What Should I Make?

by Nandini Nayar, Proiti Roy (Illustrator)

Neeraj's mother is making chapatis and she's given him a handful of the dough. What should he make with it? A snake? A mouse? A cat? But what if his creations come to life? "Roll it up, quick!" says his mother. Roll it, he does, and makes a big round chapati-- hot, light, and puffy after it's cooked, perfect for snacking.

What Should I Make? is a playful story about a child's imagination and the satisfaction that comes from cooking with his mother.

Reading Level: Age 3 and Up

Genres: Picture Books, Food, Cooking, Cultural, Childrens, Cookbooks, International

24 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Satabdi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Shall I Make? has the power to keep my son enthralled. And he asks for dough each time we make rotis to make different animals and things. The words used to describe a freshly-made, hot roti are so good that my mouth waters every time I read the book.

I can see why this picture book is recommended by CBSE.

[Srujan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids of all cultures must have played this game with a ball of dough before Play-Doh became this big a deal! My kids love playing with a ball of chapati/fulka dough and that is why, we loved it! 💕 Simple, sweet and so much fun!

[Moushumi Ghosh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A regular day and what fun can a boy and a piece of dough have!

[Khushi]

Read this book when I was 3 or 5 . I related to this book so much because I also loved Playing with atta when I was small

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Around the world- A boy is cooking with his mom and makes his chapatti dough into many different shapes.
A fun readaloud story- India
Preschool- K

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Neeraj's mother makes chapatis, she gives him some dough to play with. What should he make? He makes a snake, a mouse, a cat, and a lion... but what if bites, escapes, drinks all the milk, or gobbles Neeraj right up? "Roll it up, quick, quick!" his mother says. Finally, he makes the best chapati he had ever eaten.

Great story, a satisfying amount of repetition, good rhythm, and a recipe for chapatis at the end. The illustrations have thick black lines and bold colors (great for storytimes - easy to see from several feet away!), and the faces of Neeraj and the animals are very well done. All in all, a very good book!


(Note: I received a free advance reading copy of this book from the publisher at an American Library Association Annual Conference. I was not required to write a positive review. Thank you, Tricycle Press!)

[Amy Seto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neeraj’s mother gives him some chapati dough to play with while she cooks. “What should I make?” he wonders? His little ball of dough morphs into a snake, a mouse, a cat, and a lion, until it becomes the best thing of all--a big round chapati hot and puffy from cooking on the tava. Originally published in India, this simple story encourages readers to use their imaginations to turn something ordinary into something extraordinary. The cartoonish illustrations are set off against a white background and the concise text is printed in an easy-to-read font. A recipe for chapatis is included at the end of the book. You can use this book to demonstrate the ECRR2 practice of play.

Full Review at http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...

[Gwen the Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book combines two favorite elements of mine - cooking and imagination. Neeraj's mother hands him some dough while she is making chapatis. Neeraj wonders what he should make as he starts to play with the dough. From snake to mouse to lion, Neeraj's imagination quickly runs away with him, but his mother reminds him each time, "Roll it up, quick, quick!" Finally, Nerraj makes the best chapati he has ever eaten. The story is well-illustrated by Proiti Roy, and with a recipe for chapatis at the end, totally satisfying.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little boy makes shapes with dough as his mother makes chapatis. He forms a snake, mouse, and cat before making his chapatis. Instructions for making this Indian flat bread are in the back. The short text and simple style of the illustrations (uncluttered, strong black outlines) make this a good choice for storytime sharing.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the original version first published in India. (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/68...) I would LOVE to have a copy in the States (even though the publishers changed the title from What SHALL I Make? to What SHOULD I Make? -- because apparently Americans can't handle the original...).

[Melanie Au · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unique b/c few books focus on INdian culture. I like the subtle incorporation of the theme of multiculturalism, and the theme of immagination. Illustrations are bold, bright and cartoon-like. Will appeal to toddler and preschool kids.

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice book to accompany play dough activities as you can copy the pinch/pat/roll ideas. It could lead to nice discussions on where chapattis come from and other traditional foods from different cultures!

[Salsabrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cheerful book perfect for storytimes in Asian Indian communities and to introduce new foods and Indian culture to non-Indian children. Simple text with universal, childlike themes.