This is a children's book that could benefit many adults too. But that's a discussion for another time! If you're looking for a book about same-sex marriage with a strong, little heroine at its centre, this is it! Love is love, gender and culture have nothing to do with it.

This was absolutely adorable. The illustrations were pretty and so many great colors! I just love the concept and the idea behind this children's story book.

Ritu Weds Chandni by Ameya Narvankar is such a great message of inclusivity in Indian culture, for a same-sex marriage. I love the way this book focuses on the innocence and strength of someone so young to call out and stand up against bigotry. A young girl's love for her family is stronger than prejudice, and I love the message.
I absolutely love the style and vibrancy of the illustrations, as well. Overall, a wonderful book that should be in every library and home for young people to learn from.

I loved this book I thought it was so cute! I love the LGBTQ aspect and how Ritu was having a Baraat when it’s traditionally a grooms job. The graphics are also lovely and on point. I will definitely add this to my list of books to buy for my future children that will have one American and one Indian parent!

A AMAZING STORY. ABSOLUTELY HEARTWARMING AND SO PRECIOUS. A MUST READ! This is a beautiful story about a little girl named Ayesha attending her cousins wedding, however not everyone is happy that her cousin Ritu is marrying her girlfriend Chandni. It’s up to Ayesha to save the day! The story teaches kids to stand up against prejudice and bigotry and is a powerful message. I would 100% recommend this for everyone, especially young kids!

*Thanks Netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

4 stars

This was an eye opener book i highly recommend to all the Indians out their to read and not be so traditional in terms of culture.

This was a cute about how Ritu Weds Chandni which was a LGBTQ children's book which is a surprise honestly. i hope this book gets more awareness in the world especially our older ancestors are totally against gay and lesbians marriages. Children books are taking the stand which is something we need to share with our younger generations. you will be loved no matter what you are.

Thank you Netgalley for making this arc book in an exchange of a honest review.

Thanks to the publishers for sharing this book. It's adorable, and has such a great message. My full review appears on Weekend Notes.

The main character is a little Indian girl called Ayesha. She is really excited to attend her cousin Ritu’s wedding. She can’t wait to dance at the baraat ceremony! A baraat is the procession before a wedding where (traditionally) the groom and his family make their way to the wedding. There is singing, dancing and lots of loud music – it’s lots of fun! But not everyone is happy that Ritu is marrying her girlfriend Chandni. Some people want to stop the celebrations and the marriage. It looks like the grown-ups are ready to give in to the bullies but Ayesha isn’t. Can one little girl really save her cousin’s big day?

We are firm believers in having diverse picture books on our bookshelf so we can learn more about the world. Everyone deserves to see themselves in a book! This is our first LGBT book and we really enjoyed it. There are lots of different people and types of families in the world. This book tells the story of one family and shows children how people can find it hard to be themselves because they will be unfairly treated by others.

The story is well written. It is interesting and realistic. The illustrations are very good and remind us of lots of family weddings we have been to. We liked the brave Ayesha, who stands against some bullying grown-ups who are trying to prevent the wedding of her cousin just because there are two brides instead of a bride and groom!

4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a digital copy!

This was absolutely adorable. The illustrations were pretty and so many great colors!

I thought it handled its subject matter well. It dealt with people opposing two women getting married and a child who didn't really understand why (of course). The wedding is beautiful.

We get a nice glossary of Hindi terms used in the book, so it's also a nice opportunity to learn those!

"Ritu Weds Chandni'' is such a wholesome book.
It's a story about a same sex marriage in an Indian setting. I'm so glad this book exists because it's the perfect way of introducing children to the LGBTQ+ community. Honestly, this book shall sprinkle it's magic over the reader irrespective of their age.The fact that the author uses the child's perspective is probably one of the best things about this graphic novel. The book is a celebration of love, compassion and acceptance told seamlessly.
The illustrations are extremely cute too.
I 100% recommend it.

As a note: this is just a preliminary review, I will be replacing it with my finalized review within the next 7 days (prior to publication!).

Illustrations: 5/5, absolutely adore the color palette chosen for this story. It is warm, loving, and yet still subtle power and strength conveyed from it when coupled with the illustrations themselves.

Format: 4/5 - full star loss here for me because I feel like the formatting suffered from the decision not to include the pronunciation of the words within the story. While it's great that it is included at the end, I wish it would have integrated it into the page itself. It would've helped enrich the read and make it feel more cohesive. It also would've made it smoother in explaining it to my child while not pausing to looking it up every few pages. We were delighted to learn new Hindi words but I feel like it could've been presented more digestibly.

The story: 5/5 - While there was certainly some parts that were a little clunky, overall this story is so important and so under told. There is almost no South Asian/Hindi/Desi representation in children's books of any kind, but especially not in any LGBTQIA+ stories. I feel like this book is needed. It is valuable. It is special and should be introduced into classrooms and homes as another way to bring exposure and representation to "normalize" lgbtqia+ love while respectfully touching on the cultural difficulties couples face around the world when they want to pursue their true selves and love.

Overall, we will be purchasing a physical copy to add to our collection and deeply thank the publisher for allowing us the opportunity to read this story in advance.

