My take on the book:
Seven-year-old Kanmani studied in Class III at Holy Flower High School and lived in Gully No 4 of Ekta Nagar with her Paati, father and elder brother Vijay. Her mother Nila Amma worked as a nanny at Diva Shah’s home and visited her twice a month. Nila Amma’s arrival, especially during Diwali, brought great excitement to Kanmani as Diva’s mother would hand over heaps of clothes to Nila Amma that Diva no longer wore.
For her eighth birthday, Kanmani dreamed of wearing a pink dress with lace. Her repeated requests to Paati and her parents for this specific dress were met with a strict no. Diva was more of a T-shirts and jeans girl so none of the earlier clothes Kanmani got from Diva matched her requirement. Kanmani’s final option is to request Diva herself for a new dress, but she did not have Diva’s phone number or address. Will Kanmani’s dream comes true or not forms the rest of the story.
This is a heartwarming story of a smart and bubbly young girl who explored multiple options to fulfill her birthday wish. The author effectively contrasts the lives of Kanmani and Diva, showing how something as basic as a pink lace dress can be a big dream for kids from lesser financial backgrounds. The story also highlights Kanmani’s confidence in comparison to Diva and beautifully portrays how Kanmani’s friends went to any extent to help her.
The illustrations are the soul of the book as they add fun and warmth to the story. While the end goal is known from the beginning, the way the author ties together all the characters while retaining humor is impressive. The underlying message for parents, teachers, kids is wholesome. Highly recommended to pick this one for your kids this summer.
My rating:
5/5.