, this collaboration also confronts the threats that extreme weather poses to various ways of life.” –PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, starred review
“Desert Girl, Monsoon Boy is a gorgeously wrought, simply written, smart story that does the work of engaging and informing kids… You just want to read it again and again.” –Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production (School Library Journal Blog)
“Beautifully rendered … This book not only examines climate change through the eyes of communities whose lives and livelihoods depend on the weather, but also provides a starting point for conversations on gendered roles as well as about migration as a form of survival — and how our lives are interconnected.” –HORN BOOK
“This story was inspired by the lifestyles of the Rabari people who live in northwestern India. Their lives, as we see in this very simple yet poignant book, are intimately connected to the environment. Young readers will find the jaunty rhyme of the narrative fun to follow.” –BOOKLIST