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Table of Contents
About The Book
A stunning, lyrical picture book exploration of the nuances of friendship as two best friends experience jealousy for the first time when one of them receives a beautiful gift of rainbow bangles from her mom.
Selvi’s best friend in the whole world is Divya. She and Divya are alike in so many ways: they love biking to school; they love to play dress up; and they both miss their ammas, who work overseas and only come home once a year. It’s hard not having their moms home all the time, but it’s okay because they have each other.
But when Divya’s amma returns home early and gifts Divya with a beautiful set of rainbow bangles, Selvi starts to feel jealous of her friend. Why is Divya’s amma home and not hers? Does Divya even need Selvi anymore now that she has her mom back?
As their friendship is tested, Selvi and Divya learn the real treasure they have to cherish is each other.
Selvi’s best friend in the whole world is Divya. She and Divya are alike in so many ways: they love biking to school; they love to play dress up; and they both miss their ammas, who work overseas and only come home once a year. It’s hard not having their moms home all the time, but it’s okay because they have each other.
But when Divya’s amma returns home early and gifts Divya with a beautiful set of rainbow bangles, Selvi starts to feel jealous of her friend. Why is Divya’s amma home and not hers? Does Divya even need Selvi anymore now that she has her mom back?
As their friendship is tested, Selvi and Divya learn the real treasure they have to cherish is each other.
About The Author
Photograph by Sanjeewa Weerasinghe
Thushanthi Ponweera is an author and poet from Sri Lanka. Before daring to follow her dream of being published, she was a marketing specialist and entrepreneur. Her writing reflects the frustration she feels at the inequality and injustice she sees around her and the deep love she feels for her island home. Thushanthi currently lives in Qatar with her husband and two children.
About The Illustrator
Maithili Joshi likes a rich, textured finish to her work, which tends to be playful, delicate, and subtly whimsical. Childhood anecdotes, books, and interesting conversations inspire her more personal creations. Her art has been recognized by the New York and Los Angeles chapters of the Society of Illustrators. After graduating from the School of Visual Arts, Maithili is illustrating picture books as well as designing middle grade covers for Scholastic, where she works full time.
Why We Love It
“Thushanthi Ponweera’s poetic language paired with Maithili Joshi’s breathtaking illustrations make for a truly gorgeous book. But my favorite thing about this story is that it subtly features an experience that many children around the world live daily: having a parent who works and lives far away from them for most of the year. Selvi and Divya show that while not having their moms around can be challenging, their love for them, as well as each other, only grows stronger.”
—Deeba Z., Senior Editor, on My Best Friend’s Bangles
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (June 11, 2024)
- Length: 40 pages
- ISBN13: 9781665921718
- Grades: P - 3
- Ages: 4 - 8
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Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): My Best Friend's Bangles Hardcover 9781665921718
- Author Photo (jpg): Thushanthi Ponweera Photograph by Sanjeewa Weerasinghe(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit
