Bhangra Boogie
Tahlia is enraptured by the dancers at the mehndi ahead of her cousin’s wedding as they leap, hop, twirl and snap through the air. She imagines herself ‘dazzling the crowd’ with her own dance moves, but she feels much too self-conscious to join the crowd on the dance floor, and knows her feet will turn into ‘heavy clay pots’ if she tries to dance in front of people.
Both her mother and cousin Mariyah try to encourage her to join in, but Talia stays in her seat. Finally, a little heart-to-heart with her Dadi not only convinces Talia to hit the dancefloor, but has her encouraging Dadi to bust some moves too!
This is a lovely, intergenerational story about overcoming shyness and inhibitions, and how understanding someone else’s story and encouraging them can help you to find your own confidence to be creative and to express yourself. Prabhat’s vibrant illustrations are a feast for the eyes, and they depict perfectly the movement, abandon, and above all, the joy of dancing, even if you end up stepping on a few toes!
There is a useful illustrated glossary of terms for South Asian food, instruments and clothing at the back of the book, which will give readers who are unfamiliar with the setting a taste and understanding of the mehndi tradition. A tremendously fun read.
