Visit the Bhil Carnival

A large foldout poster greets readers who open this collaboration between author/publisher Wolf and Amaliyar, an artist from the Bhil tribe in central India. Painted in rich reds, blues, and yellows, it depicts the region’s annual Bhagoria carnival, complete with a pop-up Ferris wheel. Featuring busy scenes of silhouetted folk-art figures covered in tiny dots, the image forms the basis for a story of two siblings, which unfolds in a small glued-in booklet. Finally old enough to attend the carnival on their own, Neela and his younger sister, Peela, visit a balloon vendor, ride the Ferris wheel, sample food offerings, get their photo taken, and more before returning home. Wolf writes in clear, accessible language, making readers feel at home at a festival where burfi and laddoo are for sale, rather than funnel cakes and corn dogs. (However, it’s clear that ice cream transcends culture and continent, as “Peela chooses a chocolate cone and Neela eats a choc-o-bar.”) Amaliyar’s images appear both in the booklet and the large poster, adding a seek-and-find dimension to Neela and Peela’s carnival explorations. Ages 5–up. [em](Apr.) [/em]