Maria Marianayagam is fast becoming one of my favourite Canadian authors. Everything she writes is just pitch perfect, and this is no exception. Through lyrical prose, she explores the sensory delight of making curry, alongside metaphorical links to identity, culture and growth. The illustrations are warm and vibrant, and are a perfect pairing with the text. The back matter is as thorough as always, and a recipe inclusion is the key to my heart!

This will be a must have for all schools and libraries.

Maria is a Tamil Sri Lankan Canadian and Geeta is based in India, and each loves to make and eat several variations of curry with all its spicy flavors. But you don't have to come from that area to enjoy eating curry! Wonderful book!
The illustrations by Geeta Ladi are simple, perfect in bright colors, and definitely evoke the smells and look of the ingredients in the pot.
Well suited for reading WITH someone any age including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school, waiting room, or your local public library.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from Astra Publishing House | Astra Young Readers via NetGalley. Pub Date Oct 28, 2025 ***** review #goodreads #bookbub
#CurryMeansMore by @msmarianayagam and @geetaladi_illustration @astrapublishinghouse #NetGalley #storygraph #librarything #childrensbookillustration #kidlit #Parenting #family @childrensbookcouncil #BooksForKids #tastesofhome #ChildrensBooks #cooking #spices #recipe
#Tamil #SriLankanCanadian #friendship #love #sniffing #touching #tasting #creativity
#bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk

This is a well-written and fun book that answers the age-old question of what curry is. Maria's lyrical text and Geetha's beautiful, fun illustrations bring this book to life. I love the recipe at the back and will definitely be trying it.

Thank you Astra Young Readers for a copy of Curry Means More!

Gorgeous storytelling and the power of food. Love that it focuses on sharing culture through curry. The illustrations are also very gorgeous though the white text was hard to read on some pages. Just a tiny critic I have on an otherwise perfect children's book!

I loved this sweet story about a sharing what curry is with a friend. My favorite part was when she was trying to think of how to explain what curry is to her friend and instead she just invites her over to enjoy her favorite food with her. This was so heart warming and sweet. A lovely tale about sharing what you love with your friends

I loved this story! I was intrigued by the concept and loved how it played out. Sharing cultures is so beautiful and I think this book did a great job highlighting the beauty of Indian culture, since it is well known that curry is a huge part of Indian cuisine. I loved that there was a recipe at the end of the book, and that it explained many different spices that are typically included in Indian cooking. This book is so special, and the art was so beautiful!

a warm, vibrant, and familiar celebration that kids will adore! i love food art and the illustrations in this book were a delight to look at. the cooking scenes were real and cosy, and it also managed to promote creativity and inventiveness that are the core of so many of our recipes.

Curry Means More by Maria Marianayagam was a sweet (and literally spicy) read on the fun questions children ask such as, "What is Curry?" Amma explains the many emotions, ingredients, culture, love, and more that make up a curry. That curry is more than just food. There is a wonderful recipe at the end for parents to cook with their children. The illustrations are beautiful. I recommended it for our local library to purchase. I plan to add it to our home library when it comes out as well. I received an eARC from Astra Publishing House through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

Curry Means More is a warm, sensory-rich exploration of food, memory, and cultural identity. With lyrical language and breathtaking artwork, it gracefully shows how a single dish can carry layers of meaning—history, family, love, and imagination. The narrative flows gently from curiosity to discovery, building a rich emotional connection between characters, culture, and kitchen.

The pacing feels just right for younger readers, offering space to absorb both the poetic text and vivid illustrations. As an educational picture book, it succeeds in blending storytelling with learning in an accessible, engaging way. The informative endnotes are a thoughtful touch, enriching the experience without overwhelming it. A beautifully crafted introduction to the cultural depth behind a dish many know but few truly understand.

Curry Means More is an enchanting story that I am eager to share with my students. Amma prepares the most delightful curries for Shirin, but when Shirin's friend Charlotte inquires about the meaning of curry, it becomes evident that it represents far more than just food. Maria Marianayagam's description of the ingredients is truly captivating. This story serves as an excellent introduction to diverse cultures and offers a meaningful way to learn about others.

