The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh

by Supriya Kelkar, Simran Jeet Singh (Afterword), Alea Marley (Illustrator)

“Alea Marley’s cover illustration screams JOY and LOVE. I love everything about this important and necessary picture book, especially Harpreet Singh and his big heart.” —Mr. Schu, Ambassador of School Libraries for Scholastic “This simple yet sensitive story about a child coming to terms with things beyond his control will resonate across cultures.” —KirkusHarpreet Singh loves his colors—but when his family moves to a new city, everything just feels gray. Can he find a way to make life bright again? Harpreet Singh has a different color for every mood and occasion, from pink for dancing to bhangra beats to red for courage. He especially takes care with his patka—his turban—smoothing it out and making sure it always matches his outfit. But when Harpreet’s mom finds a new job in a snowy city and they have to move, all he wants is to be invisible. Will he ever feel a happy sunny yellow again?

Genres: Picture Books, Friendship, Childrens, Cultural, Emotion, Storytime, Fiction

31 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 3, 2019

Reviews

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. 4-1/2 stars

A bit of education about Sikh religion’s beliefs and customs, particularly on the last page.

A great story for kids who must move or have moved and struggle with adjusting to new weather, new friends, etc. It’s a reassuring story in that of course he meets a new friend and there is a humorous bit where once he’s adjusted he even misses the snow that he hated once spring comes. I got a kick out of how it looks as though the family starts in and leaves San Francisco, California. Place names are not mentioned but one of the early illustrations looks as though it was set at Baker Beach or China Beach near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

I like how Harpreet Singh uses the colors of his clothes and his patka/turban to outwardly express the feelings he’s feeling inside. This is a fun and somewhat more complex way for introducing (some) colors to even very young children.

It’s so funny when he wears white to be invisible how all the other children in the classroom are looking right at him.

The illustrations are lovely and colorful and interesting and the people have great facial expressions and general expressiveness. I loved the unusual color palette.

[Scottsdale Public Library]

This book gave me all the feels.
What beautiful affirmations of loving yourself, accepting change, and of friendship. Then you have the added richness of the multicultural aspects.
I love it, I love it, I love it, I do.
Readers may also enjoy these other selections: Mommy's Khimar by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, Like the Moon Loves the Sky by Hena Khan, This Is It by Daria Peoples-Riley, and Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall. - Alexis S.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exuberant young boy who liked to express his emotional state through the color of his patka - the patka is a style of turban often worn by younger Sikh boys - Harpreet Singh wasn't thrilled when his parents announced that they were moving from sunny California to a snowier region of the country. Shy and ill-at-ease in his new home and school, he took to wearing white, hoping to disappear from sight. Nothing his parents did could cheer him up. Then one snowy day he found a lovely yellow hat, and, returning it to its owner, got to know his new classmate Abby. Soon his outlook had improved, and he was back to wearing all kinds of colors... include white, to remind him of the snow on the ground, when he made his first new friend!

The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh was a delightful picture-book, only the second I have read, following upon Super Satya Saves the Day , to specifically feature Sikh children, and the first I have read addressing the Sikh custom of wearing a turban. There is an afterword from scholar Simran Jeet Singh about the meaning of the turban in Sikh tradition, but while I appreciated this inclusion, and the opportunity the book affords young children to (potentially) learn about new customs, in the end what was most appealing here was the story itself, as well as the colorful artwork. Harpreet's experience of being a fish out of water in his new home is one that will feel familiar to many children, while the hopeful ending, in which he makes a new friend, will also strike a chord. The illustrations are charming - colorful, cute and expressive - and well-suited to a tale featuring color so prominently. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories about moving, about emotions, or about the experiences of Sikh children.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg! This is the book I never realized that I was looking for, but desperately needed. Not didactic, just joyful. Mainstream-friendly. And truly diverse... are there *any* other picture-books about Sikh children? Everyone can relate to being new to a community and a school, but how many Americans have ever heard of a patka? (Google spell check hasn't.) Wonderful author's note.

Very highly recommended. If your library doesn't have it, request that they buy it.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely book! I loved Harpreet's love of colors, his care when choosing patkas for every occasion, and how this is a gentle book about emotional intelligence and how hard moving and starting a life some place new can be. It was also great that Harpreet was allowed time to start to warm to his new town--it wasn't just an instant thing, which feels really true to life. I also found the art to be very charming!

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, Love, Love this book!!

