The Moon from Dehradun: A Story of Partition
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-10-06 06:51:49
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Shirin Shamsi
- ISBN：1665906790
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Summary
In time for the 75th anniversary of the Partition of British India， this picture book is a stirring account of the harrowing journey faced by millions of migrants in the aftermath of the division of India and Pakistan。
Azra knows that wherever she goes， her doll Gurya will follow。 Even if it’s on a train that will take her far away from the house her family has lived in for generations。 Even if there is a new flag flying in Dehradun， and no place left in it for Azra。 At least she will be taking a piece of home with her。
But when Abba comes home and says they must leave right now， Gurya gets left behind in the scramble。 Will Azra be strong enough to face the long journey alone？ And what will happen to Gurya， now hundreds of miles behind them？
Inspired by the author’s family story， this lyrical， moving picture book is a testament to the strength， courage， and perseverance of the over 10 million refugees displaced by the largest forced migration in recorded history， and shares a young girl’s journey from her old home to a new one。
Azra knows that wherever she goes， her doll Gurya will follow。 Even if it’s on a train that will take her far away from the house her family has lived in for generations。 Even if there is a new flag flying in Dehradun， and no place left in it for Azra。 At least she will be taking a piece of home with her。
But when Abba comes home and says they must leave right now， Gurya gets left behind in the scramble。 Will Azra be strong enough to face the long journey alone？ And what will happen to Gurya， now hundreds of miles behind them？
Inspired by the author’s family story， this lyrical， moving picture book is a testament to the strength， courage， and perseverance of the over 10 million refugees displaced by the largest forced migration in recorded history， and shares a young girl’s journey from her old home to a new one。
Reviews
Michelle Nott
，
The Moon from Dehradun is written in a tender voice and illustrated in muted colors appropriate for the gravity of the topic of Partition。 Without giving away too much， The Moon from Dehradun ends with a strong sense of friendship and hope。 This author and illustrator team have done a tremendous job bringing a very challenging and difficult subject to young children in an informative and safe space。 Back matter includes a brief history of Partition， a glossary of vocabulary used throughout the t The Moon from Dehradun is written in a tender voice and illustrated in muted colors appropriate for the gravity of the topic of Partition。 Without giving away too much， The Moon from Dehradun ends with a strong sense of friendship and hope。 This author and illustrator team have done a tremendous job bringing a very challenging and difficult subject to young children in an informative and safe space。 Back matter includes a brief history of Partition， a glossary of vocabulary used throughout the text， and the author's personal story that inspired her to write this book。 。。。more
Maleeha Siddiqui
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I cried。 I'm going to share this with my kids so that they know the history of Partition， the event that their great-grandparents and young grandparents went through and how it impacted generations after。 I cried。 I'm going to share this with my kids so that they know the history of Partition， the event that their great-grandparents and young grandparents went through and how it impacted generations after。 。。。more
Kirin
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I've read this book numerous times: sometimes for the text， sometimes for the tone， sometimes to slowly immerse myself in the pictures。 I know the basics of my own family's journey to Pakistan， and this book added to that understanding。 I like that it forced me to slow down and to really appreciate what partition was for both sides， from a child's perspective。 Pakistan and India gained freedom from British rule 75 years ago。 Nearly every Pakistani or Indian you know today， has a parent or grandp I've read this book numerous times: sometimes for the text， sometimes for the tone， sometimes to slowly immerse myself in the pictures。 I know the basics of my own family's journey to Pakistan， and this book added to that understanding。 I like that it forced me to slow down and to really appreciate what partition was for both sides， from a child's perspective。 Pakistan and India gained freedom from British rule 75 years ago。 Nearly every Pakistani or Indian you know today， has a parent or grandparent that lived through it。 It is not history from long ago， it is still very much with us， and no I'm not talking about the lingering effects of colonization， I'm talking family stories， and loss of property and wealth， memories of the journey， the terror， the fear， the relief， the determination。 This book is one story， perhaps the first mainstream published in the west， of one family's experience。 There could be a thousand more books and they would all be different， all powerful， all reflective。 I love that this book is Pakistani authored， Indian illustrated， I love that it offers pages with no words at all。 I love that a child's perspective for such a monumental event is told for other children。 