Searching for balance, Shreya asks questions about her culture.
Wolverhampton-born actress, comedian and writer Meera Syal will read a CBeebies Bedtime Story to families across the UK in a special South Asian Heritage Month celebration.
South Asian Heritage Month runs from July 18 to August 17 and aims to celebrate the diverse heritage and cultures that link the UK with South Asia.
Meera will delight audiences with a reading of Amma’s Sari, which is written by Sandhya Parappukaran and illustrated by Michelle Pereira.
The story is a powerful exploration of connection with family, the acceptance of difference and the celebration of cultural heritage.
Amma’s Sari centres on six-year-old Shreya, a second-generation migrant whose life tilts between her life at home and the outside world.
While her love for family lifts her up, her spirits plummet at the stares and whispers that her amma’s sari attracts.
Searching for balance, Shreya asks questions about her culture.
Whilst her mother shares beautiful stories, Shreya’s internal and external struggle continues, until one day her amma’s sari saves her from being lost in a crowd and she comes to find pride in her difference.
The news comes as BBC Children’s and Education announced the new animated family sitcom Nikhil and Jay.
Based on books by Chitra Soundar, the show follows the adventures of two British-Indian brothers and their family.
Bridgerton star Charithra Chandran will lend her voice talents in the show.
Nikhil and Jay will launch on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer later in 2024.
Meera Syal’s CBeebies Bedtime Story will air on August 9, 2024, at 6:50 pm on CBeebies.
She made her breakthrough writing and starring in Goodness Gracious Me, and starring in the comedy series The Kumars as grandmother Ummi.
In 1997, Meera received an MBE and was appointed a CBE in 2015 for her services to drama and literature.
In 2023, she was awarded the BAFTA Fellowship, the academy’s highest accolade for a career on screen.
CBeebies Bedtime Story brings families together and has been a daily, family favourite since the channel launched in 2002.
It continues to get the nation reading with its star-studded guests, meaningful partnerships and brilliant stories that inspire a passion for the shared reading experience.
The first celebrity reader was Geoffrey Palmer, who read about the adventures of Beebie the Rabbit in 2002.
Since then, the likes of Harry Styles, Kate Winslet and Anthony Joshua have all read stories that will now be available for audiences to enjoy on BBC iPlayer.
After more than two decades, CBeebies Bedtime Story continues to settle down audiences before bedtime with the magic of shared reading.
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