Grandmother School

June 1, 2020
Inspired by a real-life school for older, illiterate women in western India, a picture book about women's education and empowerment and the love between a grandmother and her granddaughter. The story is narrated by a girl who tells of her aaji's school: "She rushes through her chores so she can change into her uniform--a bright pink sari.... / Then I take her hand in mine and walk her to school." When Aaji first learns to spell her name, she and her granddaughter do "a little dance"; both characters' joy is evident on the page--and infectious. Similarly, readers will cheer when Aaji shows the "rude man behind the counter" at the bank that she can sign her name; he had always dismissed her, saying "people who gave thumbprints instead of signatures [had] to wait." Aaji's triumphant smile says it all. Crucially, Singh makes it clear that even though Aaji may be just now learning to read and write, the stories she tells the narrator at night are as vivid as any book's. Rooney's vibrant, multimedia illustrations complement the text's exuberance and positivity, incorporating Marathi script into several spreads. An author's note details the establishment of Aajibaichi Shala in 2016 by local schoolteacher Yogendra Banger, who wanted everyone in his village to be able to read and write--including women who were once denied this opportunity. A spirited book about gender, age, rights, and the importance of education. (Picture book. 6-8)

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June 1, 2020
Grades 1-3 It's morning, and someone is getting ready for school?a grandmother! Clad in a fuschia sari and escorted merrily by her granddaughter, Aaji hurries across the village to the one-room schoolhouse decorated with marigolds, built especially for the education of the village grandmothers. The ability to read and write her name, to count out correct change in the market, and to study the Marathi language empowers Aaji, despite the derision of some of the men in the community. The story is narrated by Aaji's granddaughter, whose pride in her grandmother's efforts is contagious. Gorgeous multimedia illustrations, textured with traditional textile designs, add a folkloric element, while the colors are crisp and contemporary. This is a book based on real events, which readers can learn more about in the author's note, and it's one that provides a surprising angle to the growing body of children's books about gender inequality and the continued work of pioneers like Aaji.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)