There is a lot there for desi readers to unpack， and consider， there is also a lot there for non desi's to be made aware of， and I hope that you will seek out this book no matter who you are， and share it。The book starts with excitement from Azra about an upcoming train ride， even though her family has lived in Dehradun， at the base of the Himalayas， for generations。 Suddenly though there is yelling outside because people are afraid， and her Abba runs in saying they have to leave now。 Ammi， Abba， Azra， and the baby "Chotu，" rush out the door， leaving the cooking dinner still on the stove。 When they get to the train， Azra realizes she has left her beloved doll， Gurya behind。 They cannot go back for her。Azra blames Chotu， for making her forget her doll， for taking her parent's attention， yet as the days and nights on the train reveal tired people， sad faces， and fear， Azra finds comfort in her little brother's embrace。 When they arrive in Lahore， they are met with food， and shelter。 They are given a house that looks like the owners left in the same manner that they had to flee。 There are balls of dough with a rolling pin， laundry strewn about， and even a doll left abandoned under a bed。The book concludes with a map， a glossary， and an informative author's note addressing pre-partition， partition， and the author's own family story。 There is hardship and frantic upheaval， but peace and welcome too。 The illustrations illuminate the text and show the powerful emotion when words sometime simply don't exist。 The book is not political or even religious。 There is an Indian flag when they leave and a Pakistani flag when they enter， there are sounds of athan， and packing of a rehl， and a comparison to Eid， and the doll at the end has a bindi on her forehead。 The book does not make one side out to be in the right or in the wrong， if you do not know that partition of the subcontinent was a mass migration based on religion and the chaos further exacerbated by the British， this book will not spell it out for you。 。。。more
Lisa
，
A picture book about a little-known historical event - the partition in India and Pakistan。 I myself know basically nothing about this time in history and want to look up more information。 But this book shows what families went through to find safety by focusing on a little girl leaving her doll behind。 I loved that the little girl was nurturing to her little brother despite blaming him for her leaving her toy。The illustrations are unique as well。 Beautiful and emotional， but ultimately hopeful。
Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
，
"When something breaks， it takes time to heal。"I vaguely knew the story of partition as someone who has shared religious spaces with Pakistani and Bengali people， but， through story， illustration， and back matter， this book depicted the details and emotion of that time that I didn't know of。 This harrowing but hopeful tale follows a young girl's family who has to leave their home in Dehradun all of sudden and can't come back， not even to eat their dinner or get the little girl's favorite doll， w "When something breaks， it takes time to heal。"I vaguely knew the story of partition as someone who has shared religious spaces with Pakistani and Bengali people， but， through story， illustration， and back matter， this book depicted the details and emotion of that time that I didn't know of。 This harrowing but hopeful tale follows a young girl's family who has to leave their home in Dehradun all of sudden and can't come back， not even to eat their dinner or get the little girl's favorite doll， which they left behind。 I found it especially poignant when they arrived in an abandoned home in Lahore where it looks like dinner was left behind and a doll too， much like their own abandoned home。 While the story doesn't depict the violence that happened as well， the back matter does describe it and it must have been particularly traumatic to young children。 In sum， this was a beautifully written narrative that taught me something new。 This would be a great read for South Asian kids learning about their heritage but also those like my own to learn the history of that region。 。。。more
Jilanne
，
A moving， beautifully told story based on the author's family experience during British Partition of India and Pakistan。 In their rush to flee to safety， we see a family who must leave a warm dinner that's waiting for them on the stove。 When they arrive at their destination after a long train ride， they take shelter in a home that another family fled， having left their own dinner cold and spoiled on the stove。 The story is harrowing， but told through the eyes of a young girl who's taking care of A moving， beautifully told story based on the author's family experience during British Partition of India and Pakistan。 In their rush to flee to safety， we see a family who must leave a warm dinner that's waiting for them on the stove。 When they arrive at their destination after a long train ride， they take shelter in a home that another family fled， having left their own dinner cold and spoiled on the stove。 The story is harrowing， but told through the eyes of a young girl who's taking care of her baby brother。 It's told in an age appropriate manner for the picture book crowd。 History is important， and we should face and tell the truth about the ugly parts， so that we may do better in the future。 The author supplies more details in the back matter that relates her mother's own traumatic experience during Partition。 Definitely a book that will help kids understand one example of how colonialism has wreaked havoc in this area of the world。 This book can be discussed at a high level with younger children （about how countries sometimes do bad things to maintain their power or control over people）， and more deeply by going into the specifics with children who are older。 A well-done heart-filled book。 This review is based on a PDF supplied by the publisher。 。。。more