Ritu Weds Chandni is such a sweet and beautiful picture book in so many ways. The illustrations are colourful and vibrant, and I felt very visually pulled in as I read the story. The story itself really shines through though, as we watch a young girl celebrate her favourite cousin's wedding to another woman amid homophobic protest within the community and the family. It has a happy ending and a beautiful message, as well as much needed South Asian LGBTQ+ representation.

Definitely recommended!

An #ownvoices story of hope for a day when gay marriage is celebrated in Southeast Asian culture. Ayesha is excited to attend her cousin’s wedding, but trouble comes from community members who object to two brides.

The illustrations are gorgeous, well paired with Ayesha’s earnest narration and a sprinkling of Hindi words. I felt transported into the celebrations and the tension. A beautiful book with a happy ending.

A young girl named Ayesha sees only love between her Ritu didi (older female cousin) and Chandni, and asks an aunt why some of their relatives are not at the party. Resistance to the union extends to the wider community too,, but Ayesha makes it known that despite the hate the celebration must go on. At the end of the book the author includes a glossary for non-Hindi speakers, as well as a brief note about why such stories are necessary. And I agree: while there is a growing number of works for children featuring queer protagonists, there remains a dearth of stories centering those in countries and with cultures that are not Anglo-American or Western European. This makes RUTU AND CHANDNI not just an excellent addition to children’s literature, but also contributes to more expansive understandings of loving and being.

This children's book is firstly absolutely stunning. The illustrations are made up of truly vibrant colours and drawn exquisitely and are worthy of being prints on a wall.

The story is one that is quite possibly a first of its kind as it's based on a same-sex marriage in India.

With same-sex marriages only recently being decriminalised in India I can only imagine how hard it will be for those couples to have their relationships and marriages accepted by both families and society as a whole. Which is why Ameya Narvankar's book is not only a beautiful thing to read to children, but a necessary one. It is those children who will hopefully alter the stigma that is same sex relationships.

If it's not apparent, I loved this book. When I chose it on Netgalley I wasn't aware of how beautiful the illustrations were but the subject matter called to me as acceptance is key to moving forward in life as a whole.

Narvankar's tale focuses on the acceptance that is found in love both familial and romantic. Through the determination of Ayesha's love for her cousin Ritu and that of Ritu's fiancée that the wedding party moves forward after what is, even in a children's book hard to see; the recriminations of strangers and police in their attempts to stop the wedding? We get to witness the simple and honest view that all of us should have. Love is love regardless of gender, age or race.

Ameya Narvankar's Ritu weds Chandni should find a home in every preschool, and in every home where a little one can be found. Books like this, I truly believe? Will help to end the bigotry, homophones and hypocrisy that still exists towards people who simply want to love the person they want in their lives.

Reading this as a queer South Asian, this book is deeply moving. I love how effectively the story centres love, and all the hurdles and hate that love is made to resist when it doesn't conform to certain societal/cultural expectations. And yet through all of this, the closeness of Desi families and the beauty of the festivities shine through. That is a difficult balance to strike, but it was handled masterfully, even within the relatively short length of a picture book! And the illustrations are just gorgeous. They really bring out the feelings and beauty of the occasion.

Beautiful! This lovely picture book is stunningly illustrated, the colours are rich and festive. We follow Ayesha on her way to her older sister's wedding to another woman, there's some resistance along the way but love and dance save the day. The book also introduces a handful of hindi words with definitions at the back. Adorable!

As the name suggests, Ritu and Chandni are all set to get married. But the society and few of their relatives are having a hard time digesting this information. Ritu's baby cousin Ayesha, however, sees this as a wedding where she gets to get decked up, dance and eat to her heart's content. She is genuinely happy for her cousin and questions the negligence and hatred of the society at every step.

'Ritu Weds Chandni' is a sweet story that is set in a society plagued by homophobia. Armed with bright and striking illustrations of a North Indian wedding, this makes for a compelling read. This book is also a great opportunity to get our kids educated about same-sex marriage.

This is the story that will help young children to learn to accept others for who they are. In a conservative society like Indians, it is difficult to change a view or a belief easily, but as the author mentioned that his aim is to teach them about their rights, about human rights especially LGBT's.

The story is told from the point of view of young Ayesha, who is excited for her cousin's wedding party. She learns that not everyone is like her own parents, who understand and accept Ritu's love and were happy that Ritu was going to be the first bride in the Kapoor family to lead her own baraat.

The dialogues were nicely created yet I felt like some conversations were incomplete, like the one with Charu Chachi.
I love the beautiful illustration. It is colorful, festive and delightful. Also, the usage of Hindi terms was great and they are explained at the glossary at the end.

This was so beautiful. The story was simple and impactful. The illustrations were very pretty. Really loved how easily this depicted the hate and discrimination that exists in our society and how baseless they are. Writing this story from the eyes of a young girl really put a spark in it. It effortlessly highlights how queerphobia isn't something natural or just inborn, it is something the society indoctrinates. The art style beautifully captures the explosion of colours and excitement that exists around weddings in India.