Kesar and the Lullaby Birds is a lovely picture book with beautiful illustrations inspired by traditional folk art practices from India. The story is about Kesar trying to help her baby sister fall asleep, and she figures out a creative way to do so with the help of her grandmother. It was wonderful to see a loving family represented in this book, and to see Kesar care about her sister, parents, and grandmother. The story is sweet, the art is vibrant, and I think this is a book everyone can enjoy.

A charming story for little readers. Kesar is a responsible and caring big sister and very creative. I especially loved the illustrations which pay homage to Indian arts and crafts and traditions, and the fact that there are Gujarati and Kutchi words (plus a glossary so you can look up the meanings). You can see my full review on Open Letters Review.

Every family with a new baby will relate to exhaustion involved when a baby takes a long time to settle down. The connection Kesar has with her grandmother and the concern over the baby from other villagers gives us a glimpse into a beautiful communal way of life in this village in the Great Rann of Kutch in India, one of largest salt deserts in the world. The value of the story lies in the colorful illustrations and folk art of lippan kaam, a unique mud paste wall decor, and the cloth bird danglers. The careful depiction of the traditional house and cradle is further described in the author’s end notes. The Kutchi and Gujarati words used throughout the story are also defined at the end.

This is such a good book!! It's so important for children's books to feature a wide variety of characters and storylines, and this one is full of diverse characters. This was a unique, fun story about a fanily that was overwhelmingly heartwarming and sweet. With beautiful illustrations and thoughtful text, this is sure to draw in young readers. I appreciated the pronunciation guide as well. Overall, a great book. I recommend it.

Thank you Yali Books for a digital copy of this book! This book is out now!

💙 Mommy (@𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭.𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐦𝐨𝐦) and Ronan (@𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐤𝐢𝐝) approved ✅

Representation: 10
Story: 10
Illustration: 8

I always look for representation and diversity when choosing books for my classroom. I absolutely loved Kesar and the Lullaby Birds. Particularly how it used Kutchi and Gujarati words and gave us the pronunciation and meaning guide. As someone who doesn't speak either language, I feel more confident I will respect the language when reading it to children.

** Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review. **

The art in this children's book is truly beautiful, and its a very sweet bedtime story. It would be particularly great for a kid who is getting a new sibling, to show them they can be a big helper. Cute, quick, and i love the guide at the end.

This is a beautiful book about a girl helping her parents put her little sister to sleep. I love all of the Indian culture, and the beautiful details in the artwork. I love books like these - it's like taking a step into India. The authors notes and terminology at the end of the book helped explain some things I wouldn't have noticed - such as Kesar's house being a very unique type of dwelling called a bhunga.

I wrote this review for my blog and Instagram: Miloureadsbooks
One of my favorite things about literature is how it transports you to new worlds. In this stunning picture book, you see more of the desert lifestyle of India, like the unique houses called a bhunga and the decorations made of a special mud paste. The center stage is of course taken by the wonderful Kutchi embroidery, as the author, Aditi Oza, wanted to give these amazing artists from her homeland the respect they deserve and share their stories.
Baby Kamal is keeping everybody awake, night after night. No matter how many stories are told, lullabies are sung, ore how often she is rocked, she keeps fussing. The next day, her sister, Kesar, is very excited to finally see her grandmother again, especially knowing she always brings a present. This time, Kesar receives beautiful cloth sparrows. While decorating the walls with parrots, peacocks and elephants, grandma narrates the story of how the embroidered animals came to life and saved the village. This gives Kesar an idea, and she volunteers to watch her baby sister that night. The following morning, all her neighbors want to know how it is possible they did not hear the baby crying. It turns out that Kesar used her birds to give a calming puppet show, which and her little sister fell right asleep.
I cannot stress enough how well Kutchi and Gujarait words are woven into the text. They are easy to understand from the context and give the story an authentic flavor. There is a glossary in the end that explains a bit more about the language, saying that most people in this region are bilingual or trilingual!
The illustrations are absolutely breathtaking, and you can really see how much admiration the illustrator, Debasmita Dasgupta, has for the arts. The fabrics in this story are highly detailed and just stunning, just like the decorations in and around the home. If after this book you do not want to travel to India to see the handicraft, I am not sure what will ever convince you.

Getting Kesar's baby sister to fall asleep presents a nightly struggle to her parents, but after a visit from her crafty grandmother, Kesar has an idea that just might lure the tot into slumberland.

I absolutely loved this one! A sweet story combining folk art, and folklore, combined with lush artwork by Debasmita Dasgupta made this book a colorful, delightful treat.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved this book! As a person of Indian descent myself, I am always so happy to see Indian cultures represented in literature. The art style of this book was beautiful and colorful, and I loved how the author centered the story around Kutchi and Gujurati words and culture. Kesar, Kamal, and their family were such lovable characters, which made the story perfect for families. I also really loved how adult readers were kept engaged via an explanation at the end that provided more context to the community and art represented in the story and mentioned how we can support these artists.

Thanks to Yali Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

What to say about this beautiful book? It was amazing! This is why we need more Own Voices stories - no one promotes their own culture better than those that have lived it and have first-hand experience.

The illustrations are bright and vibrant! Debasmita Dasgupta did an absolutely fantastic job! One thing I adore about a children’s book is the art, and I always am much more eager to devour a story if the art captures me.

