Henna Is . . .

A picture book that serves young readers as a lyrical love letter to henna, written by Muslim Book Reviewer Award winner Marzieh Abbas and brilliantly illustrated by Anu Chouhan.

Henna is so much more than a form of temporary body art.

Henna is nature--seeds sprouted into shrubs, leaves kissed by tropical rain.

Henna is color--the orange of juicy mangoes, sun-kissed brown, or black as the feathers of crows.

Henna is fragrance--earthy and nutty, lemony and clove-y.

The intricate patterns of flowers, feathers, vines, and other symbols painted and stained onto skin has been a tradition in cultures all around the world for thousands of years. Beautiful and eye-catching, henna also carries the scents, textures, and colors of family and identity.

Raised between the bustling cities of Dubai, UAE and Karachi, Pakistan, Marzieh Abbas loves traveling, baking, reading and samosas. She is the author of A Dupatta Is... and Henna Is..., a member of SCBWI, 12x12PB, and a life-long learner.

Anu Chouhan is a Punjabi-Canadian illustrator from Vancouver. She is the illustrator of picture books A Dupatta Is... and Henna Is... and the graphic novel Aru Shah and the End of Time. Growing up, she always knew she wanted to pursue an artistic career and spent a lot of time learning about animation, while drawing inspiration from video games, fashion, anime, bollywood movies, and nature.