Sadiq Wants to Stitch

K-Gr 2–A young boy dares to pursue his passion in this warmly illustrated picture book. Sadiq, a young boy living with his mother in the mountains, spends his days herding sheep and dreaming of making beautiful stitches. His mother embroiders rugs to sell and Sadiq admires the vibrant designs and colors and longs to make his own. Embroidery work is not traditionally done by the men and boys of their community, however, and his mother discourages him from trying. But Sadiq secretly practices his stitches in the evening when his mother is asleep. When she falls ill one night and is unable to fulfill an order for rugs, Sadiq surprises her with the beautiful rug he has been working on at night. This simple, heartwarming story shines a light on the Bakarwals, a nomadic community of shepherds and goatherds in the Pir Panjal ranges and the Himalayan mountains of Jammu and Kashmir in India. Wadia’s delicate watercolor and pencil illustrations showcase the ornate designs of the embroidered rugs (a traditional shepherd craft of the Bakarwal people) and convey the emotional range of the story.