Sikh heritage month

New KidLit

Beloved reading community,

In North America, April is often observed as Sikh heritage month. This is a promising time to seek out new reads by Sikh creatives.

I’m delighted to share about two new picture books for ages 3-6:

Title: Veer Singh and the Quest of the Golden Apple

Author: Amrit Kaur Sethi

Illustrator: Harleen Kaur

Publisher: Mascot Books

Date of Release: April 4th, 2023.

ISBN: 978-1-63755-381-7

I reached out to the author & here are a few words she shared with readers of this newsletter:

"My passion for weaving stories came to life after becoming a mother. I created one such story that my son loved so much that I wanted to make it accessible to other kids in the form of a children's book. 

We are beginning to see minorities including Sikh characters in books and mainstream media in supporting roles as the industry is getting more culturally diverse and portraying inclusion. But the main characters are still traditionally similar to before.

I wanted the main character to be a Sikh boy that my son could identify with and love. My team and I spent a lot of time brainstorming to build Veer Singh's physical attributes and character traits. We hope his actions of bravery, selflessness, and perseverance serve as an inspiration for our impressionable readers. We hope he has a special place in the hearts of our audience!

Since the book's release on April 4th, we've received a lot of love, support from the community, and positive feedback. I'm grateful for the opportunity to connect so meaningfully with little readers and their parents; both Sikh and non-Sikh, in person and virtually through the medium of this book."

To connect with Amrit on instagram

@amrit.kaur.sethi & visit veersinghadventures.com

Title: Veer’s First Day of School

Author: Gursharan Bharth

Illustrator: Natalia Larguier

Publisher: Self-Published on Amazon

Order here: https://a.co/d/2Inbv6S

About the book:

Veer is excited and nervous about his first day of school.  He’s looking forward to meeting his new teacher and classmates.  Will he like his new school?  Will he make friends?  Follow Veer’s journey on his first day of school!

This book can be a tool to start conversations about diversity and inclusion.  It can be used to encourage children, families, and educators to explore similarities and differences bridging the gap between home and school. 

Children can learn about different foods we eat and how they can reflect our roots and history.  This book is both a mirror and a window for young children who are searching for themselves in stories as well as learning about things unfamiliar.

To connect with the author on social media:

@ gkb_childrensbooks

I noticed that both books are about a child named Veer, so I asked the authors to share more about this name & its significance.

Gursharan: “That’s so interesting! I chose this name many years ago. It means brave but also the book is based on my and my brother’s childhood experience-so maybe subconsciously I chose Veer to represent brother? It was definitely a name that I just gravitated to.”

Amrit: “I wanted to create a character whose essence reminds me of my son. He is wise but also playful. Veer means “brave” and that is one quality about Veer that is instrumental in takes him on the journey to the enchanted forest. He loves helping people so he sets out to find a magical golden apple for his Bebe which would help her feel energetic and strong.

My inspiration for choosing the name Veer is the Punjabi author Bhai Veer Singh Ji. My love and connection with my Sikh faith is primarily because when I was growing up in South Bombay we attended kirtan that was initiated by Bhai Veer Singh every Friday at the homes of our Sangat. After learning kirtan at 15 years of age, getting to sing a shabad every Friday is what kept my connection growing with Guru Sahib. 

In my initial version of this book, I had decided to keep the character unnamed so Veer’s entire personality was developed before I chose his name and it really fit my character like a glove!”

If you’re following the news of added suppressions of Sikh folks in Punjab, you’ll understand why we might need to amplify our solidarity with Sikh communities globally. These new books for children open up our connections & offer opportunities to share loving stories of Sikh heritage & diaspora.

I highly recommend requesting them both wherever you access books.

For the joys of sharing book pyar,

Desi book Aunty