Meena's Saturday
Published on 20. March 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
40 pages
978-0-241-73987-7 (ISBN)
Description
A slice-of-life story with a feminist message about a young Indian girl and her sisters managing a bustling house full of boisterous guests on a busy Saturday.
Saturday mornings start early for Meena. She and her sisters watch the sun rise while drinking chai before they clean the house and then head to the grocery store . . . while their brother gets to stay in bed. As the guests arrive, including Meena's favorite cousins, the women crowd into the kitchen to cook. The doorbell rings nonstop as family, neighbors, and friends fill the bustling house. Once fresh chapatis are made, dinner begins-for the men. But Meena spots an empty seat at the table and decides today is the day she makes an important change.
Meena's Saturday by Kusum Mepani, with exuberant illustrations by Yasmeen Ismail, is the charming story of a family's weekend ritual, a love letter to the gatherings of community and family, and an example of how changing long-standing traditions can start with you.
Saturday mornings start early for Meena. She and her sisters watch the sun rise while drinking chai before they clean the house and then head to the grocery store . . . while their brother gets to stay in bed. As the guests arrive, including Meena's favorite cousins, the women crowd into the kitchen to cook. The doorbell rings nonstop as family, neighbors, and friends fill the bustling house. Once fresh chapatis are made, dinner begins-for the men. But Meena spots an empty seat at the table and decides today is the day she makes an important change.
Meena's Saturday by Kusum Mepani, with exuberant illustrations by Yasmeen Ismail, is the charming story of a family's weekend ritual, a love letter to the gatherings of community and family, and an example of how changing long-standing traditions can start with you.
Reviews / Votes
This captivating ode to weekly gatherings of friends and extended family brims with affection...An excellent pick for any day of the week. * The Horn Book Magazine, starred review * Beautiful...Mepani's writing flows...and is layered with nuance through Meena's keen observations about the immigrant experience, the power of community, gender roles, and her own aspirations. Ismail's mixed-media illustrations reflect these layers through vibrant images. An important book for every growing library collection. * School Library Journal, starred review * Mirrors the realities of many immigrant communities...Told in a realistically childlike voice, the narrative also highlights the gender disparity that many children encounter from a very young age. The bright watercolor illustrations are bursting with life. A lively look at community, connections, and ways to foster change. * Kirkus Reviews * Ismail's energetic watercolor illustrations are a visual feast. This slice-of-life conversation starter both appreciates and questions long-standing traditions. * Booklist * Forward-looking. . .Ismail's fine-lined multimedia illustrations convey the work of the day--making chai, cooking elaborate dishes, tidying up, and doing it all over again. When the men get to eat first around the small dining table, Meena determines that later generations won't benefit from her help unless she begins now, by taking a seat at the table. * Publishers Weekly *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Penguin Random House Children's UK
Target group
Children/juvenile
Interest Age: From 3 to 7 years
Dimensions
Height: 277 mm
Width: 232 mm
Thickness: 7 mm
Weight
222 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-241-73987-7 (9780241739877)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Persons
Kusum Mepani (Author)
Kusum Mepani has been migrating her entire life. She was born in Kenya but moved to England, where she grew up in the crowded, chaotic, loving house seen in this book, surrounded by so many cousins, uncles, and aunts that she can't even remember all their names. As an adult, she moved to New York and finally California, where she now lives with her husband, two sons, and a dog.
Yasmeen Ismail (Illustrator)
Yasmeen Ismail is an award-winning, London based illustrator and animator with a love of inks, paints and watercolours, and an interest in paper craft, design, typography and collage. She hails from Ireland and graduated from art school in Dublin in 2002. She is now based in London.
Kusum Mepani has been migrating her entire life. She was born in Kenya but moved to England, where she grew up in the crowded, chaotic, loving house seen in this book, surrounded by so many cousins, uncles, and aunts that she can't even remember all their names. As an adult, she moved to New York and finally California, where she now lives with her husband, two sons, and a dog.
Yasmeen Ismail (Illustrator)
Yasmeen Ismail is an award-winning, London based illustrator and animator with a love of inks, paints and watercolours, and an interest in paper craft, design, typography and collage. She hails from Ireland and graduated from art school in Dublin in 2002. She is now based in London.