Many Things At Once

This heartwarming picture book explores the experience of a young girl from a multicultural background. Her Jewish mother shares stories of her Brooklyn seamstress grandmother, while her South Asian father recounts tales of his mother cooking dal in Pakistan. The girl grapples with feeling like she's the "only one like me," but ultimately finds self-acceptance and pride in her unique identity, realizing that, like a butterfly, it's okay to be many things at once. It's a gentle narrative perfect for discussing family history, cultural heritage, and self-esteem with children aged 3-7.

In this poignant picture book about family and belonging, the child of a Jewish mother and a South Asian father hears stories about her family history. Sometimes she doesn't feel Jewish enough or South Asian enough, but comes to realize you can feel--and be--many things at once. Based on the author's own family history, here is a moving story about a young girl from two different backgrounds. The girl’s mother tells her stories about her mother, a Jewish seamstress in Brooklyn, New York. She lived in a tiny two-bedroom apartment and sewed wedding dresses shimmering in satin and lace. Her father tells stories of his mother, the girl’s other grandmother, who liked to cook bubbling dal on a coal stove in Pakistan. They tell stories about how both sides came to America, and how, eventually, her parents met on a warm summer evening in Poughkeepsie. The girl sometimes feels as if she's the “only one like me.” One day, when she spots a butterfly in her yard, she realizes it’s okay to be different—no two butterflies are alike, after all. It’s okay to feel alone sometimes, but also happy and proud. It’s okay to feel-- and be-- many things at once.