The Spice Box (written by Meera Sriram & illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat / Knopf For Young Readers / Penguin Random House) received the 2025 South Asia Book Award in the Young Readers Category.
Administered by the South Asia National Outreach Consortium, the South Asia Book Awards are given annually for up to three outstanding works of literature, from picture books to young adult novels, which accurately and skillfully portray the experience of individuals living in South Asia, or of South Asians living in other parts of the world.
The Spice Box was also included in the American Library Association’s Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) 2024 Best of the Best Booklist.
A father and son share family stories through a spice box, handed down from generation to generation, in this tender picturebook.
Rishi’s grandma arrives from India today, and he longs to cook curry alongside his Dad using the delicious flavors from his family’s spice box. But this spice box is more than just fragrant spices in shades of gold and ruby. This spice box holds memories that are passed down from one generation to the next, as each found their place in this wide world. When Rishi drops the box that holds the family’s heart and history, he draws courage and meaning from their treasured past to set things right.
https://staging.authorsunbound.com/meera-sriram/