Monsoon - by Uma Krishnaswami (Paperback)

About the Book

Richly colored illustrations and lyrical text...An expressive story about seasons, extremes, and waiting. -Kirkus Reviews

A welcome glimpse into another culture and climate, this is the latest of Krishnaswami's children's books about India...Akib's sun-baked art, hazy like a hot summer day, conveys the richness of a dry, dusty setting as well as the pleasant, active household; the busy streets featuring cattle-and-car traffic; the tea stalls; the Bollywood posters; and Hindi sculptures...An afterword provides details about the nature, geography, and dangers of monsoon rains, and a glossary defines the four Hindi words used in the story. -Booklist

Book Synopsis

Get out your umbrellas!

Filled with stunning imagery and description, Monsoon by Uma Krishnaswami and Jamel Akib depicts a wonderful children's story of anticipation, seasonal changes, and the beauty of urban India.

Children play, birds call, and grownups go about their business during the hot days of summer in northern India. But in the bustle of street and marketplace, everyone is watching, waiting for those magical clouds to bring their gift of rain to the land. Through the observations of one young girl, the scents and sounds, the dazzling colors, and the breathless anticipation of a parched cityscape are vividly evoked during the final days before the welcome arrival of the monsoon.

Rhythmic prose and vivid chalk pastels flood the senses and take the reader on a tour of diverse urban India.

Review Quotes

"Richly colored illustrations and lyrical text...An expressive story about seasons, extremes, and waiting." --Kirkus Reviews

"A welcome glimpse into another culture and climate." --Booklist

About the Author

Uma Krishnaswami is the author of several books for children, including Naming Maya. She was born in New Delhi, India, and now lives in Aztec, New Mexico.

Jamel Akib grew up in Malaysia and now lives in Leigh-on-Sea, England. Monsoon is his first picture book.