Meena’s Saturday

“In my house, Saturdays start early” begins Meena, the child narrator of this forward-looking family story. Though she loves the events that characterize the big weekly gatherings at her family’s home, Meena dislikes the way that her brother gets to read in bed while she and her sisters and mother prepare for visitors: “In my family, boys get special treatment because they’re boys.” When she asks why, “Mom says that when she grew up in Gujarat, India, that’s just the way it worked. I say those were the old days and things are changing.” Ismail’s fine-lined multimedia illustrations convey the work of the day—making chai, cooking elaborate dishes, tidying up, and doing it all over again for family and community members Meena’s parents helped, all undertaken by girls and women. When the men get to eat first around the small dining table, Meena determines that later generations won’t benefit from her help unless she begins now, by taking a seat at the table. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)