A lovely, illustrated picture book about not only celebrates well loved spice but the joy of cooking together with family and the traditions that it brings.

Shirin *loves* curry, but when her friend Charlotte asks her what it is, she's not quite sure how to answer. A kitchen adventure with her mother soon teaches both her and Charlotte the many facets of curry; its flavorful spices, its uniqueness depending on who's preparing it, its connection to Shirin's family and her culture, and so much more.

This is a heartfelt, hunger-inducing book with vibrant, adorable illustrations! (Plus, there's a delicious sounding recipe in the back of the book, along with a glossary of important terms to learn about some curry ingredients.)

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

For those who are not of Southeast Asian descent, curry is that stuff that you eat at Indian restaurants, or you make with curry powder. But curry, as talked about in the appendix of this book, is actually a made up word that the British imposed on dishes that were spicy in India.

In this story, Charlotte asks Shirin what curry is, and Shirin thinks about what it means to her, but doesn’t have words. Curry means home. The smell and taste takes her to thought of dance, and love, and places she has been, or wants to go to. As the two girls help Shirin’s mother make a curry dish, Shirin reflects on what each taste that goes in means to her.

And of course, curry means love.

At the end of the book, we learn about some of the spices that are used in making curry, and we given a recipe to try, based on what is made in the book.

Food is love. And telling about this dish, which is different from region to region, and house to house, is such a sweet way to explain what goes into cooking.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out on the 28th of October 2025.

Beautiufl. The illustrations, the story, the dynamics. WOW. I just love this book so much.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publlisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.