Literary Safari

I read Devis with Babies post “How to Celebrate Diwali with Your Kids” with interest. Though I don’t have those mommy duties yet, I could appreciate the second-gen challenges of passing on a festival and its traditions. (My nephew is almost two and recent conversations with my sister have been a lot about how to fashion his Diwali memories and experiences.)

Book fiend that I am, the following suggestions in Devis with Babies’s “Ten Insta-Culture Ways to Celebrate Diwali With Your Child” especially stood out to me, :

7. Exchange small gifts with friends. Last year, my friend gave little diyas to her friends’ children, personalized with their names. She also got us a children’s book about Diwali. I was super impressed.

8. When your kid asks you, “Mommy, what is Diwali?” don’t get panicked — whip out a book! Here are some more Diwali books for children.

Great idea. Only problem is that I think there are some wonderful books that got ignored in the above links. Here’s what I consider a more timely and rounded list of great Diwali books for kids, many of which, really, can also be read at any time of the year. They all touch on themes of celebration, sharing, festivals, and tradition.

Divali Rose, by Vashanti Rahaman ((Boyds Mill Press, 2008)

Ricki’s grandpa is the proud owner of a rosebush that promises to grow roses “the color of Divali.” As the Hindu festival grows closer, Ricki snaps off one of his grandpa’s prized rosebuds by mistake. Will he allow Grandpa to blame the loss on their Indian neighbors or will he gather up his courage to confess his mistake? Jamel Akib’s chalk pastels create a lush, tropical, festive atmosphere in this sweet, multigenerational tale which examines the complex history of Indians in Trinidad.

You can listen to my podcast review of this book at Just One More Book, which served up a special Diwali episode yesterday – “Cheers, Jeers, and Jeera”. This episode features books with more “Flavors of the East,” including Shehnaaz Nanji’s Treasure for Lunch, Pooja Makhijani’s Mama’s Saris and Rachna Gilmore’s Lights for Gita, also worthy Diwali reads.

“Diwali: Khushiyon Ka Tyohar | Diwali: A Festival of Lights and Fun” by Manisha and Monica Kumar

The California-based bilingual picture book publisher Meera Masi has been putting out bilingual picture books since 2006. This slim Hindi-English volume is great for ages 2-5. It brings the traditions and celebrations of Diwali to life through rhyme and colorful, cartoony illustrations that remind me of Indian poster art and comic books. The book comes with a read-along audio CD that also features a “Vanamala Dhun,” a catchy Hindi version of the “ABC song.”

Another Meera Masi offering worth checking out is their ongoing Jay & Juhi adventure book and audio series which features the adventures of an Indian-American brother and sister duo as they travel to various cultural and historical sites throughout India with the help of Juhi’s magical flute. Think of them as the South Asian “Maya and Miguel.”

Tulika, another wonderful bilingual publisher (based in India) offers the following titles, which are appropriate Diwali reads. These books are harder to track down here in the US, but they can be ordered online for a pretty reasonable price.

Rangoli, by Anuradha Ananth takes a look at the regional differences and similarities in the beautiful, colorful patterns drawn on the earth on holidays and special occasions throughout India.

Dancing on Walls, by Shamin Padamsee is a tale about the magic behind warli (wall) paintings popular throughout Maharashtra.

In Basava and the Dots of Fire, by Radhika Chadha, a young boy gets lost in the forest and is led home by “glowing dots of fire.”

And, of course, no round up would be complete without Kahani’s “Holidays 2008” issue which includes short stories about Eid, Christmas, and Diwali.

Related Posts:

3 Picture Books for the 3 Days of Eid
Flex Your Writing Muscles: The Times of Diwali
Lights, Cleaning, Diwali
Follow the Moon
Diwali in Barcelona