MEERA draws from her life straddling the East and West to tell stories. She grew up in India and moved to the U.S at the turn of the millenium. An electrical engineer in the past, she now writes for children and advocates for diversifying bookshelves. Meera felt compelled to tell her stories when she realized that children of color like her own, as well as immigrant and cross-cultural experiences, were missing in the books her family was reading.
Meera is the author of several award-winning picture books. They have been selected Best Book of the Year by School Library Journal, Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), and Bank Street College, and have received starred reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, and Publishers Weekly. She’s a two time recepient of the South Asia Book Award. Her work has been included in several state reading lists, featured in The New York Times, and translated into many different languages.
She deeply believes in the transformative power of stories and enjoys presenting to children, librarians, and educators. She also volunteers her time as the Equity & Inclusion Awards co-coordinator of her local SCBWI chapter. Meera loves woodsy hikes and urban murals, and lives with her family in Berkeley, California.
2025 South Asia Book Award Winner
A CALIBA Mirrors & Windows: Excellence in Children’s Literature Golden Poppy Award Finalist
2024 Asian Pacific American Librarians Association, (APALA) Best of the Best Booklist Selection
Texas Library Association (TLA)
2025 2X2 Reading List Selection
Shorlisted for ONE BOOK ONE SAN DIEGO
“A warm tale of family bursting with color and love.” —Kirkus Reviews
2024 Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year Selection
2024-45 Keystone to Reading, Pennsylvania State, Elementary Book Award Nominee
Shortlisted for the 2024 CLEL BELL (Colorado State Libraries) Award
2024 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award Finalist, California/Hawaii Division
Featured in American Library Association’s ALSC 2024 Día Reading List
“An intimate, lyrical story about an ancient artistic tradition.”
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Prabhat’s art juxtaposes fantasy, memory, and reality as Sriram details how “The sweet smell of henna,/ and stories we carry,/ fill us with pride/ of a faraway home.””
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
2021 South Asia Book Award Winner
2020 Foreword Reviews Indies Best Book of the Year, Silver Award Winner
2021 Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year Selection
2020 School Library Journal Best Picture Book Selection
2020 Nerdy Book Award Winner
“An excellent story for young readers to enhance their understanding of color and an aspect of traditional Indian culture.”
— Starred review, School Library Journal
“a must-have for primary libraries seeking fresh material for required curricula.”
—Starred review, Foreword Reviews
In THE NEW YORK TIMES : 8 Picture Books About Food and Fellowship
2022 Skipping Stones Honor Award Winnder
“Sriram’s simple rhyming story celebrating the unifying magic of food pairs well with the childlike naïveté of de Antuñano’s inclusive and diverse gouache illustrations. . . .Without skipping a beat, she folds words for both dumplings and family members and their respective languages into her couplets.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Peppy, rhyming text; cheerful illustrations; and a counting element combine for an enjoyable introduction to 10 types of dumpling from around the world, spanning Nigeria to Russia to Japan.” – Booklist
“Beautifully compiled and gently informative, this is an exceptional part of a must-have series for board-book collections.” — Starred review, Booklist
“The direct and clear narration by Indian-born Sriram is enlivened by gorgeous, jewel-toned, and culturally specific artwork by Bangalore-based artist Neethi.”
—The Horn Book
“Within this one board book, children will have a sense of the clothing, jewelry, sights, and sounds of another country, vividly evoked by paintings and in language, and stamped with the love of the families shown.”
– School Library Journal
“A thoughtful story that artfully addresses the loss of a grandparent from an immigrant perspective.” – Kirkus
“This thoughtful picture book provides a rare and necessary perspective, free of tropes and clichés…” – ALA Booklist
“beautifully bittersweet expression of love and loss”
—Starred review, Foreword Reviews
American Library Association’s 2022 RISE: A FEMINIST BOOK PROJECT selection
Featured in Kirkus Reviews: 7 STELLAR MIDDLE GRADE READS FOR YOUNG FEMINISTS
“A book like this reminds us that there really is nothing that cannot be learned about through children’s books. . . . A powerful biography that will inspire readers who can relate to being biracial and bicultural, artistic, motivated, determined, and curious.” – Booklist
“This lyrical picture-book biography not only celebrates Sher-Gil’s rebellious brilliance, it also frankly examines the challenges and opportunities presented by having a mixed heritage. While much of Sher-Gil’s life and work involved highly adult themes, this book addresses these issues in a child-friendly manner without hiding the truth.” – Kirkus Reviews
Meera Sriram 