Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Super cute and informative book. I got this book for me so I can have intelligent conversations about Diwali and explain it to my 5 year old when we talk about holidays in different cultures. I love that Diwali is all about spreading kindness and light 🪔

Being a first generation immigrant myself, I understand how it is celebrating festivals in a foreign land.

There are many of the things about the festivals that I ignored to pay attention to growing up. They become all too apparent now.

This book details some of those things about Diwali. The fun, food, and fanfare.

Why we celebrate the festival of lights and the stories behind it.

I loved how the author included the many ways in which the festival is celebrated geologically.

-ARC by NetGalley -

Fantastic book to teach young (& old alike) people about different cultures & celebrations. There’s so many wonderful parts to this book. There’s history & arts & crafts. It even has a glossary to help with more challenging words for little one.

Celebrating Diwali is a non-fiction book explaining the festival for little ones. The book is divided into short chapters with equally short paragraphs. The information is compact and to the point. A bit too brief at times, but since it’s written for kids with little or no knowledge about the festival, it works.
The book also talks about where Diwali is celebrated, the cultural significance, activities to do on each day during the festive period, and so on. There’s a glossary at the end, but before that, there’s an entire section dedicated to DIY.
I love this part. From making colored rice for rangoli to the recipe for no-bake chocolate laddoos, this section is a treat for kids to get into the festive mood.
The illustrations are small in my copy and not on every page. They are nice and vibrant, but the wow factor was missing. I’d have liked illustrations with a more personal appeal (some of these reminded me of my social studies textbooks).
The author has included the celebrations from different parts of India and even our neighbor, Nepal. It’s good to see the focus on different versions instead of just one.
A couple of things I’d like to add are-
• It was Satyabhama (Krishna’s wife who killed Narakasura)
• Ashoka was a Buddhist long before he turned to ahimsa (I know the book has the most famous version, but that may not be the right one)
To Summarize, Celebrating Diwali is a pocket-sized version for those who wish to know more about this wonderful festival of lights.
I received an ARC from NetGalley, Callisto Media, and Rockridge Press and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This was a great book describing how Diwali is celebrated! I love how it tells the reader about the general celebration but then also talks about how Diwali is celebrated around the world and by other religions.

Having the different recipes and activities at the end is also a fun addition.

I just wish there were more pictures or that it was a bit more colorful/eye catching since it is a children's book and the cover design is so vibrant!

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review.

I feel the book explains well with the original background stories from the Epics when it comes to the Festival of Lights Diwali.

I love the illustrations. They do stand out.

I love how the author explains everything so well in such short chapters with meaningful illustrations.

The book explains well how the festival is celebrated by us Indians as well as how it is celebrated elsewhere in other countries.

Also, I appreciate the recipe and the fun exercise towards the end of the book.

Thank you, Callisto Media, for the advance reading copy.