A Dupatta Is . . .

Under South Asia’s sunlit skies and spice-scented bazaars, the dupatta ripples like a superhero cape—its swoosh and swash echoing centuries of tradition worn by women who braid identity, family, and faith into every fold. Beyond a beautiful piece of fabric, the dupatta carries the heady fragrance of cinnamon, cardamom, crushed coriander, and peppermint oil that drifts from sprawling kitchens to prayer gatherings, weaving Cultural Understanding into classrooms and Sunday-school circles alike. Children tug at its bright, embroidered edges to play peekaboo or drape makeshift forts that transform living rooms into enchanted palaces, discovering that this shawl can be both playful companion and trusted protector against winter’s chill. Marzieh Abbas’s loving, lyrical text and Anu Chouhan’s vividly lively illustrations turn each page into an immersive lesson on South Asian heritage, inviting students to celebrate Diversity and the power of everyday objects to carry stories of resilience and belonging. Will your next storytime wrap young learners in new perspectives, or let this colorful tradition flutter by unnoticed? Invite A Dupatta Is... into your cultural studies lessons and family reading hours—ask your local library or bookstore to add this ode to identity and imagination to their shelves today.