Book Descriptions
for Where Three Oceans Meet by Rajani LaRocca and Archana Sreenivasan
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Sejal, her mom, and her grandmother (Pati) plan “to travel to the very tip of India, where three oceans meet.” They each want to see and do different things along the way. The first few pages introduce the characters. Pati and Mommy speak Tamil, Mommy and Sejal speak English, and Pati and Sejal speak a mixture of Tamil, English, and Kannada and use a lot of gestures. Sejal describes the clothes they pack for their trip: saris, t-shirts, jeans, langas, and blouses. In Chennai, they all eat a huge dosa, each with their favorite toppings. They take a train through the countryside to Coimbatore to visit friends. They take a slow boat ride down a river. They go shopping and enjoy street food. Sejal gets sick, and Mommy and Pati take care of her. Then they resume their trip, visiting the temple in Madurai, and eventually they stand on the tip of India at Kanyakumari, three family members (one from India, one who moved to America, and one born in America) together. The details of their family life and their trip together make for a fascinating story. The cartoon-style illustrations are filled with specific family and cultural details. The author and illustrator each provide an endnote relating their own personal experiences with visiting relatives in India as a child (the author), and being born and raised there (the illustrator). (Ages 3-7)
CCBC Choices 2022. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2022. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
A child, mother, and grandmother travel all the way to the end of the earth in author Rajani LaRoccaand illustrator Archana Sreenivasan’s Where Three Oceans Meet, a picture book that celebrates multigenerational love—perfect for fans of Drawn Together and Alma.
“I want to see what’s at the end of the earth!”
Sejal, Mommy, and Pati travel together to the southern tip of India. Along the way, they share meals, visit markets, and catch up with old friends.
For Pati, the trip retraces spaces she knows well. For Mommy, it’s a return to the place she grew up. For Sejal, it’s a discovery of new sights and sounds. The family finds their way to Kanyakumari, where three oceans meet, and delight in making it to the end of the earth together.
This own voices picture book celebrates the beauty of India and the enduring love of family.
“The metaphor of the intertwining of cross-cultural and cross-generational similarities and differences is sustained from start to finish, offering points of connection for readers from all backgrounds.” —Booklist
“I want to see what’s at the end of the earth!”
Sejal, Mommy, and Pati travel together to the southern tip of India. Along the way, they share meals, visit markets, and catch up with old friends.
For Pati, the trip retraces spaces she knows well. For Mommy, it’s a return to the place she grew up. For Sejal, it’s a discovery of new sights and sounds. The family finds their way to Kanyakumari, where three oceans meet, and delight in making it to the end of the earth together.
This own voices picture book celebrates the beauty of India and the enduring love of family.
“The metaphor of the intertwining of cross-cultural and cross-generational similarities and differences is sustained from start to finish, offering points of connection for readers from all backgrounds.” —Booklist
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.
