Drawing Deena

Gr 3-6–“I know I’m pretty good at art, but I’m not amazing,” 13-year-old Deena believes. “And I want to be amazing at it.” For now, though, additional classes and camps aren’t possible, with her immigrant parents bickering often about money. Assisting her mother with her Pakistani clothing import business is a way to lessen some of the family’s stress, but Deena’s own anxiety persists and worsens. Between nighttime teeth grinding and recurring nausea, Deena can’t find relief. Accepting support from understanding adults is the only way she’s going to move ahead. Dutt, whose audio credits particularly for South Asian children’s titles are quickly multiplying, is an accomplished cipher, sensitive to ages and backgrounds, effortlessly channeling conversations with distinctive characterizations.