Midnight Motorbike
Written by Maureen Shay Tajsar and Illustrated by Ishita Jain
★ "An Indian mother and child zoom off on a nocturnal motorbike ride. On a hot night Amma alerts the young narrator to the croaking frogs and chirping geckos. She tells the child that the night stretches beyond their banyan grove and red earth canyon all the way to the ocean. They take off on Amma’s motorbike, with its headlights lighting up “flashes of snake eyes and bougainvillea.” As they drive past villages to the city, they are enveloped by the smells of “steaming silver-cupped chai” and “spicy potato-stuffed masala dosas.” Text and art paint vivid pictures: an old man braiding jasmine blossoms and stars on a garland; the protagonist tracing patterns of the night sky. They pass a silk shop and silent temples until they reach the Bay of Bengal. There, the child rests, curled up against Amma. The dreamlike visuals complement the lyrical text, engaging readers’ senses and showcasing the gentle, loving relationship between mother and child. Bold pinks, yellows, and blues shine, contrasting beautifully with the characters’ dark skin tones and the backdrop of deep night. Verdant forests, bright city nights, and swirling stars evoke motion as these seemingly ordinary spaces take on wondrous qualities by night. In an author's note, Tajsar mentions drawing inspiration from rides with her own mother in Tamil Nadu. A visual feast sure to have readers finding magic in the mundane."
—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review