Preeti Gopalan
，
Beautiful， powerful story that will stay with you。What a beautiful， heart-stopping important story！ It does what every story and storyteller hopes to do。 It acknowledges a piece of the imperfect past that's not written about enough in kidlit while planting hope for the future with the power to start healing conversations。 All this in a voice true to its child protagonist。This story is told at so many different levels。 First at the child's， with Azra's loss of her lost doll and her old sense of s Beautiful， powerful story that will stay with you。What a beautiful， heart-stopping important story！ It does what every story and storyteller hopes to do。 It acknowledges a piece of the imperfect past that's not written about enough in kidlit while planting hope for the future with the power to start healing conversations。 All this in a voice true to its child protagonist。This story is told at so many different levels。 First at the child's， with Azra's loss of her lost doll and her old sense of security。 We see her evolve through a traumatic journey back to hope again， feeling empathy for others like her who were displaced and perhaps lost their favorite things too。But there is a story at the societal level too of how an arbitrary， ill-thought of division was so traumatic for families who got up one day on the wrong side of the line。 The uneaten meal hauntingly captures the abruptness of the painful incision in a people that partition was。Then there is the same moon that follows Azra on her journey， a reminder in a way of the things we hold in common however we humans choose to focus on differences and complicate our existence。The writing is beautiful and heartfelt too with so many great lines。The author's note brought as many tears to my eyes as the story itself。This one's going to stay with me for a long time and is one I will re-read many times with my kids。 Great work！ 。。。more
CK Malone
，
Two Sentence Review: Shirin Shamsi's story of her mother's account during the partition of India from Pakistan is much needed on shelves for understanding the impact this had on so very many people。 The usage of the doll Gurya to symbolize the upheaval and trauma many faced is very well done and the illustrations by Tarun Lak add to the telling of this dark time in history。 Two Sentence Review: Shirin Shamsi's story of her mother's account during the partition of India from Pakistan is much needed on shelves for understanding the impact this had on so very many people。 The usage of the doll Gurya to symbolize the upheaval and trauma many faced is very well done and the illustrations by Tarun Lak add to the telling of this dark time in history。 。。。more
Radiance
，
𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 1945𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐀𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞'𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝？。The moon from Dehradun， a partition story written by my favorite and 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 Shirin Shamsi 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 Simons and I'm grateful for this review copy which is released just yesterday。。Story of Azra's doll that she forgot in her home， India 🇮🇳 as there was no time to eat or pick up a doll that she loved the most。 While looking after her younger brother she sent best wishes for her doll and last 2 pages of this book brought back 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 1945𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐀𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞'𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝？。The moon from Dehradun， a partition story written by my favorite and 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 Shirin Shamsi 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 Simons and I'm grateful for this review copy which is released just yesterday。。Story of Azra's doll that she forgot in her home， India 🇮🇳 as there was no time to eat or pick up a doll that she loved the most。 While looking after her younger brother she sent best wishes for her doll and last 2 pages of this book brought back that big smile on my children's faces which they lost in the middle。 Heart touching book and definitely going in my favorite kid's books for this year now 💖 💕 。I'll be honest here as a reviewer that I've seen few books written by Indian， Pakistani and Bangali authors that left me "burnt out" as when you read a book about independence and partition， getting freedom from British， you know it's not easy to discuss it and there was a lot that happened。 Blame game doesn't benefit anyone and rather makes others feel angry which isn't the case with this book at all。 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚 🇮🇳 𝐏𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 🇵🇰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐡 🇧🇩 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭。。Yes I sobbed in tears as my grandfather migrated from Amratsar to Lahore with 3 children and later lost 6 kids in refugee camp。 It was hard， it was tough， it was rough and this book will take you back in 1947。。𝐀𝐬 𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐋𝐘 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞。 Partition map at the end was worth sharing with my children to discuss how it all started and ended。 。。。more
