I adored this book! The first part is a story of a family celebrating Diwali and sharing day by day traditions and spending time with family. The second part of the book features a breakdown of the Five Days of Diwali, crafts, a recipe, and even a little quiz for kids to process what they learned. This would be a wonderful addition to a classroom and I would buy this for my nephews!

This book is precious and very informative. It is a great way for children and adults to learn about Diwali. I had heard of Diwali before, but never knew what it was about or how it was celebrated. I appreciated all the background information given throughout the story of Sonali and her brother Jay celebrating Diwali with their family and the various traditions it includes. I like that there was additional information in the back, as well as crafts and a quiz that kids can take. The artwork is also super cute and very well done.

I write and study race, culture, and diversity so I'm always on the hunt for good books, especially children's books, to share with people who ask for recommendations. I'll be adding this book to my Bookshop list of books celebrating holidays. It hits many of the marks for a good book to share about the holiday -- nice illustrations, interesting information that children and adults can understand, relatable, and educational. The text shows how a family prepares for and celebrates Diwali -- festival of lights, including practices, foods, and explanations. This is a nice book to add to a library or classroom, or to share with children who are exploring different calendar events.

This is a cute informational book for kids about Diwali for families who don't celebrate and are trying to teach their kids about the celebration. It's a fantastic book/resource for young kids about the holiday and includes some recipes and things for kids to try.

Everything about this book is just gorgeous! The cover, the illustrations, the story; it’s all just wonderful. I absolutely love the colors used throughout the book. They are so eye catching. If I saw this book on a shelf, I would definitely gravitate towards it! My son and I both learned so much about Diwali!

4.5 Stars

I’m always happy (and curious) to read children’s books about our festivals. Since Diwali has become quite popular in recent times (Holi is next, though sadly both festivals are also being appropriated).
Anyway, the book is labeled non-fiction as it provides information about the five-day Diwali celebration. There’s a quick summary at the end, along with a quiz, steps to make salt diyas, instructions for rangoli (not the one we make; this is more of a lentil project we did in school), and the recipe for Shrikhand.
The content is simple and easy to read. It is spaced out across the pages and inserted around the illustrations. The narration is a bit dry but works well to provide the details.
The illustrations are vibrant and super cute. Can’t call them magical, but I do love the overall effect. Our skin tones are spot on (even our gods are brown, which gets brownie points). Thank you for the bindis and bangles, too. Little details like how the grandmother tucks her saree pallu when cooking and the red tilak on the dog’s forehead on Bhai beej day are a highlight for me. Not sure how many non-Indians will notice these, though. If I have to nitpick, the vibhuti on lines on the forehead will always be three (and not two).

To summarize, Diwali is a compact little book that provides some insights into the festival. It doesn’t go in-depth about the reasons but mentions them in 3-4 lines each. The focus here is on how families celebrate (this is the North version since, for us, Diwali is not a new year and is only a two-day festival).
Thank you, NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – words & pictures, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#Diwali #NetGalley
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P.S.: There are a couple of real-life images at the end taken from the internet (Getty images, credited mentioned on the last page).

This is a colourful and informative book. A great addition to any classroom and would enhance cultural understanding within other religous groups.
A very attractive and appealing book for children with information about Diwali explaining it simply and in an engaging way.

Pros: This book is a lovely celebration of Diwali--especially with its bright and joyful illustrations. I thought this book would be great to share with the kids in my life so they can learn about Diwali, but I also ended up with a much better understanding of it through reading this charming book. I loved that after the story this book includes additional information and has activities kids can do.

Cons: None that I can think of!

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – words & pictures | words & pictures for the opportunity to read this book.

A cute picture book for young readers to learn about Diwali.

I'm a little disturbed that this is miscategorised as "Christian" - really? Talk about cultural erasure.... I hope it's not marketed incorrectly.

The pictures are a little basic, but the warm colours are very sweet.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for access to this e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a beautifully illustrated book that makes it easy for kids and adults to talk about why Diwali is celebrated. I appreciated the amount of detail in the book along with the instructions for rangoli and recipes for sweets.

What a treat of a children's book! Very informative, detailed and with great educational potential. If you want to teach your children (and yourself) about a popular and globally wide-spread festival you may not have heard about before, this book will fix it in a very pleasant way. I would definitely use it with my children, as they are fascinated with other cultures and their customs and rituals. I especially appreciated the activities at the end of the book that provide extra fun for time with children. And I'd definitely be looking into how to make some of the treats that were mentioned, as the book made them sound absolutely delicious.

The illustrations are rather basic, though. They are pretty and colourful and will definitely catch a children's eye, but I lacked a bit of a wow effect when looking at them.

Otherwise a very pleasant and lovely book that will give you and your children an opportunity to learn and spend some fun quality time together.

And now excuse me, I am going to make some divas.

Thank you, Netgalley for the arc of this book.

A very colourful book that has current and up to date information on Diwali. The book informs children about what Diwali is about and what happens during Diwali. Great book when talking to children about cultural holidays/celebrations.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book because even though I've heard of Diwali, I didn't know much about it. I think it is important for people to realize that there is more than just Christmas as far as winter holidays go. Some might say that adults and children need to learn more about these holidays. I thought this book had fun illustrations and was easy to follow. Definitely recommend.
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Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Diwali follows Sonali and her little brother Jay as they celebrate Diwali. It shows specific days, customs as well as clothing of the holiday. It shows specifics that could incite great questions from children as they learn or share in the experience. It also provides supplemental material and recipes at the end of the book. It even has a quiz included!

