Roots and Wings

By Shahzia Sikander, Hanna Barczyk (Illustrator)

A young artist finds her voice through art, transcending cultural boundaries and family traditions.

4.0/5 Goodreads · 30 ratings

40 pages

$19.95Save 7%

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Bookroo's summary

Shahzia, a spirited tomboy in Lahore, navigates a vibrant world of Muslim traditions and Western literature. Her father's enchanting tales and her love for books ignite a passion for art. As she discovers her talent for drawing, Shahzia creates vivid worlds beyond her home's walls. Can her imagination bridge the cultural divides she encounters? "Roots and Wings" invites young readers to explore the power of art and imagination in a multicultural tapestry.

From the publisher

Pakistani-American artist Shahzia Sikander recounts how growing up as a tomboy in a multicultural home in Pakistan inspired her to become an artist Growing up in a multigenerational, multicultural home in Lahore, Pakistan, where her family’s Muslim traditions are filled with food and rituals, Shahzia is surrounded by stories of all kinds. At the Catholic school she attends, she studies Western literature, and at home, her father regales her and her siblings with fantastical tales from a Russian storybook on animals. Shahzia’s love for books leads to a fascination with illustrations, like the ones she sees in illuminated manuscripts and South Asian miniature portraits, and she discovers a talent for drawing. Through art, Shahzia is able to create the different worlds she reads about, using her imagination to take her beyond the walls of the home she grows up in. Written by artist Shahzia Sikander with award-winning author Amy Novesky, and featuring artwork, Roots and Wings is a colorful introduction to a multicultural perspective that will inspire young readers to use art and imagination to explore new worlds.

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