Once Upon a Diwali

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4.8

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Author(s)

Anita Mishra

Co-Authors / Illustrators

Diah Chakraborty

Publisher

Soaring Kite Books

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

August 06, 2024

ISBN

978-1958372449

Buy This Book

Riya loves Diwali for the tasty treats but not the darkness and loud fireworks. Can Riya be brave and find a way to celebrate Diwali with her family without being scared?

Presented as a 'Once Upon a Time' bedtime story, children will learn the origin of Diwali and how it came to be a celebration of light over darkness and good over evil. Diwali is a five-day long celebration beginning from purchasing silver and gold items, to decorating the home with lights and candles, to preparing baked goods and visiting friends and family, to ending the holiday with fireworks and a celebration of siblings.

Anita Mishra and Diah Chakraborty join together to represent their respective cultures as Diwali, or the Festival of Lights, is celebrated around the world and across various religions including Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists.

Editor review

1 review

Filled with Holiday Traditions

October 12, 2024

Overall rating

4.8

Plot

5.0

Characters

5.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

Once Upon a Diwali is a beautiful picture book that teaches readers the customs and history of Diwali. Riya is a young girl excited to celebrate Diwali with her family. There are many traditions associated with the Festival of Lights, including eating sweet treats. One tradition that Riya is afraid of is fireworks at night. She says they are too loud. Riya learns more about the tradition of Diwali and overcomes her fear of fireworks with the help of her family.

What I Liked: I am so happy to see more books about Indian holidays being published. Readers are so engrossed in the story they don't even realize they're learning about Diwali and its traditions. The illustrations are vibrant and do a wonderful job of capturing the essence of Diwali. I love it when a book has little extras at the end of the book. Readers can enrich their reading experience with a glossary, a recipe, and a craft found at the end of the book.

What Left Me Wanting More: Although they had a glossary at the end of the book to help me learn the new words, I had trouble pronouncing many of them. It would have been beneficial to have the phonetic pronunciation and the word in the glossary.

Once Upon a Diwali is an excellent addition for anyone interested in learning about Diwali and its customs.