Robin
，
Based on a true story from Shami's mother's life， this touching and important book not only describes events at a time and place in history but speaks to the subject of change， transition， loss， and resilience。 It is an important book for all school and public libraries。 Based on a true story from Shami's mother's life， this touching and important book not only describes events at a time and place in history but speaks to the subject of change， transition， loss， and resilience。 It is an important book for all school and public libraries。 。。。more
Erica Lyons
，
This is an absolutely beautiful book from the text to the illustrations。 The story， though deeply painful， is handled in a way that exposes young readers to this period of history in a truthful but gentle way。 The text is so well crafted。 Lines such as "When Ammi makes halva， she cuts it into pieces。 How can this happen to a place？" will stay with readers and help them understand partition and what it felt like。 After losing Gurya， Shamsi is able to restore hope when a new doll is found。 The bac This is an absolutely beautiful book from the text to the illustrations。 The story， though deeply painful， is handled in a way that exposes young readers to this period of history in a truthful but gentle way。 The text is so well crafted。 Lines such as "When Ammi makes halva， she cuts it into pieces。 How can this happen to a place？" will stay with readers and help them understand partition and what it felt like。 After losing Gurya， Shamsi is able to restore hope when a new doll is found。 The back matter is also extremely well done and helpful for young and older readers that might not be familiar with this period in history。 。。。more
Shifa S
，
A sweet story of Partition from a young girl’s perspective， using the symbolism of forgetting a favorite doll to show children the trauma of this event。Genre: Adv。 Picture BookAge: 6-9Author: Shirin ShamsiIllustrator: Tarun LakPublisher: Simon KidsAzra is a young girl living in Dehradun。 She is playing with her doll when her brother cries， needing her attention。 But when she drops her doll to carry her Chotu， an emergency happens。 Abba bursts in and says they must leave immediately！On the rush o A sweet story of Partition from a young girl’s perspective， using the symbolism of forgetting a favorite doll to show children the trauma of this event。Genre: Adv。 Picture BookAge: 6-9Author: Shirin ShamsiIllustrator: Tarun LakPublisher: Simon KidsAzra is a young girl living in Dehradun。 She is playing with her doll when her brother cries， needing her attention。 But when she drops her doll to carry her Chotu， an emergency happens。 Abba bursts in and says they must leave immediately！On the rush out the door， Azra forgets her doll。On the journey， Azra struggles。 But her Chotu seems to struggle more。 And when she takes care of him， she learns to look for the same moon that shines on Dehradun。 And in her new home of Lahore， Azra finds a surprise waiting for her， a surprise that might help her heal the broken feeling inside her。Wow。This story is powerful and moving。I reread it a few times and had to sit and contemplate the beauty and yet heartbreak of the pictures to fully feel everything。 So much heart wrenching details， and so much to think about and explore。 I love how the author used symbolism in her story to show how hard it is to leave behind your home。 The pictures are truly worth a million words and show how incredibly hard it must have been to live through。 And the lyrical words and story tug at the heartstrings and The twist at the end was def meaningful and shows the reader the similarities of families across the borders。Def a historical fiction book that is a must on every shelf！ 。。。more
Caroline Coleman
，
Wow， what a moving and beautiful story， beautifully told and beautifully illustrated。 It brings to life the losses involved in the Partition in a way a child can understand--through the loss of a beloved doll。 The doll is a metaphor for the many cherished people， places and things--not to mention hopes， dreams and memories--left behind。 The story honors the pain of leaving and holds out hope by also honoring those who helped the family when they reached Lahore。 Lovely。
Edward Sullivan
，
Inspired by the author’s family history， this poignant picture book tells the story of a Muslim family forced to migrate like millions of others in the wake of the Partition of British India。
M。O。 Yuksel
，
THE MOON FROM DEHRADUN is a powerful and captivating story about a little girl， Azra， and her family who must suddenly flee from their home during the 1947 Partition of India。 The story pulls at your heart strings throughout and ends with a surprising， hopeful twist。 The illustrations are moving and beautifully add many layers to the text。 The backmatter includes lots of additional information like the author’s family history， a map and partition of India， and glossary of words。 Inspired by the THE MOON FROM DEHRADUN is a powerful and captivating story about a little girl， Azra， and her family who must suddenly flee from their home during the 1947 Partition of India。 The story pulls at your heart strings throughout and ends with a surprising， hopeful twist。 The illustrations are moving and beautifully add many layers to the text。 The backmatter includes lots of additional information like the author’s family history， a map and partition of India， and glossary of words。 Inspired by the author’s mother’s experience as a child， this important， little-known history will remain with you forever。 THE MOON FROM DEHRADUN is a vital addition to every bookshelf！ 。。。more
