Monsoon Afternoon

When the monsoon arrives in India, storm clouds gather and rain begins to pour, sending animals hunting for shelter. A small boy ventures outside anyway with his dadaji, his grandfather. Together they float paper boats, watch peacocks dancing in the downpour the way they did when Dadaji was a child, and gather mangoes. Dadaji lifts the boy up so he can swing from the roots of a banyan tree, something he once did himself. The outing ends back indoors, where hot tea and a warm family are waiting.

The story offers a glimpse of everyday life in India and of the small shared experiences that connect one generation to the next. Kashmira Sheth wrote the text, and Yoshiko Jaeggi painted the watercolor illustrations, which show the green landscape of the monsoon season and the closeness between grandfather and grandson.