This is a gorgeous short story for kids. It highlights the pure honesty in a child's mindset, as all Ayesha wants is to see her cousin enjoy her wedding day. Not only does this give great representation to the LGBTQI+ community in a part of the world where this is still largely deemed unacceptable, it aims to normalise these practices and remove prejudice. Furthermore, the illustrations are beautiful and really help to highlight the bold beautifulness of an Indian wedding.

I can't wait to read this to the little kids in my life!

The Children's book that WE NEED.

We need more LGBTQIA children's books, because that is where we must start. Letting children know that its jot always the opposite sex that attracts and that it is always about love is one of the first lessons to be taught. In the current Indian culture, LGBT+ is a topic that parents shy away from, as if ignoring then will make it non-existent!


In this book, the all Ayesha wants is for her cousin to be happy, she doesn't understand why people are mad that she is marrying her girlfriend. All she sees is people standing against the enjoyment that her cousin deserves.

We need to teach children to embrace differences, otherwise we will be moving backwards in this worlds.

Such a cute little story and amazing desi artwork. Loved it!

Thank you, Netgalley for this. :)

Oh my gosh! This is such a beautiful little book with such an important message and so much more in its 35 pages! It shows that homophobia is instilled in people via society and that only love is natural. Children are the purest and the most non-judgmental of us and they understand the phrase 'love is love' way better than any adult ever could.

I loved the illustrations in this and the way the author has lifted up this subject in a simple and innocent manner that is even more hard-hitting than usual. Publication houses in India ready to publish propaganda but not this important book, and it makes me so angry! But the point of this book is to spread love and that's exactly what I feel as I read this! So much warmth and tears and happiness!

Highly recommend!

*Ritu Weds Chandi* is a lovely book about a sapphic wedding, the consequences it may have for some people, and a feisty little kid who just wants everyone to be happy, especially her cousin Ritu.

Ayesha is super excited about her cousin's wedding, but she soon discovers a new situation that she doesn't yet understand. And this situation isn't two women getting married, as some people would expect - she doesn't understand why she doesn't see her whole family having fun, like she has in past family weddings she has attended.

I think this type of children's book is super important, as you see this kid not even questioning same-sex marriage, even if it's something that she isn't used to seeing, and fighting to make it happen. Obviously, it is a simplified version of real-life homophobia, and things get solved pretty easily. But that can easily open up a conversation between the reader and the adults in their life, and ease them into the bigger issues of the world.

Aside from that, the use of Hindi words immerses you in the world and the culture a little bit, and we all need a little bit of that to get to know and understand other people and cultures. Finally, the art was gorgeous, and I loved the details on the clothing, as well as the panels with the big horses.

"It means the world to me that you are here today."

Ritu Weds Chandni is an LGBTQ+ children's illustrated book by Ameya Narveankar which was such a joy to read. As the author pointed out, growing up we didn't get to read books on same sex marriage and do they took it upon themselves to write their own book explaining to children that even though society does not approve, love is love is love is love.
I love the way the illustrations were done and how the story was put forth to show that yes people who do not approve will always try to stop something they don't agree with, but love and happiness do not depend on what society thinks, it depends on a person's own happiness.
Because this is an Indian (Hindu) wedding, there are done words that may not make sense to a non-Hindi speaker do the author has provided a glossary to all the Hindi words. The author has also written a little piece at the end explaining why they felt this book was a necessity for today's kids.

Ritu Weds Chandi is a beautiful children's book about a same-sex couples wedding day told from the perspective of a child, Ayesha. Ayesha is attending her cousins' wedding but she doesn't understand why most of her family doesn't come, she also doesn't understand why the neighbors are being so mean to them. This book is a lovely story about a child's compassion and loves no matter the circumstance. The illustrations are beautiful. I liked how the first page there is a spot to put your child's name in the form of the wedding invitation. I also really liked the last few pages of the story that just included illustrations that really represented the culture. At the end of the book, there is a pronunciation guide with definitions of the Hindu terms used in the book. There is a scene where the neighbors are "saying hurtful words" to the brides as well as spraying them with hoses, depending on the age you are reading this to this may cause questions. As of this review, same-sex marriages are not legally recognized in India and have only recently been decriminalized so it's important for books like this to be published. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I feel like it's so important for books with representation to be published for younger children. This a great multicultural book with LGBTQ+ representation that I would definitely recommend. As the author said, "let's inspire our children to stand up for what is compassionate and just."

The book is about of Ritu & Chandni, two girls getting married against the prevalent societal norms. The story has been told from the perspective of Ayesha, who is keen to make the wedding happy for her favourite cousin Ritu. She isn't able to wrap her head around the idea of public being upset and angry with the Wedding taking place. In India, where Same-sex relationships have been legalized just a couple years back, same-sex marriages are still considered a taboo. Therefore, such a representation in a conservative society is definitely a welcome change. Also, the story being told by a child gives it a fresh perspective thus making it a great read, irrespective of the reader's age. The illustrations add to the story making it a quick and breezy read.

Realistic but a little bit of a downer. I'd definitely buy this one and put it on display, but I don't think I would choose it for a read aloud; the part about homophobic neighbors hosing down the brides was a lot for a book for kids, even if it is true to life; probably better for a parent conversation than with the librarian, I think. The illustrations of the actual wedding were very beautiful and a good message for children about standing up for their loved ones no matter what.

