• Age: 3 to 7
• Grade: p to 2
• Reading age: 3 to 7

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.

Sakshi Mangal is naturally drawn toward the fascinating world of children's book illustration--- the bold colors and scribbly lines inspire her work. Drawing inspiration from her own childhood, she finds immense joy in imagining the world through children's eyes where bears are getting ready for a tea party and the squirrels are dancing to Spring. She grew up in the colorful city of Mumbai, India, and then moved to England to complete a master's degree from the Cambridge School of Art in Children's Book Illustration. Since then, she has been illustrating and developing picture books from her home studio in Vancouver, Canada, where she spends her day creating new book ideas and working on her favorite picture book projects. Every year, Sakshi spends months in her hometown, Mumbai, to seek inspiration from its rich cultural heritage, the colorful bazaars and centuries-old streets, and to explore the mouthwatering Indian cuisine.

Sakshi Mangal's profile page

• Short-listed, Forest of Reading; Blue Spruce Award, Ontario Library Association
• Commended, CBC Kids Reads, CBC Books

A tender depiction of a loving, working-class Indian family.

Kirkus Reviews

The vibrant illustrations reflect the spirit of the story ... Sharing Asha and the Toymaker with a child offers a discussion about kindness ... Highly Recommended.

CM Magazine

Creativity and determination add a dash of playful color to a toymaker's wares in this multicultural picture book ... demonstrating that it's possible to balance both passion and practical pursuits.

Children's Literature