A Dupatta Is...

Noting in evocative, expansive terms what “a dupatta is,” Abbas’s free-verse quatrains and Chouhan’s jewel-toned digital images describe the traditional South Asian scarf. First defining the garment as “fabric,” lines start by contextualizing the dupatta’s beginnings as “cotton balls or silkworm cocoons.” Next, the garment is “sound” (“flitting, flapping”), “scent” (“cinnamon and cardamom”), and “art” (“motifs, block prints”). Moving from the sensorial to the functional, the text notes various ways of styling a dupatta, arrayed uses (“protecting/ shielding/ sheltering... playing peekaboo”), and its symbolism as part of faith, identity, and legacy. Vibrant 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. Ages 3–6. (Apr.)