Reem Faruqi
，
The Moon from Dehradun: A Story of Partition written by Shirin Shamsi and illustrated by Tarun Lak is poignant and perfect。 I’d never read a picture book story on partition before and was blown away。 Its lines are lyrical and the story comes together full-circle in an unexpected and beautiful way。 Shamsi's signature lyrical lines make this story a memorable one。 "When Ammi makes halva， she cuts it into pieces。 Can that happen to a place？" asks the main character。Other lines that impressed me:"My The Moon from Dehradun: A Story of Partition written by Shirin Shamsi and illustrated by Tarun Lak is poignant and perfect。 I’d never read a picture book story on partition before and was blown away。 Its lines are lyrical and the story comes together full-circle in an unexpected and beautiful way。 Shamsi's signature lyrical lines make this story a memorable one。 "When Ammi makes halva， she cuts it into pieces。 Can that happen to a place？" asks the main character。Other lines that impressed me:"My heart sinks like a stone in a well。Clickety-clack， chugging along the track。We cannot go back。"& "Silence greets us like a shadow in our new house。"The book gave me vibes like that of the award-winning WATERCRESS: it's tinged with a haunting sadness， yet saturated with hope and love。I appreciated Lak's beautiful illustrations that lean into the hardship that many people （including my grandmothers！） faced。 The illustrations complement the text perfectly and the last page brings the story together in a lovely and surprising way。 This incredible story sets a high standard for any forthcoming picture books on partition！ I can't wait to see this book touch lives and it will be a great conversation piece not only between great grandparents and grandchildren about partition， but also a story that can teach about important historic moments for many South Asian people。Thank you for a beautiful book。 。。。more
Natasha Khan Khan
，
Author Shirin Shamsi and illustrator Tarun Lak truly created a work of art。 To be able to capture the gravity， emotion， and loss of partition， but wrap it up in the experience of a small child， is not an easy feat。 The gorgeous writing pulls you in from the start， and with perfect pacing， the story soon brought me to tears。 Yet， the beautifully quiet ending leaves the reader with hope。 I highly recommend it。
Natalia Paruzel-Gibson
，
The Moon from Dehradun: A Story of Partition by Shirin Shamsi and illustrated by Tarun Lak is deeply relevant given the 75th anniversary of India's independence and partition。 Shamsi's family tale of perseverance and survival is lyrically written with powerful descriptions that remain with you long after the story's end。 Containing both a historical synopsis about the partition and an educational glossary， The Moon from Dehradun is a most noteworthy addition to libraries， classrooms and homes ar The Moon from Dehradun: A Story of Partition by Shirin Shamsi and illustrated by Tarun Lak is deeply relevant given the 75th anniversary of India's independence and partition。 Shamsi's family tale of perseverance and survival is lyrically written with powerful descriptions that remain with you long after the story's end。 Containing both a historical synopsis about the partition and an educational glossary， The Moon from Dehradun is a most noteworthy addition to libraries， classrooms and homes around the world。 。。。more
Omar Abed
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This is such a beautiful story， both in its lyrical writing and its captivating illustrations。 I'm not generally a big fan of historical fiction， but Shamsi did an excellent job here of depicting a personal， heartbreaking， yet hopeful story， so I was constantly invested in Azra's situation。 I felt like I was watching a movie， the way Lak laid out the pages。 And I couldn't help but imagine others continuing to go through the effects of partition， including from my homeland of Palestine。 This stor This is such a beautiful story， both in its lyrical writing and its captivating illustrations。 I'm not generally a big fan of historical fiction， but Shamsi did an excellent job here of depicting a personal， heartbreaking， yet hopeful story， so I was constantly invested in Azra's situation。 I felt like I was watching a movie， the way Lak laid out the pages。 And I couldn't help but imagine others continuing to go through the effects of partition， including from my homeland of Palestine。 This story would serve as an excellent addition to any child's bookshelf。 I learned so much from the short explanation at the end that I wish I would've known long ago。 Thank you， Shirin！ 。。。more
Ellen Leventhal
，
This moving story is one that is unknown to many。 This year marks the 75th anniversary of the British partition of the subcontinent of India。 Millions of people had to leave their homes， not knowing what was going to happen。 Drawing from her mother's experience， Shirin Shamsi weaves a beautiful story that will fill your soul with hope。 Tarun Lak's detailed illustrations pair perfectly with Shamsi's lyrical text。 The glossary and backmatter add greatly to this book。 I highly recommend it。 This moving story is one that is unknown to many。 This year marks the 75th anniversary of the British partition of the subcontinent of India。 Millions of people had to leave their homes， not knowing what was going to happen。 Drawing from her mother's experience， Shirin Shamsi weaves a beautiful story that will fill your soul with hope。 Tarun Lak's detailed illustrations pair perfectly with Shamsi's lyrical text。 The glossary and backmatter add greatly to this book。 I highly recommend it。 。。。more