Kesar is Kamal’s older sister. She decides she wants to help her parents, which allows them to rest, as she focuses on helping her sister get to sleep. Her grandmother told her a story about sewn birds coming to life, and so she re-enacts it for her sister. It was such a success that even the neighbours were shocked! LOL

This story introduces new language to the reader, as well as giving some cultural context for certain aspects of the story in the guide at the end. An amazing read, and I’m excited to get myself a copy for my classroom <3

Being a mother and part of the same culture as this book I can understand the importance of these little lullabies and stories and how significant they become in a child's life.
A very colourful story created with love and passion .

This book was so cute!! I loved the story, I loved the art. I loved that it introduces children to words in a language other than English. Y'all know that's one of my faves.

It has a lovely note at the end that gives some context for the history/language/culture/art of the country it's set in.

Absolutely recommend, especially if you're looking for a way to diversify your child's collection of picture books.

This review based on an e-ARC made available through NetGalley & Yali Books in exchange for an honest review.

A gentle story about family and Indian culture that will delight the hearts of young children. Kesar comes up with an ingenious way to help her little sister sleep at night, inspired by her grandma's stories.

Indian-inspired bedtime story! I love the colorful illustration, the way it fits the cultural aspect and the story, but for me the narrative isn't really strong. It jumped from scene to scene so it might confusing for kids.

Kesar's little sister, Kamal, will not sleep at night leaving her family, and her whole village wide awake. She cries non-stop so everyone is thoroughly exhausted and no one knows how to calm her.

When Kesar's and Kamal's ba ( grandmother ) pays the family a visit she recites a story, an inspiring story, from the past that changes the whole scenario. It's a story about a woman whose beautiful embroidered birds come to life at night and lull little ones to sleep. Kesar is mesmerized by the magical tale and decides to put it into practice. To everyone's delight... her baby sister settles in and sleeps soundly. What a wonderful big sister !

This heartwarming tale has gorgeous, colourful, expressive illustrations that celebrate the traditions of Kutchi culture in India. It features a loving family working together to solve baby Kamal's sleeping problem successfully.

The book is full of cultural richness and beauty. A glossary in the back provides definitions and pronunciations of Kutchi and Gujarati words used. I highly recommend this book.

Yes to own voice picture books that preserve and promote culture!!
A wonderfully written, gorgeously illustrated cultural experience woven into a simple but endearing tale about a family in Kutch and their struggle getting the baby to sleep. After many long, tiring nights, big sis Kesar creatively comes to the rescue!

The story is set in The Great Rann of Kutch, a salt desert in India known for being a melting pot of cultures and a fountain of creativity. It deftly depicts the handicrafts, architecture, and lifestyle of the people of Kutch, with special focus on the traditional cloth bird danglers. I recognized some terms and learned loads more. Love that the book doesn't focus on explaining terminology for readers—meaning can be gleaned from the context, and if not, there's a glossary of all the kutchi and gujarati words at the end. In this way, the story flows smoothly, painting a picture of the people of Kutch and their art through the lens of a loving family. I did hope for a bit 'more' to happen, but overall, it was a sweet and informative story that achieved its objective.

This is an lovely story about a baby who could not sleep at night. Little Kamal's cries kept her parents, her older sister Kesha, and their whole village awake. No amount of rocking or bedtime stories could get those bright little eyes to close. Fortunately, the girls' Ba (grandmother) gave the older sister, Kesar, colorful fabric birds that she had created and decorated - birds on a string. Kesar had an idea.

That night, she urged her exhausted parents to allow her to stay up with Kamal. The baby was so entranced by the talking birds fluttering on their strings that she forgot to wail and fell asleep. The next day, two parents and the whole village were curious as to how Kesar had got baby Kamal to sleep through the night. Kesar had hidden behind the curtain and put on a puppet show for her baby sister.

I don't know when I have enjoyed a children's book more, for the gorgeous illustrations, the story, and the setting. The village is located in a large salt desert, the Great Rann of Kutch in India. I suspect quite a few parents and grandparents would be interested in the crafts described and pictured in this book. I particularly loved the wall mural that the girls' grandmother had created and how she decorated with beads and mirrors.

Thanks to Yali Books and Netgalley for the advance reader copy of the book. It was a pleasure to read and review.

A whimsical read with a simple story and beautiful art. This book is set in a small village in the Rann of Kutch and tells the story of a small family wherein the parents struggle to make their youngest child fall asleep. The eldest daughter comes up with a trick to soothe her sibling and all ends well. A lovely read for young children.

A heartwarming story paired with breathtaking illustrations! The characters have beautiful names - Kesar, Kamal, Hiruben and Vijubhai. Like most of the kids her age, Kamal refuses to sleep at night and keeps everyone else awake as well by crying as loudly as she can! When their Ba ( grandmother) comes to visit, she tells Kesar a beautiful tale which gives birth to an interesting idea to help Kamal fall asleep. I didn't see the ending coming and it was soooo sweet! My cheeks almost hurt from smiling. I've always been very appreciative of Folk art and highly admire that Aditi represented Indian culture in such a thoughtful and charming way. She used native words and included a glossary at the end which made the story more authentic. My respect and adoration towards Aditi only grew after reading the author's note and I'm pretty sure you'll feel the same. Highly recommended!