WHERE DO STORIES LIVE?
by Meenal Patel ; illustrated by Meenal Patel
The gift of a journal prompts a youngster to ponder the origins of stories.
Accompanied by a younger sibling, Avni packs the notebook and walks a wooded path to visit their Masi (Hindi for aunt). Avni wonders where stories live. What tales lie in a river’s bend, a butterfly’s wings, or the rings of an ancient tree? At Masi’s home, the children draw, create family trees, reminisce over old photos, and cook a family recipe. Avni reflects that stories spring from a need “to create and a wish to share, / the observed, / the imagined, / the remembered, / the unseen, the unknown.” Masi answers Avni’s questions on the walk back home. “What stories live in a journal?” “What stories live in a dance?” “What stories live in us together?” That night, Avni falls asleep content in the knowledge that stories also live in books and our dreams. The introspective tone of Avni’s questions is reflected in the treasures the child encounters in nature. Leaves, butterflies, roots—all are a repository of stories. Patel’s use of soft colors reverberates with a sense of peace and a deep-rooted connection to nature, to family, and to moments of togetherness. The family is brown-skinned and cued as Indian.
Sure to spur wonder and contemplation—and to inspire young writers.
(Picture book. 4-8)