Review: Samina Goes to a Wedding

Thanks to author and artist Farida Zaman (Meena Can’t Wait) and the folks at Owlkids Books, I have the chance to talk about Zaman’s lovely new picture book Samina Goes to a Wedding: Celebrations from a Bangladeshi Marriage. Happy reading!

A young girl travels to Bangladesh and experiences vibrant Bangladeshi marriage customs. Samina travels from North America all the way to Bangladesh to attend her first traditional Bangladeshi wedding. Anticipation for the big day builds as she meets family she’s only ever seen on video calls and participates in various wedding traditions—like the family gift exchanges, the holud ceremony, and henna painting. A sidebar on each spread provides additional context for the depicted custom. Sensory writing and colorful, detailed illustrations invite readers to be a guest alongside Samina in this informational picture book about the tastes and traditions of a Bangladeshi marriage.

In Samina Goes to a Wedding, readers are transported to a beautiful celebration as the story’s protagonist, a young girl named Samina, travels with her Amma to a family member’s wedding in Bangladesh. Utilizing colourful face-out spreads to highlight key wedding traditions, Zaman not only narrates Samina’s journey throughout the pre-wedding preparations to the big day, but also provides informative descriptions (via the use of sidebars) to concisely detail each tradition. As an example, in one especially vibrant spread with the heading Komla Phul (orange flowers), readers see Samina and her cousin Nita “make garlands of marigolds to hand out at the wedding”. The accompanying sidebar notes that in “Bangladesh, marigolds represent the sun [and] are a symbol of brightness and positive energy. The wedding venue will be decorated with garlands of yellow and orange marigolds…”.

From her arrival at the airport meeting family members she has only ever met virtually, to learning about and partaking in the multitude of customs (and familial care!) that go into a traditional Bangladeshi wedding, to joyful moments dancing at the wedding, Samina brings readers on a warmhearted, welcoming, sensory-filled, and educational experience. Zaman’s easy narrative and succinct educative notes, along with lively, appealing artwork, make Samina Goes to a Wedding a delightful read. Readers who enjoy their picture books with generous opportunities for cultural learning and/or for moments of connection, or for readers simply interested in good-hearted multi-generational stories, this is a great pick! Back matter includes a pictorial glossary with pronunciation guide, and author’s note. Interested readers can also enjoy this interview with Farida Zaman via the Owlkids website.

I received a copy of this title courtesy of Owlkids Books and Farida Zaman. All opinions and comments are my own. Title has been published and is currently available.