Asha and the Toymaker

A heartwarming story about the value of art, set in the evocative Blue City of India.

Asha’s papa makes and sells wooden toys to pay for her to go to school. But Papa struggles to find buyers. And this makes him worry. He worries Asha’s life will also be a struggle unless she focuses on her schoolwork, which he never had the chance to do. Can Asha’s art help Papa? Will he let her try?

Author and illustrator Sakshi Mangal drew inspiration from her childhood in India for this sweet picture book. It celebrates the life-changing power of art in the real world, and offers children an opportunity to explore the concept of color and the influence of the visual arts in their everyday lives. Asha’s touching generosity and resourcefulness also show how even a very young child can make a difference and provide a wonderful character education lesson on initiative. Mangal’s colorful art depicts the Indian city of Jodhpur, known as the Blue City for its many buildings painted a distinctive shade of blue.