The end of British rule does not bring peace or security to Veena and her family. Instead, the family must flee their home during the Partition of India. As refugees, Veena and her family face an uncertain future. However, family and cultural traditions, including making roti, a traditional flatbread, provide comfort and hope for the future.

“Veena and the Red Roti” is based on the true story of the author’s grandparents' flight as India was partitioned in 1947. The story emphasizes the importance of family and preserving tradition amidst uncertainty. Simple, yet colorful, illustrations echo Veena’s despair and hope. I enjoyed this sweet story and appreciated how Veena wanted to help comfort her family and neighbors.

This story is excellent for readers who enjoy stories about families of all types and stories about food traditions.

Classroom Considerations: This book would be great for geography and modern world history courses.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and Kids Can Press, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

4 Stars

As an Indian, I’m no stranger to reading books about the horrors of Partition. Millions were displaced, murdered, and assaulted. Those who survived tried to rebuild their lives from scratch. This book shares one such story of a Sindhi family who had to flee from Pakistan to live in India.
Given the age group of the target audience, the details of Partition are highly diluted. The focus is on food, especially the roti that Veena makes. This is a semi-fictionalized version of a real story (the author’s great aunt), which makes it special.
The illustrations are warm. I love the rich, earthy colors and the shades of blue, green, and yellow as dresses. The bindis are missing, but okay! The features are rough sketches, a single line or a curve for the nose, lips, etc. The overall feel is cozy and heart-touching. I’m glad to see the Indian map with fully intact Kashmir.
There’s a glossary at the end, followed by an author’s note about her family’s personal journey, and a brief note about the Partition. The content is also kid-friendly and only hints at the dark side of what happened.

To summarize, Veena and the Red Roti is a good place to start talking about Partition to little kids. The first step is to make them aware of it. Then, slowly reveal the horrors that continue to haunt many families even today (especially the Sindhis, who are almost a micro minority).
Thank you, NetGalley and Kids Can Press, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

The more we read the more we learn about others around the world. This book is a wonderful example of using food as a more then nourishment.

Food is community, hope ,comfort and home. It also gave hope to Veena and her family.

Veena and her family are Hindi living in the northern part of India when in 1947 the Partition or separation of India occurs after India gains freedom from British colonial rule. Veena and her family must flee with only the clothes on their bodies in the middle of the night. They are lucky to make it across the border and into a refugee camp. The food there is not like the food of home. Veena asks if she can help in the camp kitchen and makes her near perfectly round rotis and tells stories as the familiar food brings comfort and reminders of home.

I thought that this book was great, it tells the story of the partitioning of India and the real impact that this had on the affected families - it certainly was not easy as the book tells.

I thought that the illustrations in the book were great and they really brought the story of Veena and her family to life in the book - the book is based on a true story and real events.

It is 5 stars from me for this one - very highly recommended and definitely a topic and subject that should be taught in schools.

When the Partition created a majority Muslim country in Pakistan in 1947, millions of people had to flee to a different part of the India they once knew as intact – British-ruled, but intact. Our heroine Veena is aghast at this, and at the state of the roti breads she and her parents are forced to endure in the camp they first fetch up in. But what's the point of mentioning this – this is a horrid displacement, the camp is more or less a refugee site, nobody is happy. Surely a simple flatbread, even done as well as Veena's, can't make much difference?

These quick pages prove it can. They show the benefit of having a national cuisine to fall back on, even if that's more familiar than the actual nation you find yourself in. Here the restorative food does a lot of long-term good, and the story can begin to look up, showing many a displaced person some optimistic ending. While this is specifically about the creation of Pakistan way back when, it's very easy to see this as a lesson good enough to be transferred to many people in many different situations. It is a book that you'd expect a recipe in, but the history lesson takes precedence. Either way, it very much works in doing what it sets out to achieve. A strong four stars.

Thank you , Kids Can Press, for the ARC.

The story is told from young Veena’s perspective set during the times of India’s partition where her family had to leave their comfortable home in order to survive.

She misses her home kitchen and the perfect rotis her mother used to make.

Lucky for her, the family gets to settle in Delhi and yes she got her home kitchen again!

Love the illustrations!

Veena and her family love to make roti from the wheat that grows near their house. Their roti are golden brown, perfectly round, and smell like ghee! When Partition forces Veena's family to leave everything they know in the middle of the night, her entire world changes.

This beautiful picture book explores the power of food and its ability to bring people together and provide comfort during times of hardship. Highly recommend for elementary libraries!

This is a very touching story and depicts the India's partition time with the softness of a child's brain for how one could have felt while facing something they were not aware of a bit but getting equal repercussions like others. Though it was not that simple and easy for people in transitions as it was mentioned here but still a glimpse for young readers is enough to get the idea. To go in depth of the situation would have been to much harsh for children to digest at this age for which this book is targeted to read for.

Veena is such a lovely character and her childish intriguing for making 'Rotis' (chapati) same as her mother and grandmother used to make at her left-out home in Sindh province of then India, now Pakistan. She helped the Kitchen ladies at refugee camp and felt proud of doing as close to what her mother made her learn.

It was so hard to even catch the memories trailed back to the times when this crime done by British to divide India and separate Muslim dominated areas as West and East Pakistan. For them, from their POV this was the result of the wrongdoings of Indians that they had to leave, so they spoiled it. But for us, Indians it was very essence of our freedom from the dominance of Britishers under whom our generations suffered, followed by centuries long slavery under Islamic looters. Author's family was one of those unfortunates who had to leave their native place which is in now today's Pakistan to today's India because top leadership of Congress and Muslim league decided to get their puppets hold the positions of Prime Ministerial affairs of both India and Pakistan respectively, as some beggar get leftover unused things from riches. For some people's selfish and self-centered thoughts and sycophantic acts, this Bharat had to suffer a lot in last 10 centuries.

