RITU WEDS CHANDNI

Ayesha loves her cousin Ritu, and she loves weddings. So naturally, on Ritu didi’s wedding day, Ayesha is bursting with excitement!

Except that Ritu’s is no ordinary Hindu wedding: Instead of marrying a man, Ritu is marrying her girlfriend, Chandni. This means that Ritu will be leading the baraat, a celebratory procession full of music and dancing that, in Hindu weddings, is traditionally led by the groom. But it also means that many of Ayesha’s family shun the wedding, that neighbors shout unkind words at the baraat as it goes by, and that strangers turn hoses on the wedding party to try to stop the festivities. When Ayesha sees the way that the world treats her favorite cousin, she is heartbroken—but she is also determined. In the end, it is Ayesha’s love for her family—and commitment to every minute of wedding fun—that saves the day. The book’s well-paced, heartfelt narration deftly celebrates the power of resistance without shirking the harsh realities of homophobia in many traditional Hindu communities. The vivid, authentic illustrations, which implicitly set the book in India, showcase a variety of skin colors and body types in a true reflection of South Asia’s diversity. Ayesha’s unconditional love for her cousin and her spunky insistence on continuing with the wedding ceremonies even in the face of intense hatred are moving and inspiring.

Simultaneously confronts homophobia and celebrates child-powered change in Hindu communities: a delight.