Author Mitali Perkins visited with Conant fourth, fifth, and sixth graders on Tuesday, November 19, 2013. Mitali focused on her book, Rickshaw Girl, which the children had listened to in their library classes. Students learned about Mitali’s Bengali heritage and life in Bangladesh as pictured in the book. They also were able to participate in an alpana art lesson prepared by Mitali’s mother, who is a teacher and alpana painter. These are some comments about the program from our fifth grade students:
“I liked how she compared the differences in her life and culture to that of her mother and father.”
“I really liked seeing in the presentation how life in California and life in Bangladesh are different.”
“I liked it when we did the alpanas because doing them felt natural and the patterns came out on the page at a quick pace.”
“I enjoyed looking at the clothes from Bangladesh and seeing how to put on a sari.”
“I liked seeing how to bargain in the marketplace.”
“I enjoyed mashing cinnamon and cardamom.”
“ I liked it that she explained about alpanas and that they have to be symmetrical.”
“The experience of Mitali’s visit is unforgettable. I learned about Bengali culture and how the manners are very different. It was interesting to learn about her childhood and what is was like to be growing up between two countries. I personally can relate to Mitali in more than one way. I liked knowing that someone like me could become a great author like her.”