American Desi

by Jyoti Rajan Gopal, Supriya Kelkar (Illustrator)

For fans of Eyes That Kiss in the Corners, this poetic story filled with expressive art empowers South Asian children living in the United States and celebrates being bicultural.

Pavadais in bright gold colors
Jersey shirts and faded jeans
Swapping, changing, feeling seen...
Which is the color of me?

A young girl longs to know where she fits in: Is she American? Or is she Indian? Does she have to pick or can she be both? With bright, joyful rhyme, and paired with an immersive art style using American and Indian fabrics, American Desi celebrates the experiences of young children growing up first and second generation Indian American: straddling the two cultural worlds they belong to, embracing all they love of both worlds and refusing to be limited by either.

This story is a powerful tribute to the joy of being South Asian and for every reader who aspires to bridge their worlds with grace, grit, and confidence.

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Childrens, Cultural, India, Fiction, Asian Literature

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2022

About the author

Jyoti Rajan Gopal is a writer, mom and Kindergarten teacher. Growing up, she lived in Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, India and China. She now lives in New York, in a quirky old Victorian in Yonkers, with her husband, where they raised their two daughters. Her favorite place in the house is the wrap around porch where she loves to gather with family or friends, read, write and drink coffee.

Jyoti writes stories that speak to her heart, that reflect her multiple identities, that she wishes her daughters had growing up, that she wishes her students had now.
When not writing or teaching, she loves to read - a lot! - work in her garden, dance and explore the many New York State Park trails.

Reviews

[Deborah]

A glorious celebration of merging cultures—sung out in text, and lusciously collaged and stitched together in the illustrations.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

These illustrations!! Forever a sucker for mixed media.

[Brittany Thurman · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Blending, merging, taking wing, the glorious colors of me.”

America Desi is a lyrical story of heritage and culture. It is a song about the bounty of beauty that exists when two cultures merge. American Desi celebrates all that is festive, musical, sacred, graceful and tender in Desi culture. Along with the exploration and welcoming of American roots. With the theme of finding oneself and loving your identity, Jyoti Rajan Gopal’s brilliant text merges perfectly with Supriya Kelkar’s vivid and joyous illustrations. Together these two creators have made this a wonderous, sing song picture book with a message to be cherished for generations.

[Gayatri Sethi Desi Book Aunty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving. Lyrical. Luminous.

This picture book makes for a loving read-aloud. The words are made luminous by the illustrations. The colors and feelings evoked by the artistry in these pages, are simply lovely.
This book feels like a heart hug to all the one foot here, one foot there folks of all ages ever wondering how or where they fit.
This read uplifts.

[Sue Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful picture book! Lyrical, rhythmic, rhyming text and stunning, vibrant artwork tell the tale of a girl who is straddling two worlds and cultures. This book will be great for pre-school kids through early grades.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice illustrations. Wish there was a definition of desi for readers who may not know that word.

[Jilanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a lyrical celebration of the cross-cultural mixing that happens when Desi children straddle the worlds of their countries of origin and destination. Whether it's clothing, food, body decoration, music/dance steps, sports, or language, the child in the narrative weaves together the varied strands of herself, acknowledging the differences, and owning them all with joy. A gloriously, sumptuously, boldly (yes, all of those adverbs apply) illustrated book to match the narrator's confident sense of self. I can see this book as a jumping off point for all children of mixed origins to identify and celebrate the varied cultural strands within themselves and for their single origin allies to appreciate the complex interweave of cultures within their friends.

[Elizabeth Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written and illustrated. The lyrical text allows the reader to experience what the child feels as she navigates a life immersed in different cultures. The writing is lively and vibrant. This will make a wonderful addition to any classroom and will be great for story time!

[Rebecca Newland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly a beautiful book about embracing all that makes each of us special.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Colorful illustrations with rhythmic flow; multicultural and self-acceptance

[Anita Jari Kharbanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

American Desi is a heartfelt and moving children's book that expands on the experience of growing up Desi in America. In a vivid display of colors it celebrates cultural diversity. It is a must read for children everywhere. Bravo!

[Nicole Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

       A beautiful book about a girl who feels like she has to choose between her two cultures and decides that to truly be herself, she has to be a mixture of both. This book is great for kids who feel like a mixture of cultures and for kids who aren't but strive to be anti-racist.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bright and colorful celebration of self!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightfully illustrated book that incorporates personal items from the illustrator along with very animated collage-style composition. The text lilts along, describing some of the things that connect the main character to her Indian culture, as well as her American culture.

