Hair Oil Magic

Written and illustrated by Anu Chouhan

Bloomsbury Children's Books

978-1-5476-1104-1

40 pp.

Ages 3-6

February 2024

 

Most of us love learning about cultural practices and traditions that may be familiar and commonplace to others. The ancient and routine practice of hair oiling, while customary in some places in the world and more popular in some societies, is becoming more of a thing elsewhere. Still, a story like Hair Oil Magic doesn't just educate readers about these traditional rites. It also reminds us of the connections that are the basis for them.

From Hair Oil Magic, written and illustrated by Anu Chouhan

For Meenu, Sunday is "Magic Hair Day." It is the day that her mother, like her grandmother once did, would mix a wonderfully-scented concoction and massage it into Meenu's scalp. Then Meenu would go on with her day, playing and helping her Biji (Punjabi for grandmother), until bath time when Mommy washed her hair with a special shampoo.

From Hair Oil Magic, written and illustrated by Anu Chouhan

She loved the way her hair felt and bounced at the end of the day but most of all she loved how she felt as she sat in Mommy's lap and had her scalp massaged.

It was like little floating stars

twinkling around her heart!

Not surprising that little Meenu wants to recreate that feeling and impress Mommy and Biji by making her own magic oil, recalling what her mother telling her about fenugreek oil and rosemary and castor oil and more. And so, in bathroom, accompanied by her dog, Meenu begins to pour and mix but she can't quite get the formulation right. After a few mishaps, resulting in a broken bottle, tears, and a fresh bath, Meenu learns the true secret ingredient of their Magic Hair Days.

From Hair Oil Magic, written and illustrated by Anu Chouhan

Anu Chouhan has illustrated several picture books, including Bharatanatyam in Ballet Shoes and A Dupatta Is..., and created art for video games, but this is her debut picture book as the author-illustrator. This Punjabi-Canadian creator knows this story from her heart and speaks to the connection in her "Author's Note." (She also includes "Meenu's Magic Hair Day Tips" as she learned as a child.) The physical benefits of hair oiling are tangible but the emotional bonding that happens between family members as the hair is oiled is even deeper. Anu Chouhan expresses the kinship that comes with this tradition as magic, and her digital illustrations certainly give readers that enchanted vibe. With sparkles and smiles, and tender embraces and swirls of charming alchemy, Anu Chouhan lets us see the magic that surrounds the family as they maintain their traditions and connect with each other through sweet-scented oils, touch, and affection.

 

Drawing on her Punjabi ancestry, I suspect Anu Chouhan has more stories to tell. Fortunately, as an accomplished artist, she is perfectly placed to give colour and heart to those stories and enlighten some young readers and connect with others who already have found the magic in hair oiling.

Bharatanatyam in Ballet Shoes

Written by Mahak Jain

Illustrated by Anu Chouhan

Annick Press

978-1-77321-615-7

36 pp.

Ages 4-7

March 2022

Palo loves doing Bharatanatyam, a classic Indian dance tradition, having learned from her mother whom she envisions as a queen of the dance. But when she heads to ballet class for the first time, she worries that she won't be able to dance and that her feet will fail her.

From Bharatanatyam in Ballet Shoes by Mahak Jain, illus. by Anu Chouhan

Though her toes seem eager to dance, Palo's apprehension grows as she meets young dancers Marco and Dana. They come from different backgrounds–Marco learned ballet as a baby and Dana learned to break dance from videos–and they are initially perplexed by Palo's unusual walk-dance. And when her Bharatanatyam moves get in the way of her ballet learning, Palo is not sure she'll be able to manage. Still Palo tells them about the Indian dance and about one of its most famous dancers, Rukmini Devi.

From Bharatanatyam in Ballet Shoes by Mahak Jain, illus. by Anu Chouhan

It's only when Palo can see, along with her new dance friends, that the glory is in the dance, whether Bharatanatyam or ballet or a blend of both, that she can accept that she really is a dancer.

While Bharatanatyam in Ballet Shoes will provide young readers with the inspiration to be themselves even if they worry that their differences will set them apart, I think that the picture book is more about the splendour of cultural diversity and inclusiveness of different art forms as both authentic and dynamic. How wonderful that a break dancer or a ballet dancer and a Bharatanatyam dancer can come together and learn, and even create something different. By doing so, Toronto's Mahak Jain, whose debut picture book Maya (Owlkids Books, 2016) gleaned her much positive attention, again brings her Indian culture to the forefront and introduces a classic dance tradition with its unique moves and costume (love the cross fan skirt). Moreover, she shows us that differences don't diminish who we are but rather enhance and that self-acceptance can mitigate any fears or worries about fitting in.

Anu Chouhan is a Punjabi-Canadian artist and game art director from BC whose artwork balances the boldness and brightness of Bharatanatyam with the soft and muted ballet. Whether it's the delicacy or the exotic, Anu Chouhan's artwork plays up that which defines them and unites them.

From Bharatanatyam in Ballet Shoes by Mahak Jain, illus. by Anu Chouhan

Palo may worry that Bharatanatyam and ballet are far too different to allow her to become a true dancer but Mahak Jain's afterword reveals a historical connection between two of the most famous dancers of each: Rukmini Devi and Anna Pavlova. If these two dancers could find a commonality that allowed them to blend elements of their dance with that of the other, then there's enough room for Bharatanatyam, and break dancing and ballroom and hip hop and more, to share any dance stage and studio around the world and bring dancing joy to those who move and those who watch.