Nisha's Just-Right Christmas Tree
$18.99 USD
hardcover
Wide like an elephant and tall like a camel. That would be the perfect Christmas tree.
When Nisha and her father set out to pick out a Christmas tree, she wants a big tree, but her Baba wants a small one. Nisha tries to persuade Baba they need a big tree to fit the new ornaments from India. She'll even help pull the wagon! But Baba still insists on a small tree. So when Baba and Nisha surprisingly agree on the same tree, she suddenly isn't sure about it. Is the tree they both like big or small? In the end, the tree is the perfect size--for the ornaments, for their apartment, and for sharing Christmas cookies and silvery burfi.
Nisha's Just-Right Christmas Tree captures a familiar Christmas tradition through charming text and illustrations. Based on a true story from author Jaya Mehta's childhood, the book beautifully demonstrates a blend of cultures between Nisha's father, who is Hindu, and her mother, who is Christian, as they celebrate Christmas together in their Brooklyn Heights apartment. Backmatter shares more about blending cultures, including examples from both authors' lives.
Susan Lynn Meyer is the author of three previous picture books, including New Shoes, winner of the Jane Addams Peace Association Children's Book Award and the New York State Reading Association Charlotte Award. She is also the author of three award-winning middle-grade historical novels. Her works have been chosen as Junior Library Guild, PJ Library, and PJ Our Way selections, and have been translated into German and Chinese. Susan is an English professor at Wellesley College and lives outside Boston.
Jaya Mehta was previously a professor of English literature at Vanderbilt and Butler Universities and now works as a freelance fiction writer for children. Jaya won a LitUp Fellowship from Reese's Book Club for a YA manuscript in 2022. She lives outside Boston, among all the animals left behind by her college-age twins.
Parvati Pillai is a versatile illustrator and visual designer living in Finland. She grew up in the vibrant country of India and has been passionate about the interplay of colors since she was a child. When she is not experimenting with new illustration styles, Parvati enjoys storytelling, gardening, and being in nature.
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