Today on Growing Up with Books – may I invite you to a cup of chai?
Dear friend, I grew up a chai drinker. I don’t remember when I had my first chai but there has never been a day in my life when Ma, Nani and Nanaji did not drink tea, at least once a day, as many as three times throughout the day. I always had it with Ma or Nani and soon after moving to Canada, I discovered that making it for myself was boring and lonely. It is only now that I have my daughter and a few friends who enjoy tea that I imagine making my own chai rituals. I am tasting various tea blends and tea syrups to give me a feel of what I grew up with.
When Penguin Random House reached out about Zenia Wadhwani’s Fly in the Chai, I knew I had to read it. Beautifully illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat, this picture book takes readers to the crowded streets of a market in India. The protagonist is visiting her Nanu (grandfather) and one of the best parts of the visit is the trip to the market. Nanu knows everybody there.
Aimed at children of 3-7 years of age, Fly in the Chai is educational and silly. It is a lovely representation of India and chai. It gave me the opportunity to think about my culture — the parts my daughter may never interact with, and even the parts I did not grow up with myself. Markets where I lived were never quite as friendly or communal as the one in this story. What the book does beautifully, though, is offer vivid images of India, my homeland.
My daughter is not even two yet, so there is still time for us to grow into books like this one. As a parent raising a child far from the country I grew up in, I sometimes find myself wondering how culture travels across generations — what stays, what changes, and what needs a little more explanation. Reading this book left me feeling nostalgic, a little distant, protective of my memories, and also amused by its silliness.
Whether or not this becomes a book we read together right away, it certainly made me curious about its making. So, with pleasure, I welcome Zenia Wadhwani, a Toronto-based author whose stories are often inspired by her daughter, to the blog today to chat about the book. Let’s welcome her!
Get to Know the Author of Fly in the Chai: Zenia Wadhwani
Hi Zenia, welcome to Armed with A Book! Please tell me and my readers a bit about yourself.
Thank you Kriti, for the invitation to chat with you and your followers, for the opportunity to share my story, and for sharing your background and connection to chai!
A little about me … I am a Toronto-based children’s picture book author who advocates passionately for literacy and diversity in storytelling. I grew up in a family that loved books and reading, and that love has grown with me in ways that have influenced not only my love of stories, but what I have given my time to, and how I have shared that love with the family I have created.
As a second-generation South Asian, I often seek out reflections of me and my culture in the media and art I consume, so it’s likely not surprising that my writing is rooted in the idea that stories are a means of connection for children to their heritage, culture, language and families.
By day, I currently work for the municipal government with a focus on equity and social justice. Much of my career has been focused on building and connecting communities. I love to travel, read and of course enjoy copious amounts of chai! ☺
Chai, for me, has always been about companionship — sitting with family and sharing a moment in the day. What role does chai have in your everyday life?
When I think about the role of chai growing up, it’s very much tied to my parents and a daily ritual in their lives … and eventually mine. But after getting married, chai has taken on new flavours, ones that I now savour. As my mother-in-law lives with us, it has become a part of our daily ritual as well. It is a moment that signals the end of the workday, a pause, and a time to connect about how the day went. It takes a bit of a different role on the weekend, where my senses become a bit more anchored. It’s a moment for me to focus on the aroma, the warmth, the flavours, and take a few moments of calm in an otherwise always busy life.
At what age would or did you start giving chai to your daughter?
My daughter just turned 14, and though she has only tasted chai for the first time relatively recently, it’s not something she seeks out … yet! ☺ I’m sure it’s only a matter of time! But introducing children to chai can be done in a fun way without the caffeine. I know my partner’s parents would give him “du-du-chai” as a kid. First, it was just milk, then slowly, as he got older, they would a little chai into it to get him used to the flavours, but also to simply feel included in an important daily ritual.
What role does chai play in this story beyond the humor of the fly?
Chai has become an internationally recognized beverage. If I’m not mistaken, it ranks in the top three of drinks consumed in the world. As such, it has become a globally recognizable symbol tied to South Asian culture. In and of itself, chai is a connection to the book; something known/familiar. Within the story, it is common denominator that all know about, appreciate and consume – it crosses the diversity within South Asia. It is also ritual, food, tradition and ultimately culture.
