Mehndi Boy

Want a cute, diverse book for developing readers that helps smash the expectations of the patriarchy while also highlighting what curious creativity can look like, Mehndi Boy is perfect for fans of the Mindy Kim series, the Yasmin easy readers, and developing reader chapter books that celebrate different cultures and allow the characters to fully develop their world and interests.

Tehzeeb is a young boy who discovers a love for Mehndi and decides to practice using henna on himself, his family and his friends as his beloved cousin prepares for her wedding. When his uncle tells him that doing Mehndi is just for girls, and not boys, Tehzeeb begins to doubt himself, but when the big day comes, he learns that he can use his artistic talents to help save the day and that his uncle has somehting he can learn as well.

This is a sweet, simply story in the best way—it’s about Tehzeeb pursuing a singular interest, incorporating it into his life, trying it on friends and family members, and then seeing that education come to a climax. There are full page digital illustrations throughout, it’s told in chapters that are short enough to encourage young reader, and at just around 100 pages, it’s perfect for readers practicing longer texts, and would work well in a classroom setting.

The underlying patriarchy-smashing element is well done, in that it’s very firm at the end but it’s not too harped upon throughout the text. Tehzeeb worries about it, but he doesn’t let it haunt his every moment, which works well for this age range.

Pick this one up!