And Yet You Shine: The Kohinoor Diamond, Colonization, and Resistance

Lyrically told and dimensionally visualized in textural collage illustrations, Kelkar’s tale—addressed to the world-famous Kohinoor Diamond—follows its centuries-long journey via two children who witness the historical events. In a vivid beginning scene, the children see “you sink in sandy sediment...// until a pair of brown hands/ sifts through the grains/ and you emerge.// Look at your shine!” The gem’s “shine” becomes a repeating motif of an object undimmed across a history of bloodshed and oppression. The diamond first sits “in the Peacock Throne,/ seven long years in the making” before being looted, passed around via violent acts, and eventually taken and reshaped “to become a symbol/ of the power of your colonizers.” Ending text considers the diamond’s being told it “should look different to belong” and its “being cut down, torn down,/ like a piece of property just passing hands,” hinting at a long human history extending beyond a single object—one that continues to shine. Extensive back matter includes “The Kohinoor Diamond: A History of Looting and Theft,” plus details about colonization and stolen artifacts. Ages 8–12. (Apr.)