When it came time to do the illustrations for "The Little Curry Leaf Tree", it was essential to me that they were accurate. I wanted them to accurately reflect the culture of India to further add to the story I was telling. Both of my in-laws have an Indian heritage. My father-in-law immigrated to the United States in his twenties while my mother-in-law immigrated when she was a child. They helped me each step of the way as I worked with the illustrators for my book. Through the process, I gained a better understanding and appreciation for the culture and the childhood of my father-in-law. There are a few details of the illustration process that stood out to me the most.
The large garden and house. My in-laws helped me to describe a lush and large garden for the illustrators. I heard stories of the large gardens they remember growing up. Even now both of their parents have sizeable gardens. I loved learning about the specific plants, what they were used for, and where they should be in the garden. They showed me pictures of types of gardens and many details of what the houses should look like as well. From the plaster walls to the wavy roof pattern my father-in-law told me stories of his home growing up and the differences he found in America about the housing. I found it all incredibly fascinating.
2. The style of the outfits. I did not know what the characters Appachan and Ammachi should wear. My in-laws knew exactly what the characters would wear for working outside. Appachan is wearing a Kerala-style lungi and shirt. The pattern that is seen on the lungi is one my father-in-law has. The only revision I made to Appachan was the inclusion of a mustache in honor of my father-in-law and his father. Ammachi is wearing a white chatta-mundu. In the second revision of the illustrations, her outfit was laid on the wrong shoulder. I did not know this until my mother-in-law explained the correct way it is wrapped. Luckily, it was an easy fix for the pictures.
3. The food. While I do know some things about Indian food, I am by no means an expert. I wanted the meal and what the meal was served on/in to accurately represent my characters. I was amazed to hear about large feasts that my in-laws remember from family gatherings. Even though there are a lot of foods listed in the book, traditionally the meal would be a lot more elaborate. In the region my in-laws are from, often they would serve food on banana leaves. So I made sure that was included. I believe the food was the most we did revisions to. Changes such as deeper pots, changing meat kabobs to fish, and fixing the coloring of the curry.
Overall I found the experience to be educational for my book but also a great time to grow closer to my in-laws and learn about their history. I hope all who read the book enjoy the illustrations as much as I enjoyed the process of designing them.
Happy Reading!
-Moriah Sam
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