Home Is in Between

Shanti’s story starts when her family leaves their village in India for an American town “with cold rain and orange and yellow leaves,” and she begins to move back and forth between both cultures: “Remembering the village./ Learning the town./ Again and again./ In Between.” At home, her mother teaches her traditional Indian dance; in town, her friend Tonya, who is Black, takes her to ballet. “Baba taught Shanti Bangla letters”; she reads him The Little Engine That Could in English. Her blue toy elephant accompanies her everywhere, a whimsical, consistent presence. One day, she hits a point of exhaustion: “If only her friends could learn the village./ If only her parents could learn the town./ Again and again./ In Between.” Yet Shanti’s soon ready to go on: “She was good at making/ anywhere feel like home./ Especially here./ In the space between cultures.” Animation-style characters by Naidu (Susie Will Not Speak) reflect emotion clearly, while straightforward writing by Perkins (Between Us and Abuela) shows how Shanti learns to appreciate aspects of her new life while keeping people and elements from her old one close to her heart. Ages 3–6. [em](Feb.) [/em]