Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Illustrated by Fumi Nakamura
RaveOrionThis moment of pause and panic created by the pandemic is pushing people to delve into nature and to take time to savor it during the rare times we are not housebound. And Nezhukumatathil’s World of Wonders is the perfect literary companion for this ... Although her descriptions are filled with fascinating facts, what makes them come alive is Nezhukumatathil’s obvious astonishment and affection, which comes through in the text ... Nezhukumatathil is an ideal guide on this journey through nature’s treasures because although she conveys her own deep curiosity and compassion for these plants and animals, her explorations never take on a stuffy professorial tone, which can make those who haven’t had many experiences with the natural world feel excluded ... The strongest chapters are those where Nezhukumatathil meditates on plants or animals with whom she has direct experiences and memories. She evokes not only the beings’ significance to the world but also to a moment in her life that continues to impact her ... As we ponder what the world will look like after this moment, an inspiring vision is one in which the creatures and plants Nezhukumatathil animates are able to thrive and offer up their wonders to the next generation.
Mira Jacob
RaveThe RumpusJacob skillfully weaves together the lush landscapes of Kerala with the arid environs of New Mexico; an old world familial household buckling under expectations and tradition, and a family developing its own traditions in a new world. The book is filled with light moments, as Jacob infuses the story and her characters with wit and humor. She has an ear for dialogue, which is challenging in a book that spans continents and generations ... I consider The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing to be as Indian a narrative as Eugenides’s Middlesex is Greek: they both give a nod to their respective cultures for context and yet they are both essentially stories of modern American life ... My one gripe with the book is that we learn almost nothing about Kamala’s background.
Sunil Yapa
PositiveThe RumpusYapa does a heroic job of journeying into the heart of this complex set of events, illustrating how they grow out of and impact the character’s lives. And while the heart may be the size of a fist, here it paradoxically seems to encompass the whole world and all of its citizens, who pulse with its every beat.
