Rao-Robinson

Critically-acclaimed artist Anoosha Syed brings Anitha Rao-Robinson’s stunning text to life in this story about getting dressed up and the enduring bonds between sisters.

Ruhi is ready for her weekend tradition: a dance party with her older sister, Kayra! Everything is ready to go--the music, the lights, the glitterballs--but where is Kayra?

Ruhi finds her sister getting ready for the weekly family gathering and carefully tying a sari for the first time. When Kayra emerges from her room, Ruhi is in awe of her sister and can’t wait to wear a sari too. But her mother and sister say she’s too young to carry all that fabric without tripping.

Ruhi fears that she’s missing out on all the fun that her older sister and the aunties are having upstairs while she’s in the basement with the other kids, so Ruhi comes up with an idea to loosen the adults up and bring everyone together: have a sari dance party! Ruhi spends all week learning to tie and pleat with her mom’s saris so that she can show everyone the following weekend, and reignite her dance party tradition with her sister. But when the big moment arrives, Ruhi trips and her sari begins to unravel! Luckily her sister is there to help secure the fabric and get them back to their favorite tradition.

This beautifully written story by Anitha Rao-Robinson is about the tight-knit bond between sisters as they navigate adolescent milestones and the beauty of updating traditional customs for a modern audience, and features art by Anoosha Syed--the critically acclaimed and bestselling illustrator of That’s Not My Name!, Bilal Cooks Daal, and I Am Perfectly Designed.

Anitha Rao-Robinson is an author, conservationist, and creator of the Kindness Is Everything podcast. A former accountant, Anitha now devotes her time to writing stories and helping animals. She also wrote the picture book A Family for Faru, inspired by her daughter’s time volunteering at a rhino orphanage in South Africa. Anitha lives on a hobby farm in Milton, Ontario, with her family, both human and non-human alike. You can visit Anitha Rao-Robinson at AnithaRobinson.com or follow her on Instagram @AnithaRobinson4.

Anoosha Syed is a Pakistani Canadian illustrator, author, and character designer for animation. She has illustrated over forty books, including That’s Not My Name!, Bilal Cooks Daal, and Lost Stick. Anoosha grew up with three sisters, so this was a very special book for her to work on. You can visit Anoosha Syed at AnooshaSyed.com or follow her on Instagram and TikTok @AnooshaDraws.