Sadiq wants to stitch by Mamta Nainy is a picture book that takes us right into the verdant valley of Kashmir. Sadiq is a young boy and he loves stitching colourful patterns on rugs, just like his Ammi. However, Ammi can be quite stern when it comes to this! She reminds him that boys in his community don’t stitch. Instead, they tend to the livestock.
But things are about to change. Winds of change blow over and Sadiq happily crosses the line. Will his mother be angry? Or will she embrace this change?
The main theme of this book is to do with defying gender norms. However, underlying the principal story are other interesting strands. The story also highlights the culture of the ‘Bakarwals’, a nomadic community of shepherds and goatherds in the mountains of Jammu and Kashmir. The Bakarwal embroidery is very well known. However, like other indigenous crafts, this too is slowly withering into oblivion. The book in a sense highlights this by talking about the beauty of this embroidery and the importance it has for the livelihood of the tribe.
Niloufer Wadia’s illustrations do justice to the breath-taking beauty of the Valley and the mountains surrounding it. Simple, joyful and very colourful, they add to the story beautifully.
Age no bar
Sadiq wants to stitch is a picture book that is apt for children aged 5 onwards. The beauty of this book however, is that there is no upper age limit. At every age and stage, a child will be able to pick up something from the book that is relevant to his or her life. For younger children the appealing story also illuminates the fact that age or gender should be no bar in pursuing what you love. Older children may additionally find the lives of the tribal nomads and references to their culture, quite interesting.
Title: Sadiq Wants to Stitch
Author: Mamta Nainy
Illustrator: Niloufer Wadia
Publisher: Karadi Tales
Age group: 5 years onwards
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