This book was so wonderful!!! The illustrations were vibrant and encompassed hindu culture so well. The spreads looks beautiful digitally so I can’t wait to see the final prints. The story has so much heart and I loved that the author combined romantic love with familial. Ayesha’s love for her cousin Ritu powered through the conflict so clearly highlighting that bigotry can be fought by support from family and a greater community. I thoroughly loved this and can’t wait to give this to all my little cousins!

What a beautiful, multicultural book. I adore the art style in this book, and I believe this would be an excellent resource for speaking to children about encountering homophobia.

This book aimed at kids 5-7 years old and coming December 2020, is a great, sweet read. As well as a beautifully illustrated work. Not only does it handles topics of acceptance, homophobia, traditions, but also gives kids a clear acceptance and love message.

When I saw this gorgeous book was available for review at NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read it. I'ven been a voracious reader since I was 4 years old. I would go to the library every day since I started school, even though people didn't believe me when I said I could actually read. That's why I kind of have a soft spot for kids' books.

To find diverse children's books, like this one, fills me with happiness. I can see myself giving this book away as a gift to my friends and family with small kids. It's a good book on its own, but as a way of opening a kid, or serving as a tool for parents to show their kids different cultures, and types of loves it also stands out. </p>

It's so refreshing to see Same sex marriage in this beautiful graphic novel. It's just a small little cute thing. Do give this one a read. Same sex marriages are still a dream in India, but till we make it into a reality, such brilliant books will ease the way with their sweetness.

A must read book for children, to make them aware about the importance of love and acceptance. I loved the vibrant illustrations and being an Indian, could absolutely relate to the cultural references from the book.

it is truly a very beautiful book exploring the various nuances of sisterhood, familial love, and love that society sees as 'unnatural' or 'wrong'. I think that the author has done a particularly great job at delving into this topic especially in the middle-grade section. I feel like the younger that kids get to understand the naturalness and acceptance of same-sex love and couple, the more openminded and supportive our society will be for homosexuals. In a heteronormative society, it is better if we start young to educate our young and in this journey, we ourselves will undoubtedly learn a lot and overcome our hidden prejudices. The illustrations were superb and I loved the entirety of this book!
5/5 stars!

"To change society's mind, we need to appeal to people's hearts. To do this, we need more people to hear our stories. So, keep reading and sharing and educating those around you." - Ameya Narvankar

Society has a hard time changing its beliefs due to the huge number of people who grew up with these particular beliefs as their foundation. At the same time, they won't allow other people to pursue their beliefs, for fear of 'pollution' and 'bad influence'.

'Ritu weds Chandni' is a perfect example of the phrase 'We're not born hating others'. It is a child's take on same-sex marriages, which doesn't seem that wrong to her eyes, even when most of the family has boycotted the marriage. it throws into perspective only one thing, love is love.

I absolutely loved the way it was written, with illustrations and a jumpy narration that any child would love! A great read!

Such a cute little pretty book with a precious big important message to deliver! The pictures are so pretty I couldn't take my eyes off and the story is so precious it had my heart melting and reaching out to the protagonists who defy yet conform to the societal construct, marriage. A simple and short book that is the needed to be published widely to engrave the message that same-sex marriage is as chaste and important as is the heteronormative marriage for the people and for the society at large and that it is time that we legalize it because well, there's nothing wrong in that and homophobes can get all cringy they want because who cares!?
In short, I loved it.
Thank you to the author and publisher for this book!

This children's book is so innocent and honest from the point of view of a child that I just couldn't stop smiling the entire time I spent reading it. It's about a girl, Ayesha, who is going to attend her cousin Ritu's wedding and she literally cannot contain her excitement.

Since Ritu is getting married to another girl, Chandni, there are less people attending the wedding, Ayesha notices and she cannot understand why. She keeps wondering why people are not as happy as she is for such a wonderful event. However, it doesn't deter her from supporting her cousin and making her feel loved in any way possible.

I absolutely loved reading this book if you can't already tell and would recommend it to literally every possible person on this planet. It's such a simple story but done so well and beautifully.
Thanks Netgalley for providing an eARC. Hopefully, I'll get a physical copy someday too!

What a beautiful picture book 😍 Desi children need this book! The illustrations are so wonderful and in the times where same sex marriage is still a distant thing in Desi culture, this book brings a hope and a chance to educate our children on the topic.
Lovely book that will surely put a smile on your face. I wish I could get a copy of this someday.

This book was so joyful! So vibrant! Something I wish could have existed when I was a kid. This is gonna make a big difference to a lot of people. Beautiful, beautiful story.

There truly is something special about reading a book and seeing yourself represented through the characters. As someone who identifies as South Asian, I really enjoyed this picture book. I think it accurately portrays the experience of LGBTQ+ South Asian people and the struggle they face in being accepted, while also keeping it balanced with a happy ending. The illustrations are also gorgeous and I love the details in everyone’s clothes!

In Pakistan where I’m from it’s still illegal for LGBTQ+ people to get married or even just exist. I’m glad India has at least started to make some change and decriminalized same-sex marriage. I like what the author said at the end that "we need to appeal to people's hearts". I didn't need any convincing about LGBTQ+ rights, but books like this will make a difference in the new generation. Keep sharing your stories!