Uma Krishnaswami, illustrated by Jamel Akib
Bringing Asha Home
Lee & Low Books, 2006

Ages 4-8

'Bringing Asha Home' tells the story of a bi-racial American family adopting an Indian girl. The story is told by Arun, who is just coming up to seven years old. He is looking forward to meeting Asha, his new baby sister, about whom he has heard so much from his parents. We follow his reaction to the news of the adoption, his parents' struggle to get through paperwork
challenges, and his anticipation of his sister's arrival, including
her first birthday party, 'even though my sister is on the other side of the world'.

Arun thoughtfully makes his sister a gift, a paper airplane, for his father to take to India when he collects Asha. The illustrations show paper airplanes all the way through the book, which remind us how Asha will be arriving. Jamel Akib's work in 'Bringing Asha Home' looks contemporary and shows a suburban American family through a hazy pastel filter, muting the primary colors. Arun's parents are clearly bi-racial: however, the illustrations don't make a feature of this; and Arun is always at the center, underlining the fact that the story is told from his perspective.

Some of the deeper aspects of adoption are touched upon in 'Bringing Asha Home'. Arun discovers that his parents did not name his new baby sister. Instead, she was given her name 'when she was born'. He initially assumes that Asha will be coming 'from the hospital', like
his friend Michael's new baby sister. He also wonders about his father's explanation of the 'referrals and permissions' delaying Asha's arrival. When he questions the process, Arun's father tells him: "Adopting a baby can take a long time".

As the festival of Rakhi (or Raksha Bandhan) grows closer, so does Asha's arrival. At last she is carried through the gate at the airport holding her paper plane and carrying a sacred bracelet she has brought from India for Arun. At Rhaki, the festival for brothers and sisters, the emotional bond of siblings is expressed by sisters giving their bothers this bracelet, and brothers in turn vowing to protect their sisters.

Arun feels that he has 'helped bring Asha home' safely by making her the paper plane, and is very happy to see his sister sleeping 'in her room', at last.

Anna Kelly
January 2007