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I loved this! Who can't relate to wanting to feel invisible sometimes? And the link between the colors of Harpreet's patkas and his moods is so great. I also really, really liked that this was not heavy-handed or message-y - it is simply a great, beautiful, representative, and diverse book. The author's not at the end explains a little about why Sikhs wear turbans, and I learned a little something, but this is more than just a book about a kid in a turban. It's about a kid. He wears a turban. And he's happy and brave and sad and lonely and friendly.

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so cute. I'm planning on reading it for an upcoming story time. I love that it's specifically about a Sikh boy and all his colorful turbans, but the story is just about social-emotional learning and how hard it is to start at a new school.

[Sukhmani's Reading Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just had the pleasure of reading this to the kindergarteners I had this morning. This book was so joyful, sad, and hopeful at the same time. The story was very easy to follow along and the artwork was stunning.

I would have loved seeing this book growing up!

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harpreet Singh, a young Sikh, loves colors and uses them to express his feelings. In fact, he has a color for everything: yellow for when he feels sunny, pink for celebrating, red for a boost of courage. And he takes special care of his colorful patkas (the head covering worn by Sikh boys). But when his parents announce that the family will be moving, all the bright, happy colors go out of Harpreet's life, replaced by blue when he feels nervous, gray when he feels sad, and white when he feels shy and doesn't want to be seen. Harpreet wears white all the time in his new school, where he sits alone, not making any friends. His parents try to convince him to wear his old favorite colors, but Harpreet wants none of it. One day, however, when he finds a lost hat, and returns it to a girl in his class, it looks like the beginning of a new colorful, fun friendship. This is an interesting story. How often do you find a picture book with a character who is Sikh. Not wanting to move away from what is familiar and comfortable, though, is a common problem for kids, but when cultural and religious differences come into play, it makes the move that much harder for them. The text is brief and straightforward, but it is in Marley's colorful illustrations that readers will notice Harpreet's challenges - the odd looks he gets because of his lunch of chapati and dal her, the difficulty at spelling his name on class party invitations. Be sure to read the back matter which includes A Note From Simran Jeet Singh, a scholar of Sikhism, on the importance of Sikh men covering their heads as part of their religion.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhh, a diverse picture book written as an own voice by a diverse author will never get wrong!

I specifically liked how this book encourages expressing emotion through colors.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A kid who's sad to move to a new place wears a white patka to be invisible until he makes a friend and starts using colours. Happy to see the conflict in the book was situational and there was no bullying. This book gives kids insight into wearing a patka without treating it as a "difference," making it a great relatable book for any kid coping with change in their life. Bright, approachable illustrations make this such an attractive book it hardly stays on the shelf an hour before someone picks it up.

[createitlibrarian (Amanda) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting book to help children learn colors and learn about cultures around the world!

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautiful picture book was another Story Walk from the public library and I hadn't read it. With the cool morning air and the colorful patkas that Harpreet wore were lovely but of course as Harpreet gets sad, so do the colors of his patkas until he meets a friend and things are looking back up.

It's colorful and thoughtful while also teaching non-Sikh's about the religion and the many ways it manifests in clothing. The cover matches the pages inside. Many people wear colors to match their moods and this was no different.

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Children's picture book. A young child has a big move and has to adjust. But also this is a slight and simple introduction into Sikh culture, mostly around wearing of a patka, a type of hat. The art is simple but good. The text manages to be slightly repetitive without feeling repetitive. Really nicely done. And would probably hold up to re-reading.

[Bethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diverse cultural take on the wearing a different color for your mood type of book, this one also goes for the moving away and meeting new friends books. Best part of book, other than the brightly colored illustrations, is the author note on the end.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book about kindness, being brave and love.

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspirational story of acceptance, strength, courage, all with color.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Includes some neat information about sikhism and culture.

[Anna Smithberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this on multiple levels, but especially for how it deals with the difficulty of moving (new things are scary no matter how old you are). And it’s so beautiful!

[Michelle Halber · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE this book! Focus on is a child who has moved and is nervous around new people.

[SaraKat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely little book that helps to show how emotions can change over time. It also explains Sikhism a bit for curious youngsters. The art is great and obviously very colorful.

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book about different colors and clothing of different cultures. This book shows a boy who wears a patka for his Sikh religion and each color has a different meaning for him. This would make a great read aloud for elementary children.

[Marcie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely and the afterword is a great introduction to Sikh religion. Will be wonderful with any friendship series.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute and friendly book about the way that different colors and clothes and the way they make people feel. A young boy named Harpreet normally wears brightly colored Patka (a type of turban worn in the Sikh community, most typically by children). After a move to a new city, Harpreet is sad and only wears a white turban because he doesn't feel very expressive. A friendship with a girl named Abby in his class slowly starts to introduce more excitement and color to his life--And his wardrobe.

