The Beautiful Layers of Me
An empowering story of culture, confidence and traditional dress
Age 3+
Picture Storybooks
A powerful and reassuring celebration of individuality and heritage told with heart, emotion and evocative illustrations.
Ameena can’t wait for her aunty’s wedding. She is wearing a brand-new salwar kameez – the layers of floaty fabric adorned with pretty patterns make her feel like a princess. But when someone comments on her “pyjamas”, she loses all confidence, fearing that her friends might not accept or understand her traditional clothing. Through courage, family love and her own self-belief, Ameena discovers what it means to take pride in the beautiful layers of her cultural heritage, especially in the face of difficult comments.
Celebrate each other's unique identity and build tolerance, empathy and understanding of everybody's background in this authentic and sensitively told story from Sophia Payne and the 2023 Diverse Book Award-winning illustrator Ruchi Mhasane.
Creators
Sophia Payne was born and raised in the UK and is half Guyanese, half British. Her writing often reflects her Indo-Caribbean heritage, as well as her motto in life: always be kind. Her first picture book Faruq and the Wiri Wiri illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat was shortlisted for the Inclusive Children's Book Award. She currently lives in Germany with her husband and two children. Find her on Instagram as @sophiap_author.
Ruchi Mhasane is a children's book illustrator whose debut picture book Dadaji's Paintbrush written by Rashmi Sirdeshpande won the Diverse Book Award and was longlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal. She has an MA in Children's Book Illustration from the Cambridge School of Art and currently lives in India, where she grew up. Find her on Instagram as @ruchi.mm.