This book was GORGEOUS - the illustrations and the story which seemed to blossom like the seeds of inquiry. I especially love the recipe and information on each of the ingredients in curry in the backmatter.
ebook c/o NetGalley

Beautiful illustrations and a lovely story. Loved the recipe inclusion at the end, can't wait to try it!

The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and the story is very culturally informative. This picture book is great for schools to buy. I loved how the characters navigated the different ingredients with care and compassion. It really shows the beauty and value system that is often tied to the dishes we make at home.

This is a beautifully written and informational book! I always love reading kids' books about cooking food, but this is the first one I've read that is about curry specifically. I would say that I learned a lot about how curry is made, what it is exactly, and the different forms it can take. I think that, since I learned so much from reading this book, many little ones will learn a lot, too. Additionally, the main character's excitement and creativity when it comes to cooking is infectious, and readers will want to play around with spices and dishes in their own kitchens after reading this book. While the whimsical and magical written descriptions were phenomenal, they were really completed by the spectacular illustrations. The illustrator's use of shade, color, and light was very impressive and made for a rich and vibrant reading experience. Bravo!!

The book is billed as a cross between two picture books that I absolutely love. It is marketed as a cross between Fry Bread by ------ as well as Bilal Cooks Daal. I can definitely see the similarities with these books. All three of them focus on a food that is important to the protagonist culture and learning more about it.

The protagonist a little girl named Shirin is asked what curry is by her white friend Charlotte. However since Shirin has had so many different curries in her life she's not sure how to answer the question. So she goes with Charlotte to ask her mom for help defining what curry is.

The three of them then explore what curry is by cooking a curry together. The two girls have the chance to taste the many different ingredients that go into a curry. From curry leaves to mustard seeds they are in awe of the wonderful flavors and ingredients. They also watch with wonder as Shirin's mom cooks the curry with love and experience.

Throughout the afternoon the two girls learn that curry isn't just food. It can remind a person of home. Or that curry be a piece of wisdom shared between generations or provide and invitation to eat together.

Curry Means More shows the magic of a homecooked meal.

Review

This book is a beautiful and intricate introduction to Indian food. It showcases the wide variety of curries and their importance in South/East Asian culture. The book comes at the topic with a child's curiosity. It also shows how many unique ingredients are used to make a curry. It is drawing a metaphor about how different people can contribute to make something lovely.

The illustrations are gorgeous and the colors are bright and vibrant and can compliment the story wonderfully. You are taken into Shirin's world and can almost smell the curry yourself due to the vivid descriptions.

I'd most definitely give this book five stars. It is a great introduction to Indian food for children who may not know anything about it. It is also a great mirror for children who eat curry in their homes.

One of my favorite parts of the book is at the end where they include the history of curry. They then provide a family recipe and talk more about the ingredients.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me early access to this book. Do any of you read picture books? If so what are some of your favorites? I particularly enjoy books about food and different cultures.

This was such a wonderful cultural story about the ingredients of curry, and how under Amma's tutelage, Shirin and her friend can learn to see how cooking can be an art and a science. The illustrations and descriptions made the story come to life. I was hungry after reading this! I especially loved that the author included a recipe. I would love to try the recipe myself!

Thank you, NetGalley and Astra Publishing House, for the early copy for an honest review.

This book almost made me cry because it clearly was created with love and passion. It is a wonderful book that will not only be relevant in our school libraries but also bring awareness to an incredible dish, curry. It will help our kids learn about the cultures of their classmates and broaden their horizons.

The illustrations are incredible, colorful, and will captivate young readers. There are many great sentences like, "Curry tasted like roaring lions, with the sweet melodies of songbirds," or "Each and every mouthful, a whisper of love." This book will be an amazing addition to our school library collection and serve as a valuable resource for future lessons to support our curriculum. It would be a dream come true to meet the author and have her present the book at our school.

The "What is Curry?" pages added an extra layer of awesomeness by providing more information on spices, the history of curry, and even a recipe for families to make at home.

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.