One thing though that affected me lot in a bad light is that author had shown Kashmir differently, even when it was the very integral part of India, be it before Partition of Pakistan or after that. Then, what did she wanna propagate by mentioning it separately???

Veena and the Red Roti is a touching graphic novel set during the Partition of India. It tells the story of Veena, a young girl who brings hope to others in a refugee camp by making roti, a small taste of home during a time of upheaval.Based on the experiences of Namita Moolani Mehra's grandparents, the story captures the hardships and resilience of those who lived through the 1947 Partition. Veena’s character is relatable and serves as a powerful entry point for discussions on migration and refugees.

Beena Mistry’s vibrant illustrations beautifully complement the narrative, adding warmth and depth. The book also includes an author’s note, a map, and contextual information, making it a valuable resource for teaching about historical events and the cultural significance of food.Namita Mehra’s storytelling and Beena Mistry’s illustrations are both commendable. I give Veena and the Red Roti five stars and highly recommend it.

A Big thanks to the author and the publisher for the ARC.

This is a very touching story and depicts the India's partition time with the softness of a child's brain for how one could have felt while facing something they were not aware of a bit but getting equal repercussions like others. Though it was not that simple and easy for people in transitions as it was mentioned here but still a glimpse for young readers is enough to get the idea. To go in depth of the situation would have been to much harsh for children to digest at this age for which this book is targeted to read for.

Veena is such a lovely character and her childish intriguing for making 'Rotis' (chapati) same as her mother and grandmother used to make at her left-out home in Sindh province of then India, now Pakistan. She helped the Kitchen ladies at refugee camp and felt proud of doing as close to what her mother made her learn.

It was so hard to even catch the memories trailed back to the times when this crime done by British to divide India and separate Muslim dominated areas as West and East Pakistan. For them, from their POV this was the result of the wrongdoings of Indians that they had to leave, so they spoiled it. But for us, Indians it was very essence of our freedom from the dominance of Britishers under whom our generations suffered, followed by centuries long slavery under Islamic looters. Author's family was one of those unfortunates who had to leave their native place which is in now today's Pakistan to today's India because top leadership of Congress and Muslim league decided to get their puppets hold the positions of Prime Ministerial affairs of both India and Pakistan respectively, as some beggar get leftover unused things from riches. For some people's selfish and self-centered thoughts and sycophantic acts, this Bharat had to suffer a lot in last 10 centuries.

One thing though that affected me lot in a bad light is that author had shown Kashmir differently, even when it was the very integral part of India, be it before Partition of Pakistan or after that. Then, what did she wanna propagate by mentioning it separately???

Veena and the Red Roti tells the story of Veena and her family when they migrated during the Partition of India. The story is based on the author's grandparents' own experience. The book ends with a glossary of words used in the book and a section on the historical context of the Partition. The illustrations are bright and the story has great messages of hope and family. The book is also a great for children to learn about the Partition in an age-appropriate way.

The best stories are family stories, and this sweet little picture book, about a very bad time, is based on the authors' stories they have heard from their great aunts, uncles and grandparents.

Veena has learned how to make roti, a round flatbread. She is very proud of that. Then Partition happens, when the UK left India, and divided it up between the Hindus and the Muslims. Suddenly, everyone had to move tho their new locations, and Veena is uprooted along, with her parents, and have to settle, for a time in a refugee camp. There, she offers to make roti, even though it is not done with wheat flour.

Food is often the first memory, and the longest memory we have. To taste foods from childhood, can take us back. Veena learns to make the roti taste, as close as she can, to that she remembered from home, so that when they finally leave the refugee camp, they take this new version of flatbread, with them.

I love the simple way the story is told, and how the fear and sorrow is also displayed. This is a great book to teach about Partition, as well as to teach about foods that people love.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book will be published on the 3rd of September 2024.

This is such a heartfelt and informative book about a young girl named Veena during the Partition of India. When her world is turned upside down by forced displacement, Veena finds a light for herself and others through her love of food and community.

With colorful, cute illustrations and additional historical details in the back pages, this is a great resource for kids to both be represented themselves and to learn — not just about the Partition of India, but also a bit about the food and culture.

(Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.)

Many times children’s books about other cultures or events are given a sing song beat or rhyming words and it feels forced. This book didn’t do that at all. I felt connected to Veena, a girl whose world changes overnight and how she brought joy back to her family and those they were near with her cooking. I learned about Partition of India which is not common knowledge. The illustrations were also beautiful!

Such a detailed and inspiring story! There were three main things that I adored about this book, and it is clear that the author(s) and illustrator(s) are wildly talented and smart. First of all, the author did an amazing job of taking a subject/event that is painful and difficult to talk about and turning it into an inspiring and age-appropriate story about a young girl. Kids won't be too sad or scared while reading this book, but the emotion of each character will still get through to the reader and fill the story with meaning for each and every reader. Additionally, the author lifted the reader's spirits at the end of the book by demonstrating the importance of hope, family, love, food, and how each of these things can get us through hard times. This is so, so valuable for kids to notice early on, and this book did a great job of showing that. Secondly, the illustrations were awesome! The colors were crisp and colorful, perfect for a kids' book. There were details added to illustrate actions, emotions, and even noises caused by each of the characters, which is impressive! Lastly, I want to give lots of credit to the makers of this book for including cultural and historical explanations/notes at the end of the book. Even though kids might not read these, parents might. These notes will teach any and every reader so much, which is great.
Bravo!