Sailaja Joshi of Mango and Marigold Press Brings Storytime to the Garden!
- Paula Jordan
- Nov 24, 2020
- 2 min read
We were so excited to welcome Sai to the Growing Center to record her sharing two of her wonderful books from her publishing company, Mango and Marigold with our friends and neighbors, as well as some of our partners who work with children and families in Somerville.
The story of Mango and Marigold Press starts with its founder, Sailaja. While waiting for the birth of her first child she searched for books about her Indian culture. She found very few, and in the ones she did find, the representation was often inappropriate or insensitive. She knew there was magic for kids in being able to see themselves represented on the page, in the extraordinary or the ordinary, and from that understanding her company was born.
Mango and Marigold Press is an award-winning independent publishing house that shares the sweet and savory stories of the South Asian experience and ensures that all children can see themselves as the heroes of their own stories, realizing anything is possible.
Sai read to us from Finding Om, a story by Rashmi Bismark with pictures by Morgan Huff, and Bindiya in India, by Monique Chheda, MD, illustrated by Debasmita Dasgupta.
To watch the delightful readings that Sai did, please head to our Virtual Programming page, here.
And to learn more out more about Mango and Marigold Press, visit their website.
Thank you to the Somerville Health Foundation for supporting the Growing Center’s work to continue to create equitable and accessible experiences in nature and to support children’s mental health. Positive representation of all children is so important. Also, thank you to Liza Kitchell, of the Friends of the Community Growing Center, for support with making and editing these videos.
Paula Jordan
Children in Nature Initiative Coordinator
What a lovely way to bring stories to the garden! I love how Sai found her own books for her kids. It reminds me of a fun game I tried called the toon tone game to test my color skills. Great post!
Such a beautiful celebration of cultural representation and children’s literacy! It’s inspiring to see local organizations prioritizing authentic stories that let every kid feel like the hero. I’ll definitely be checking out the virtual recordings next time. On a lighter note, I always need a quirky digital palate-cleanser after emotional reads, which is why I’ve lately been swapping my usual feeds for cursed images. Thanks again for championing inclusive community programming!
What a beautiful community event blending nature, storytelling, and meaningful cultural representation! Mango and Marigold Press’s work to center South Asian children’s voices fills such an important need in kids’ publishing, and hosting this reading in your garden makes it feel extra warm and accessible. Huge thanks to the Somerville Health Foundation for supporting these equitable outdoor programs for young kids. Will you share audience takeaways or kid feedback from this storytime in a follow-up post? --glow up
this is a lovely initiative. bringing storytime into the garden creates such a natural and engaging setting for children. the mission of mango and marigold press to provide authentic cultural stories is truly valuable. it's heartening to see community spaces used to support children's mental health and representation. thank you for sharing the recordings and the story behind the press. Image 2
it's wonderful to see storytime brought into the garden space. the work of mango and marigold press in providing authentic cultural representation for children is so important. connecting stories with nature seems like a perfect way to engage young minds. thank you for sharing this event and the background of the press. it's a meaningful initiative for the community. Traducir Imagen