Amma’s Magic Handbag

MY THOUGHTS

What does it mean to be a parent in today’s world? Quite a lot, TBH. But maybe the secret is to just be present.

Amma’s Magic Handbag is a book that is an ode to gentle parenting. It starts with, “Amma says our feelings are like waves. When I feel them crashing over me, she stays close.” To me, this is the crux of the book. Through its pages we see a little girl going through some big feelings — anger, sadness, jealousy, and even happiness. Through it all, Amma stays close and pulls out things that help deal with these emotions from her magic handbag. When the little girl is sad and big tears sting her eyes, Amma pulls out a mug and collects the tears to water the garden. They then watch the blooms smile. When the little girl feels small and diffident, Amma pulls out a magnifying glass and she feels big and wonderful again! The pages take us through big emotions but the constant is, Amma is always close by with her magic handbag. Kindness begets kindness and we see the little girl doing the same for her friend.

Vaishali BK is a well known educator and parenting coach and through this book she brings across how important it is for us parents, to show up and understand what our kids are going through without reacting prematurely. This gentleness and kindness helps them pause as they deal with emotions bigger than themselves. The words are beautiful and perfect to read as a bed time story. The book feels new and fresh every time you read it. Chandrima Chatterjee’s illustrations are powerful and help a child understand the big emotions. Her soft colour palette and intricate detailing makes you want to spend time just going over the illustrations. I love books from The Little Dipper Publishing house because each one of their books is so different and it makes me look forward to what they will have out next!

This is a book for parents everywhere. Buy it for yourself and for your child.