Arthi's Bomma

Words by Mamta Nainy

Art by Shruti Prabhu

Arthi’s father is a doll maker, but she wishes he would be anything else. No one plays with the wooden bommalu her nanna makes anymore. But crafting dolls from wood is her father’s entire world, so Arthi sets out to find out why these dolls mean so much to him. She asks everyone she knows in her small doll-making community and learns that bommalu are memories, warm as the sun, whispering stories older than time and capturing colors that run wild. They are a celebration of life and more. Much, much more!

This joyful picture book is an ode to the traditional craftspeople of Kondapalli, India, and a shared celebration of handmade objects in the digital age. When she finally creates a bomma, Arthi discovers a special joy in doll-making that is all her own.