A Bindi Can Be ...

A young girl makes a bindi with her grandmother and discovers what wearing one means to her.

A young girl is eager to learn all about bindis, the red dot that goes between her brows. Paati, her grandmother, shows her how to make a bindi in a clay pot by combining crushed turmeric, sandalwood powder and a dollop of ghee. They mix and mix and mix until, like magic, the mixture turns from yellow to bright red. Her bindi can be big or small, and shaped like a star, a flower or a glowing half-moon. She can wear her bindi to celebrate different festivals, such as Diwali, or on an ordinary day as a way to stay centered and calm. In this way, she discovers that her bindi is more than just a dot.

Suma Subramaniam is the author of the picture books Namaste Is a Greeting and She Sang for India. Her writing has appeared in The Hero Next Door, a collection of short stories from We Need Diverse Books. Suma holds an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Born in Bangalore, India, she now lives near Seattle, Washington.

Kamala Nair is a full-time illustrator, architect by trade and creator of the picture book We Did It Together. When she’s not in her studio, she’s taking in an earthy sunset or walking among the green pastures of Kerala, India, with her sketchbook in hand.

... refutes the idea that this familiar forehead dot is merely decorative ... Readers learn that there are many different names, designs, and levels of significance ...—Booklist