Raashi's Rakhis

May 15, 2024
A South Asian girl named Raashi and her little brother, Tejas, eagerly await the Hindu festival of Raksha Bandhan. On this day, sisters tie bracelets called rakhis to their brothers' and male cousins' wrists. At breakfast, Raashi wonders why only girls tie rakhis on boys. Her mother tells her that traditionally "sisters tied rakhis on their brothers as a symbol to protect them as they went into the world. Back then, they didn't think girls should be doing as much as boys." Raashi doesn't think this is fair, since she has plenty of aspirations herself, and she tells Tejas, "You should look out for me, too!" Later, at the festival, when Tejas gets stuck in a tree, Raashi comes to his rescue. A grateful Tejas wants to tie a rakhi to Raashi's wrist, to protect her as she protected him. They decide to start a new tradition in which boys and girls can give their siblings and cousins rakhis. Though the premise--putting a gender-inclusive spin on a beloved custom--will appeal to many, the writing is often stiff and may leave readers with the misleading impression that rakhis are meant to protect boys as they venture out into the world. In fact, the bracelets traditionally symbolize boys' willingness to safeguard their female relatives. Still, the vivid illustrations fairly explode with color and detail, creating a fun backdrop; characters are depicted with a variety of brown skin tones. A stilted attempt to put a twist on a time-honored tradition, elevated by charming visuals. (Picture book. 4-8)

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May 20, 2024
A resourceful protagonist expands a gendered ritual in this straightforward picture book. Raksha Bandhan, a festival about honoring families, is a favorite of bespectacled Raashi. But when her younger brother Tejas insists Raashi adhere to the holiday’s gendered guidelines, she questions Mama’s explanation: that
traditionally, sisters tied rakhis—bracelets symbolizing protection—on to their brothers, because it once wasn’t thought that girls should do as much as boys. Raashi, whose big dreams include piloting planes, coaching a baseball team, and being president, wonders “if the idea was to protect the people you loved, why didn’t the girls get rakhis, too?” Traditionalists may balk at Sheth’s reinterpretation of a beloved Hindu ritual, but the direct narrative provides opportunity for a more inclusive celebration. Soto’s digital palette of gold, green, and pink portrays wide-eyed characters in domestic scenes. All characters cue as South Asian. Ages 4–8.

July 1, 2024
Preschool-Grade 2 Raashi, wearing big, bold glasses and carrying a craft box filled with rakhis, colorful string bracelets, is ready to celebrate the Hindu holiday of Raksha Bandhan. There's only one problem: the day traditionally celebrates sisters gifting brothers (or boy cousins and friends) the bracelets as symbols of protection and good wishes, not the other way around. However, at a celebration and with the encouragement of her mother, Raashi shares a new way to view the custom, arguing that girls, with their wishes and dreams, deserve rakhis too. Her brother, once reluctant, agrees after his sister bravely climbs a tree to encourage him to make his way down when he is stuck. Soto's sunny color palette of orange and yellow is heavily accented with pops of purple, filling detailed scenes of Raashi's world to cue readers in to the happy atmosphere of this lesser-known touchstone of Indian culture. And, notably, the book includes timely twists that can bring traditions up to date for today's kids, along with a nod to girl power!

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