Note: local Michigan illustrator

[KM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book! It's affirming, fun to read aloud, and explores identity in such a fun way that engages the reader. The collaged illustrations are bright, textured, and beautifully rendered. This book bursts with energy. Highly recommended!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful art done with backgrounds of fabric collage. The images in the foreground of the characters are adorable. The message of being able to straddle two cultures to make a place for oneself is lovely and perfectly done here. It is a true celebration of culture and identity. A beautiful book!

[Megan Litwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning text, art, and concept perfectly woven together! This book begins with a narrator questioning where she belongs (with the repeated refrain “which is the color of me?”) and ends with an understanding that she can be true to ALL the colors of herself. And those many wondrous colors are gloriously showcased with vibrant mixed-media art. A reflection of the narrator’s mixed-heritage, but also a universal truth…one beautifully shared. A book for everyone’s shelf.

[Kari Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a vibrant and beautiful celebration of color, individuality and the fabrics that shape our lives. I adored this picture book and it is an excellent addition to any bookshelf.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning textile art sets off the pulsing text as a child straddles her two cultures in this joyous picture book, celebrating all the colors, shapes, sounds, and flavors of heritage and community.

[Michelle Normand · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one need to win an award. Beautifully written and still accessible to children. Illustrations are bold and unique.

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely children’s book exploring first generation culture blending.

[Sarah Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous book in every way, from the lyrical text to the stunning collage-style illustrations. The story is one long, beautiful poem in which a young girl considers the way her South Asian and American cultures blend and dance together. Between the language and the vibrant art, you can almost feel the texture of the rich fabrics and smell the array of spices. This is an important story about having roots in more than one culture and should be read by all.

[Ellie Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bright, bold and beautiful, from the text to the illustrations. Gopal's story of a girl questioning her place between Indian and American culture is poetically told and Kelkar's vibrant, collage-like illustrations complement it perfectly. Powerful themes of belonging and identity packaged perfectly for kids.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poetic celebration of culture(s)! This picture book follows an American child of Indian descent as she explores her bicultural identity, posing the question: Which is the color of me? Visually, these pages burst with color, illustrator Supriya Kelkar weaving a rainbow of textures and textiles. In a similar patchwork style, author Jyoti Rajan Gopal juxtaposes aspects of culture. Traditional Indian clothing speaks to a modern American style. Bollywood moves mingle with hip-hop grooves. So, too, swirl the many influences of food, music, and language that inform this child’s intercultural experience. It all amounts to a celebration of these aspects that make us who we are. Not just one color, but many. Give this to any child discovering their cultural history. An essential purchase for classrooms and libraries.

[Margaret Aitken · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story follows a girl as she contemplates the different aspects of her life that combine to make her who she is. The text is beautifully lyrical and sparse leaving lots of room for the reader to consider each spread. Supriya Kelkar's art is stunningly beautiful with jewel-toned colors and rich textures. The overall result is a book that begs to be read again and again.

[Kaitlyn Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

"American Desi" by Jyoti Rajan Gopal and illustrated by Supriya Kelkar offers a fun look at one child's experience discovering who they are and how they choose to present their bicultural identity to the world. Kelkar's use of color and mixed media add vibrancy to an important story about representation and authenticity.

[SamSamSam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is quite abstract and the illustrations are very complex. This would be a good conversation starter for a mid-elementary classroom.

[Sonny Giroux · Rating 5 out of 5]

A colorful book that shows how a little girl embraces both of her family's heritage. A fun book to read to learn about different cultures and how we can learn to love every part of our history.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is dazzling in prose and art and will delight any child, parent or grandparent lucky enough to read it! American Desi is equal parts fun and empowering and honestly just so, so beautiful!

[Dianne White · Rating 5 out of 5]

"What is the color of me?" This is the question posed by the main character in Jyoti Rajan Gopal’s and Supriya Kelkar’s stunning, poetic picture book, AMERICAN DESI. The answer? Bright gold. Shimmery blue. Garnet red. Seafoam green. Feeling seen while one foot is here, one foot is there, "straddling, bridging worlds apart." Gopal’s text is as wondrous as Kelkar's luminous illustrations. This beautiful book of debuts (author debut for Gopal and illustrator debut for Kelkar) honors the experience of growing up between cultures, celebrating who we are and where we’re from, and the many ways in which lines may blur as we bloom and grow. This celebration of identity is for everyone!