The Katha Chest

Asiya knows that inside her nanu's house, there is a treasure chest. It is the katha chest, filled with quilts her Nanu made out of old saris. As Asiya examines each quilt, she thinks of the women the saris once belonged to and the stories that define their unique strengths. While Asiya does not narrate, the text has a simplicity evocative of childhood, focusing primarily on her sensory exploration of the katha quilts. After Asiya introduces each quilt, along with a brief reference to the woman who wore the sari, the following page spread conveys the woman's story in four highly detailed wordless panels. For example, the panels show a woman wearing the sari; holding her three worried children close to her pregnant belly as her husband strides away bearing the flag of Bangladesh; cradling her newborn and older children within her sari, while an image above shows shadowy figures firing guns; and the husband returned to his smiling family, holding the youngest child and wearing a medal. Many of the panels portray serious issues such as war and death. Most young readers will need the guidance of an adult, and for that reason the book may be best suited to one-on-one reading. The volume of significant visual details, many specific to Bangladeshi culture, mean this book can be explored at multiple levels. Educators can simply enjoy a vibrant story about family, or use the book to discuss the impact of trauma and the power of resilience.

This is an engaging and colorful celebration of the legacy of strength shared by women.

--Elizabeth Lovsin, Deerfield P. L., IL Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.

Radhiah Chowdhury grew up at the mercy of a highly enthusiastic children’s librarian. She has been an avid lover of books ever since and is passionate about stories that reflect all the magnificent different facets and experiences of a community and has been an advocate for representative publishing in her work as both an editor and an author. She’s the author of picture books Jumble and Katha Chest. Radhiah now lives in Sydney, Australia. Lavanya Naiduis an animator, designer, and award-winning children’s book illustrator, born and raised in Kolkata, India. Her work has most recently been featured at the Asian Festival of Children’s Content as a selection for their Digital Gallery 2020. Lavanya now lives in Melbourne, Australia.