I liked the metaphor of color as emotions in this book, and liked the way that even Harpreet's negative feelings were embraced at the end of the book. I haven't read a lot of other books about Sikh children, and was excited to see this representation. This book is probably best suited for 1st-2nd if you want kids to understand the deeper themes of the story, but even preK and Kinders can appreciate the parts of the book that are introductions to color

[FM Family · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good one - I haven't come across many stories about the Sikh community, let alone Sikh kids. I felt like this was done in a sweet way, and it's nice to see representation of a boy who loves to wear all different kinds of colours. I liked that the story was about Harpreet having trouble fitting in in a new school, and about him being Sikh, but not about him having trouble BECAUSE he was sikh. Also loved that they were moving because the MOM got a great new job - those small details are important. A cute and colourful story that is worth a read and a place on your bookshelf.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harpreet shares his feelings by the colors he chooses to wear. He has patkas in a wide variety of colors to match what's happening in the world around him. When his family moves across country, his colors turn darker and drabber so can feel invisible. Children of all faiths will relate to adjusting to new environments. Harpreet makes a friend and begins to be himself again and wear his colors to share his feelings.
Informative text about the Sikh religion at the end.

[Heather McC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harpreet makes new friends when his family moves to a snowy city - lucky for him, his trust colors are never far behind.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, my, but this is the sweetest book. Easily one of the loveliest and most effortless Family-Moving picture books I’ve seen. The gentle transitions in the story paired with an equally attractive style of illustration was/is a delightful experience—just pretty and rich.

We learn that Harpreet Singh loves expressing himself through an array of colors. The colors could reflect a mood, or bolster one. Colors take on a meaning and build a context that tells us a great deal about Harpreet’s emotional state of being. This is one of the places where the words and pictures work so well together.

On one page we learn: Harpreet “wore red when he needed an extra boost of courage.” And on the following page, when he learns they’ll be moving across country, he is wearing his red patka.

At his new school, we see a girl wearing a yellow hat and I was remember what yellow means to Harpreet. “He wore yellow when he felt sunny, spreading cheer everywhere he went.” The illustration to accompany that quote places him at the beach, with other people, and drawing a smiley face in the sand. The face looks remarkably like the smile on the girl’s hat--the similarity accentuated when he finds it in the snow (the polar opposite of the beach scene).

The meaning of colors becomes shared and the new friendship coaxes Harpreet back into trying his colors again. The meaning of colors also proves capable of change. Where white initially signaled his desire to disappear, white would become a reminder of the snow…where he found the hat that would find him a friend. I enjoyed how, when he returns the hat, he offers a simple, gentle correction when she compliments his hat. It’s a patka.

For Harpreet, we learn that he likes to have and wear different colors of patkas, but when his parents are trying to encourage him to wearing something other than his white patka, they are holding other articles of clothing. It’s through the patka that he chooses to express color. The book offers a note from Simran Jeet Sing, a Scholar and Professor of Sikhism briefly explaining Sikh religion and the role of the turbans (of which a patka is one). It’s beautiful, oh, and informative.

I highly recommend The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh. It’s a delightful book about change, and about expression to which any child can relate. No Family-Move required. Bonus points for it telling the story with a character and culture we do not have the pleasure of experiencing often (if ever) in picture books.

Allow the book to inspire curiosity…and some play with color and expression.

[Kimberley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book when I was exploring our local library's shelf of Monarch award winners. The interesting title caught my attention as I had never heard the first name "Harpreet" before. I was delighted with the story and illustrations. Our protagonist, Harpreet has a different color for every occasion and mood. He loves his colors and his clothes reflect the variety of color in his sunny life near the ocean. When Harpreet's family move to a "snowy town across the country," Harpreet must say goodbye to the life he knows and this takes a lot of "courage." At first, the different, colorless surroundings overwhelm Harpreet and he wears white to become "invisible." It's not until he meets a friend at the end of the book that Harpreet embraces his love of color and becomes himself again, choosing a color for every occasion. It is fitting that the "patka" is not defined for the reader until near the end of the book, when Harpreet himself explains to his new friend that his unique hat is a turban called a "patka," a common headcovering for young boys of the Sikh religion. The two new friends share with each other attributes of their unique hats, and thus share a bit about their own culture. I appreciated the note from the author, Simran Jeet Singh, a scholar and professor of Sikhism, that explains the special turbans of the Sikh religion and feel I learned a bit about a religion I knew nothing about before reading this book. It might be fun to read this book to a classroom of children and then do some exploring of different hats and head coverings worn around the world in different cultures! This book would be appropriate for ages five and older.