Sana
，
This story is written in the most moving， thrilling and heart-in-your-throat kind of way。 I was captivated by to from the very first page but it only got better and richer， page after page。 The illustrations are so lovely and mesh beautifully with the words that Shirin Shamsi have written。 There were so many lines where I stopped， closed my eyes and took a deep breath。 Perhaps， my favorite was "The muezzin’s call echoes from the minaret。 I think it sounds like a sad goodbye。" Chilling。 And so de This story is written in the most moving， thrilling and heart-in-your-throat kind of way。 I was captivated by to from the very first page but it only got better and richer， page after page。 The illustrations are so lovely and mesh beautifully with the words that Shirin Shamsi have written。 There were so many lines where I stopped， closed my eyes and took a deep breath。 Perhaps， my favorite was "The muezzin’s call echoes from the minaret。 I think it sounds like a sad goodbye。" Chilling。 And so deeply emotional， this story is an important one and I'm so glad Shirin has told it the way she has。 Forever to keep in my library， a story that must be shared widely。 。。。more
Heather Stigall
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Imagine receiving the news you must leave your home immediately。 Imagine sitting on a crowded train for days， traveling to a foreign place， not knowing if you will ever return home。 That’s what happens to Azra and her family in THE MOON FROM DEHRADUN。 Author Shirin Shamsi’s text， inspired by her mother’s true story， conveys Azra’s anger， grief， anxiety， and uncertainty as she faces the loss of her home， and her beloved doll， and journeys with her family to a new one。 Backmatter supplies addition Imagine receiving the news you must leave your home immediately。 Imagine sitting on a crowded train for days， traveling to a foreign place， not knowing if you will ever return home。 That’s what happens to Azra and her family in THE MOON FROM DEHRADUN。 Author Shirin Shamsi’s text， inspired by her mother’s true story， conveys Azra’s anger， grief， anxiety， and uncertainty as she faces the loss of her home， and her beloved doll， and journeys with her family to a new one。 Backmatter supplies additional information about the 1947 Partition of India， a glossary of terms， and an author’s note。 Tarun Lak’s choice of muted colored illustrations tie in with the somber circumstances of the story， but， together with the text， offer a glimmer of hope by the story’s end。 An important story， thoughtfully told and illustrated， from the point of view of a child。 。。。more
Lisa Cloherty
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I was lucky enough to read an ARC copy of this beautiful and heart wrenching tale based on the author's mothers。 This story will engage young readers in conversations about separation， togetherness and compassion。 This picture book is a wonderful addition to any classroom library as well as families home。 A must read！ I was lucky enough to read an ARC copy of this beautiful and heart wrenching tale based on the author's mothers。 This story will engage young readers in conversations about separation， togetherness and compassion。 This picture book is a wonderful addition to any classroom library as well as families home。 A must read！ 。。。more
Gayatri Sethi Desi Book Aunty
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The Moon from Dehradun: A Story of Partitionby Shirin Shamsi and illustrated by Tarun Lak is tender， timely and transformative。This thoughtfully illustrated book is unlike any other， and fills the gaps in storytelling for children about this potentially traumatic history of South Asia’s partition。 This story reveals the ongoing significance of partition in 1947 for millions of families。 While it is based on her own family’s partition experiences， this soulful story transcends borders and affilia The Moon from Dehradun: A Story of Partitionby Shirin Shamsi and illustrated by Tarun Lak is tender， timely and transformative。This thoughtfully illustrated book is unlike any other， and fills the gaps in storytelling for children about this potentially traumatic history of South Asia’s partition。 This story reveals the ongoing significance of partition in 1947 for millions of families。 While it is based on her own family’s partition experiences， this soulful story transcends borders and affiliations。 This history is often overlooked， or if told， it is charged political overtones。 Shirin Shamsi offers us a long overdue intervention: a deeply compassionate and empathetic tale told with admirable attention to a young child’s experiences。 When shared with families and communities impacted by partition， as well as those unfamiliar with this history， this book potentially heals many divides。 It is an intergenerational conversation starter and bridge builder。The back matter including detailed glossary， history and context， provides rich resources for educators。 This picture book is required reading for the South Asian diaspora and will make a deeply moving addition to libraries and classrooms everywhere。*review based on a digital advance copy 。。。more
