The Great Henna Party

Noor’s cousin is getting married tomorrow, and tonight her family is celebrating with a henna party. Henna parties are a prewedding celebration in many South Asian cultures. The bride has intricate patterns painted on her hands and feet to decorate her as a bride. It is a night of fun with lots of food, music and dancing.

Mama describes the henna name game in which the henna artist hides the groom’s names in the patterns she paints on the bride’s hand. If the groom finds it, he wins, but, if he doesn’t, then the bride wins. Noor thinks it’s a fun game of hide and seek, and she decides she is going to hide a name in her henna patterns too.

When Noor goes into the backyard, she sees that Baba, her dad, has filled the whole space with lights, strings of flowers, cushions and chairs. It’s amazing, and Noor wonders if she should have Baba’s name put in her henna.
Mama is playing the dholki, a two headed hand drum, a traditional folk percussion instrument. She is hitting heavy beats on one side and quick taps on the other. Everyone is singing, but Noor doesn’t know the words. Mama sings some silly lines in Noor’s ear, making her smile. Maybe she should put Mama’s name on her hand.

Nani, Noor’s grandmother, helps her get some dinner and sweets. She always takes care of Noor and ensures she is never hungry. Noor thinks she might put Nani’s name on her hand, but maybe she should put her Dada, grandfather’s name on her hand. He did buy her the beautiful lehengha she is wearing this evening. The long ankle length skirt and cropped choli blouse are perfect for twirling.

Noor’s sister, Neha, shows off her henna, the patterns swirling all around her hands and arms. Noor searches the patterns and sees Fluffy, their family cat’s name hidden in the patterns.

Suddenly Noor has an idea, and she is ready to have her hands painted by the henna artist. When the artist is done, it’s perfect. All Noor’s family members’ names are painted into the patterns on her hands – everyone she loves the most.

The Great Henna Party is a sweet tale about tradition, family and celebrations with clear explanations of henna parties. It is a lovely introduction to children who are unfamiliar with these traditions. Children of South Asian descent will be excited to see familiar customs and images throughout the story.

Sonali Zohra’s digital illustrations in The Great Henna Party contain beautiful details and plenty of henna flourishes and swirls on every space. The colours are all reminiscent of the different shades of henna, from the dark earthy green paste to crumbly rich brown when it dries. Once the dried paste falls off, the stain on each individual’s hands can range from dark orange, shades of red to deep maroons.