Chaiwala!

A mother and daughter have just ten minutes at a Jaipur railway station, so they rush to join the queue at the chai seller's cart. While the girl waits for her milky, spiced tea, the scene comes alive with the smell of ginger, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon, the rustle of tea leaves and the bubbling of milk. The tea is poured from cup to cup until it is ready on the stand with a clink. They add a biscuit and a rusk to their order, then look for a place to sit and enjoy it.

The author drew on her childhood trips to India to write this picture book, which shows how families make room for food and tradition even during a short pause in a busy day. Cut-paper collage illustrations bring the station, the vendor and the tea to life, with plenty of small sensory details for young readers to notice.