Laxmi’s Mooch

Product Description

A joyful, body-positive picture book about a young Indian American girl’s journey to accept her body hair and celebrate her heritage after being teased about her mustache.

Laxmi never paid much attention to the tiny hairs above her lip. But one day while playing farm animals at recess, her friends point out that her whiskers would make her the perfect cat. She starts to notice body hair all over–on her arms, legs, and even between her eyebrows.

With her parents’ help, Laxmi learns that hair isn’t just for heads, but that it grows everywhere, regardless of gender. Featuring affirming text by Shelly Anand and exuberant, endearing illustrations by Nabi H. Ali,
Laxmi’s Mooch is a celebration of our bodies and our body hair, in whichever way they grow.

From School Library Journal

Gr 1-3-Laxmi is a South Asian girl, sporting dark hair, tan skin, and tiny dark hairs above her upper lip. Her mooch, or mustache, becomes the topic of conversation one day at school, causing Laxmi to become extremely self-conscious about all of her body hair. At home, Laxmi asks her parents about her mooch; they, in return, quell Laxmi’s insecurities by comparing her to other beautiful people and creatures who have hair elsewhere than their heads. The next day, Laxmi proudly displays her mooch, inviting her classmates to celebrate their own-real or not-along with her. Beautifully illustrated using a wide array of colors, Laxmi’s world is filled with people of many skin shades, body types, and cultural backgrounds. The images pair delightfully with the text, propelling the story forward and connecting readers to Laxmi and her life. Additionally, Laxmi invites readers into her story at the beginning and the end, breaking the fourth wall and making children feel seen in a safe, friendly way. Mid-length text makes this story well suited to kids, whether as a read aloud or an independent read. Hindi words blend seamlessly into the dialogue, requiring no translation; however, these words also appear on the endpapers with accompanying visuals to reiterate this potentially new vocabulary. VERDICT Readers of all ages will appreciate the message of self-love presented within Laxmi’s story, which takes on body positivity for a relatively young audience in an uplifting way.-Mary Lanni, formerly at Denver P.L.α(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

PRAISE FOR LAXMI’S MOOCHAs seen on The Today Show!“Joyful!…[a] positive story about seeing your own differences and being excited about them!” –Jasmine Guillory 

Three starred reviews!A New York Public Library Spring 2021 Staff Pick!
* “Debut author Anand skillfully balances humor with sincerity, crafting a narrator who is both vulnerable and powerful, while Abi contributes sunny-humored illustrations … Laxmi’s journey is both accessible and authentic, and it is a true pleasure to watch her not only embrace her own body, but also teach her classmates how to embrace theirs as well.” —
Kirkus Reviews, starred review. 

* “A joyfully affirmative picture book with a winning first-person point of view.” —
Publishers Weekly, starred review. 

* “Anand’s story is simple and purposeful, but it’s a much-needed purpose, sweetly delivering a message of body positivity around a common insecurity that is rarely addressed.” — Booklist, starred review. 

“Readers of all ages will appreciate the message of self-love presented within Laxmi’s story, which takes on body positivity for a relatively young audience in an uplifting way.” —
School Library Journal 

“Readers invited to watch Laxmi grow may also gain some confidence to celebrate their own bodies no matter what they look like–or where their hair may grow.” —
Shelf Awareness

About the Author

A debut picture book author, Shelly Anand is a human and civil rights attorney in Atlanta fighting for immigrants and low income workers from marginalized communi