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Henna Is . . .

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Henna Is . . .

By: Marzieh Abbas, Anu Chouhan
Narrated by: Lipica Shah
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About this listen

Henna Is ... features music and special effects. Listen along and enjoy the fun!

An audiobook that serves young listeners as a lyrical love letter to henna, written by Muslim Book Reviewer Award winner Marzieh Abbas.

Henna is so much more than a form of temporary body art.

Henna is nature—seeds sprouted into shrubs, leaves kissed by tropical rain.

Henna is color—the orange of juicy mangoes, sun-kissed brown, or black as the feathers of crows.

Henna is fragrance—earthy and nutty, lemony and clove-y.

The intricate patterns of flowers, feathers, vines, and other symbols painted and stained onto skin has been a tradition in cultures all around the world for thousands of years. Beautiful and eye-catching, henna also carries the scents, textures, and colors of family and identity.

A Macmillan Audio production from Feiwel & Friends.

 Art Geography & Cultures South Asian Creators

Critic Reviews

<p><b>Praise for <i>Henna Is...</i>:<br><br></b>"Writing in <b>vivid</b>, sensory language, [Abbas] offers an all-encompassing exploration of the topic, accompanied by Chouhan’s <b>enticing</b> illustrations dominated by floral patterns and symbols from the various cultures where henna is popular. Nontraditional henna designs—smiley faces, ice cream cones, thunderbolts—appear, too, lending a playfulness to the art. <b>A joyful look at an important cultural tradition.</b>" —<i>Kirkus Reviews<br></i><br>"<b>Colorful and affirming</b> illustrations mirror each description, leaving cultural insiders warmly gratified and cultural outsiders with new knowledge. An author’s note adds a little more context. ... Pair <i>Henna Is . . .</i> with Meera Sriram's<i> A Garden in My Hands</i> (2023) and <i>Zain Bandali's Mehndi Boy</i> (2023) for a cute text set all about henna." —<i>Booklist</i><br><br><b>Praise for <i>A Dupatta Is...</i>:<br></b><br>"Abbas offers not just a story, but a <b>poetic</b> explanation of a traditional scarf worn by the people of Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. ... From color to function, beauty to identity, the dupatta’s significance is shown through <b>vivid</b> illustrations from ­Chouhan. ... This book <b>exquisitely represents the legacy that is the dupatta</b> through imagery and descriptive text for <b>a beautiful lesson in culture</b>." —<i>School Library Journal<br></i><br>"Similar in form to Kevin Noble Maillard’s <i>Fry Bread </i>(2019), illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal, this rhythmic description of a dupatta’s importance in a South Asian Muslim family is <b>an affectionate homage</b>. ... The book’s warm, well-chosen language depicts <b>a joyful, accurate representation of a dupatta’s multigenerational importance</b> in family life. ... <b>A lyrical, multisensory celebration</b> of a South Asian garment." —<i>Kirkus Reviews<br><br></i>"Noting in <b>evocative, expansive</b> terms what 'a dupatta is,' Abbas’s free-verse quatrains and Chouhan’s <b>jewel-toned</b> digital images describe the traditional South Asian scarf. ... <b>Vibrant</b> patterned illustrations show individuals with a variety of skin tones in assorted scenarios. Additional information and a glossary conclude this look at a garment that is 'so much more' than mere apparel." —<i>Publishers Weekly</i></p>
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