The illustrations are great, bright and cheery, adding to the book as a whole.

It is a fantastic addition to any children’ book collection! It would be especially great for the age appropriate classroom, to help introduce other cultures and customs to young children.

Time to share my weekly children’s book reviews. My kids get so excited to see what books I have to read before naps, bedtime, or at breakfast. There are some really cute ones to add to your children’s summer reading book lists!

Scooper and Dumper and the Pumpkin Parade by Lindsay Ward comes out July 8th. My three boys loved the trucks adventures with the pumpkins.

A Rubbish Journey by Jonah Rideout was a really cute chapter book my daughter loved. The story was fun, and entertaining. It comes out June 24.

Keep Trucking by Raven Howell was an adorable book. The illustrations were super cute and my boys again loved the truck story. It comes out May 10.

Ain’t It Funny by Margaret Gurevich was another fun chapter book about following your dreams. My daughter really enjoyed this one. It comes out October 14.

What Are They Feeling by the School of Life is one that is so sweet and great to explain emotions. The kids and I had some fun conversations to follow this one. It comes out September 11.

The Great Turkey Walk by Kathleen Kar is a wonderful story of friendship, and takes you back to 1860. It comes out October 7.

Hailma Superhero Princess by Emily Joof was adorable. The storyline and illustrations were very exciting for the kids. It comes out September 2.

The Sun Never Hurries by Roxane Turcotte was my favorite. Such a precious story and the illustrations were darling. It comes out June 24.

Make a Little Wave by Kerry O’Malley Cerra is a really exciting story! My daughter said this was her favorite. She loved the characters. It comes out September 30.

To Mimi’s House We Go by Susan Meissner was another of my favorite. The story, the pictures, the adventure it took you on was absolutely precious. A fun one for the holidays. Comes out Sept 9.

Leonardo Cohen by Maria Isabel Sanchez-Vegara was a cute story! My kids love to learn new things and these are always so full of knowledge to take away. It comes out August 5.

Fall Feast by Sean Taylor made our family very excited for playing in the leaves. It comes out August 5.

Diwali by Sital Gorasia Chapman was such a good one for kids to learn about another culture. It comes out August 5.

We join the family who prepares for and celebrates the five day family centered celebration of lights known in Hindi as Diwali. We see the brilliantly colored clothing, fireworks and diva lights, and presents. At the end there are activities and recipes.
The illustrations by Darshika Varma are great fun, brilliantly colorful, imaginative, and delightful.
Perfect for reading alone or WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, especially to a school or your local public library!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Quarto Publishing Group – words & pictures | words & pictures via NetGalley. Thank you!
#Diwali #NetGalley Pub Date Aug 06 2024

This is a beautifully illustrated book that explains Diwali, its significance and traditions simply for the younger generation to understand. This is the perfect story to share with younger children as well as their friends who are not of Indian descent so that they can understand the true beauty of the festival. I love that it also has simple recipes and guides as well as a quiz to help the reader truly feel and understand the spirit of the occasion

This is such a simple little book but it does such an amazing job explaining Dawali and showing a family celebration. The pictures are so bright and beautiful, and the family so loving. Readers get to go through the holiday day by day, and there are even extra instructions like recipes. I highly recommend this book for young readers. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

Diwali is a simple, beautifully accessible and colorful introduction to the Hindu festival of lights written by Sital Gorasia Chapman. Due out 6th Aug 2024 from Quarto on their words & pictures imprint, it's 48 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is such a beautiful and learning rich book about the customs and history of Diwali. The book is a first person account told by young Sonali with her extended family. She shows how they prepare for Diwali, the food and clothing and family traditions, and more. There's a surprising amount of history and lots of good detail written in age-appropriate and accessible language.

The illustrations by Darshika Varma are beautifully detailed and colorful and enhance the read very much. They're full of small bright details which invite readers to pause and take a closer look.

Five stars. This would be a superlative choice for public or classroom library, gift giving, or home use. The author/publisher have included discussion questions, crafts and recipes, and more information for further reading.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

⭐️5 Stars⭐️

I’m blown away by how well this book captured Hindu culture and the beauty of Diwali. This story does and excellent job immersing the reader into the festival through Hindu activities, traditions, foods, the meaning behind Diwali, and just enough playfulness to keep children interested. The family in this story truly felt as though they had come to life.

Beyond the deeply educational story, I was happily surprised to see that the back is filled with more in depth info about Diwali. This included facts, a recipe, DIY activities, and even a short quiz! I loved that it gave children a hands on opportunity to celebrate Diwali, while making the activities simple and easy to follow

I think this book is fantastic for Hindu children as they can learn about their culture, and why Diwali is such a special part of it. It can also make them feel seen, and show them representation of their culture. Lastly, I think this book is really great for anyone who wants to understand a loved ones culture better, no matter the age! I read this for my boyfriend, who is Hindu, and I found that it’s helped me understand Diwali in a more in depth way than any adult book ever has!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.