Diane
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THE MOON FROM DEHRADUN， written by Shirin Shamsi and illustrated by Tarun Lak， is powerful and absolutely beautiful。 It tells the story of one child's experience during the Partition of 1947， and it is based on Shamsi's mother's experience as a child。 The main character， Azra， tells her beloved doll that they will be leaving soon and taking a train。 But suddenly her father says they must leave immediately。 In the rush， with angry voices outside their home， Azra must take care of her little broth THE MOON FROM DEHRADUN， written by Shirin Shamsi and illustrated by Tarun Lak， is powerful and absolutely beautiful。 It tells the story of one child's experience during the Partition of 1947， and it is based on Shamsi's mother's experience as a child。 The main character， Azra， tells her beloved doll that they will be leaving soon and taking a train。 But suddenly her father says they must leave immediately。 In the rush， with angry voices outside their home， Azra must take care of her little brother--and she forgets her doll。 During the long train ride， she worries--is her doll OK？ But she comforts her little brother， showing him how the moon is following and staying with them。 This beautiful book shows how Azra and her family have to leave everything to start a new life they hadn't planned on， and it highlights their resilience and their love for each other。 I'm embarrassed to admit how little I knew about the Partition--this book has been a good starting point for me， and children and adults will love and appreciate it。 Any child will relate to the heartbreaking loss of a treasured doll， as well as having to deal with unwanted change。 The end notes provide historical context and describe what Shamsi's mother experienced。 I highly recommend this book。 。。。more
Anita Amin
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A breathtaking， beautiful， powerful book about the partition of British India and inspired by the author's family experiences。 A little girl is forced to leave everything behind， including her favorite doll， as she and her family flee their home during the partition。 Heart-wrenching yet filled with hope。 We knew of the partition and had heard stories， but this really showed us what families must have gone through。 A book that stays with you long after you've read it and makes you reflect。 This b A breathtaking， beautiful， powerful book about the partition of British India and inspired by the author's family experiences。 A little girl is forced to leave everything behind， including her favorite doll， as she and her family flee their home during the partition。 Heart-wrenching yet filled with hope。 We knew of the partition and had heard stories， but this really showed us what families must have gone through。 A book that stays with you long after you've read it and makes you reflect。 This book is going on our shelf of best books。 。。。more
Berrie Torgan-Randall
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The Moon from Dehradun is the author's mother's story about partition of India in 1947。 I can't imagine what the experience would be for a child to uproot your home to move to a completely new home。 The author tells her mother's story so that a child can understand what happened when India and Pakistan where divided by Britain without people knowing which side their homes belonged。 The use of the gurya （doll） left behind helps the reader see that Azra has no choice but to leave her precious belo The Moon from Dehradun is the author's mother's story about partition of India in 1947。 I can't imagine what the experience would be for a child to uproot your home to move to a completely new home。 The author tells her mother's story so that a child can understand what happened when India and Pakistan where divided by Britain without people knowing which side their homes belonged。 The use of the gurya （doll） left behind helps the reader see that Azra has no choice but to leave her precious belonging behind in order to flee safely to her new home。 The new doll that another child has left behind gave Azra hope that all is not lost in her new situation。 The muted colors that the illustrator chose draws the reader into Azra's homeland。 。。。more
Sherry Fellores
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Based on the real life story of Shamsi’s mother’s experience of the Partition of 1947。Azra and her family must flee their home immediately。 In the rush to leave， Azra leaves behind her beloved doll， Gurya。 She is forced into a new home without her familiar friend。 Shamsi’s story is lyrical， emotional， and hopeful。 Lak’s illustrations capture the emotions of Azra and her family and draws you deeper into the story。This is one to add to your collection， shining a light on this dark time in history。
Megan
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Wow！ Author Shirin Shamsi paints a lush， vivid picture of a little girl’s experience fleeing her home during the partition of 1947， in India/Pakistan。 Tarun Lak’s soft colors and round， expressive faces show the reader how excruciating it was， and readers will be spellbound as they see， hear， taste， and smell it all alongside the sweet main character。 And it’s based on a real life story！ Must buy！ 100% recommend！ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Susan
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