As someone raising a child outside the country I grew up in, I often wonder which pieces of culture travel easily and which quietly fade. Did you imagine diaspora families while writing this story?
Absolutely. For diaspora families, no matter what generation they may be, culture often lives in things like food, language, religion and ritual. Fly in the Chai has those elements as part of the “everyday” – not in a way that needs explanation, but in a way that likely feels familiar. That familiarity, at least for South Asians, validates elements of what home feels, smells, looks and tastes like … something not often found in most of the books diasporic children access on a daily basis.
The market in the book feels lively and communal. My own memories of markets in India were not always so warm or familiar. How did you decide what kind of India to show in the story?
You’re right, markets in real time can be overwhelming, chaotic and messy, but I find that when memory is engaged, especially as a South Asian in the diaspora, one tends to remember nostalgically – the colours all seem vibrant, the cacophony of sounds become melodic, and while the smells aren’t all pleasant ☺, the good ones, like the smell of chai, bring on a smile and a sense of warmth of shared spaces. India has a heartbeat of emotions that make you feel like you are a part of a lively, vibrant neighbourhood and I wanted to share that.
This story is rooted in a very specific place — the market, the chai, the relationship with Nanu — yet it is also meant for readers everywhere. How did you think about sharing those details in a way that would feel welcoming to children who may have never seen India before?
I think it’s about recognizing what is universally understood. Markets exist in various formats all over the world, even a modern shopping mall has similarities to walking through a market. But there’s also other things that can provide a sense of familiarity, like understanding what a pesky fly might feel like, or what a stroll with a loving grandparent is like. That moment of similarity is an opportunity to invite the reader to connect, learn and enjoy. Chaaya also does a brilliant job with the illustrations that are incredibly inviting, not only to children, but to anyone interested in children’s books.
Fly in the Chai is both educational and delightfully silly. How did you balance humor with the cultural details you wanted young readers to notice?
I think the educational components of my books come from a simple desire to describe the details, but also from the beauty of the illustrations. Children are very observant, listening and looking for words and images that intrigue them, but also ones that make them laugh. I didn’t know when I started writing this story that the fly would come to life with a voice of their own, but when that idea popped up, it just made sense. Getting kids to giggle about the fly is an opportunity to have them to return to the book and notice more of the “educational” pieces, like the design of the kettle, the clothing being worn, the types of foods paired with chai. The silly is the hook that draws them in to learn more.
Many of your stories are inspired by your daughter. Do moments from everyday family life often spark your story ideas?
Definitely. I often look for inspiration from the little moments that are a part of every day for that next exceptional story, but to be honest, I also look to the big moments, as well as memories from my past and then think about all the possibilities of the future. A mix of that is what sits in my ideas box at the moment. But yes, my daughter has long since been my biggest inspiration and continues to be. I listen to her questions, and the way she sees the world – there is true magic in those moments! – but it’s up to me to figure out how to turn them into universal themes and creative stories.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Only that I hope Fly in the Chai encourages families to find the humour in the-every-day-ness of life. Sometimes the “perfect” moment – or the perfect cup of chai – is made even more memorable by the unexpected guest who flies into it! ☺
Today, I find myself thinking less about whether Fly in the Chai belongs on Serai’s bookshelf right now and more about the quiet ways culture finds us.
Not always through grand celebrations or carefully planned lessons, but through the everyday. Through a cup of chai shared at the end of the day. Through a grandparent who knows everyone at the market. Through words, smells, rituals and stories that become so familiar we rarely stop to notice them.
This is what I will carry with me from my conversation with Zenia. Culture is not something we pass on all at once. It is offered in small moments, over and over again, until they become part of who we are.
Maybe one day, Serai and I will read Fly in the Chai together. Maybe she will laugh at the mischievous fly before she notices the kettle, the market, the greetings or the chai. And maybe that is exactly as it should be. For now, I am simply grateful for a book that reminded me that the stories we share can become rituals too.
Thank you for joining me in this little tea adventure. You can check out Fly in the Chai on Goodreads.
This post is part of Growing up with Books, a series where I document the tiny, tender, surprising reading life unfolding beside me. It is a miniature library within the larger story of my reading life.
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