Archie Celebrates Diwali

It is so fun to learn about other cultures, so I believe this cute picture book will appeal to both to children that don't celebrate Diwali, as well as children who do, as it will show that there is nothing wrong with sharing your holiday.

Archie is scared that her friends won't enjoy the food or the celebration, but it turns out that they have as much fun as she does, and love the food too. And she tells the story of how it is both a celebration of light, as well as a triumph of good over evil.

Bright, colorful pictures, earnest, yet unsure young girl, and friends that certainly do not make fun of her, but ask the right questions.

All in all, a delightful book.

<em> Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

Don’t we all want our favourite holidays to be loved by everyone else? Archie (short for Archana) also wants her friends to appreciate her favourite festival of Diwali. But she is quite worried that her friends won’t understand the what’s and why’s behind the celebration. This leads to a lot of insecurity in her mind, compounded by the unexpected downpour and electricity failure. But soon Archie discovers that the message behind Diwali is universally valid and light always triumphs over darkness, even when there’s no electricity.

The overall story was nicely written. The actual reason behind the celebration of Diwali is stated in an over-simplified form. I suppose that’s ok considering the target age group and target market for the book. But a part of the information in the main story conflicts with the story of the Ramayana as mentioned at the end of the book.

The language used is pretty easy to understand. Children will enjoy the customs associated with Diwali as firecrackers get a special mention. I do wish there had been some focus on the non-noisy part of the celebration too such as the rangoli and special Diwali sweets. Kids will learn how to make their own diya from the information on the last page.

The illustrations are quite nice. I liked the way the Indian adults were drawn; they seemed quite realistic yet cute. The children (Archie and her friends) are also sketched quite nicely.

I would have loved the font size to be a little bigger. While it is legible, it’s not too comfortable on the eye.

Overall, the story is good but there was so much potential to make it even better. But it is a good way for children to learn at least the basics of a culture other than your own.

A 3.5 from me, rounding it up to 4.

Thank you, NetGalley and Charlesbridge Publishing, for the Advanced Review Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved that this book shows different races. It’s very informative about Diwali! I loved the illustrations!

4.5 stars.

The story follows Archana ‘Archie’ as she prepares to celebrate Diwali, with her family and is unable to understand why the festival doesn’t hold as much significance to her friends at school as it does to her.

This is the book I needed when I was a kid. I loved seeing Archie’s love and adoration for her culture, but also her fears and doubts when thinking about sharing something so special with her friends. This book is beautifully illustrated and effectively showcases the key aspects of Diwali. The overall reasoning as to why Diwali is celebrated is relatively simple, but it works for the age-group this book is targeted at and provides an introductory glance into the traditions and culture surrounding the festival.

I don’t want to get too political here as I understand that religion and culture and its expression are different to everyone. However, I did want to acknowledge the fact that I greatly appreciated the significance and respect the Ramayan (an epic Sanskrit poem and revered religious text) was given in the glossary/ information section towards the end. As a text that is still to this day, viewed as key source of religious insight, it was refreshing to see it given its due reverence and not simply termed as ‘Hindu mythology’ (which is an extremely harmful term, please stop using it! If you must, try using phrases such as stories derived from the Hindu faith, or based on the Hindu/ Indian epic etc).

Overall, this was wonderful to read and it is nice to know that children’s books are taking a step in the right direction in regard to diversity and inclusion.

Thank you to Netgalley and Charlesbridge Publishing for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

ARCHIE CELEBRATES DIWALI - MITALI BANERJEE RUTHS
PUBLISHED BY - CHARLESBRIDGE

Archie invites her few friend's home for diwali party but due to a storm electricity is out and now she wonders and worries whether her friends will enjoy the party or not.

A simple easy to understand book with beautiful clear and bright illustrations makes it a very appealing picture book ideal for kids aged 2 - 6 years.

A perfect book esp for Indians living abroad , their friends and family and most important a book to be kept in libraries to expose all the kids to different cultures.
At the end of the book in glossary some Indian words and things are explained along with an activity to make your own Diyas !!

Thanks to Charlesbridge Publishing + NetGalley for the e-advance copy of ARCHIE CELEBRATES DIWALI by Mitali Banerjee Ruths, illustrated by Parwinder Singh. Expected publication date September 14, 2021.

A gorgeously illustrated and perfectly told story about Archie who is celebrating Diwali with her family and invites her friends to the celebration for the first time. From the mixed emotions that Archie feels (excitement for her favorite holiday but uncertainty about sharing something different), the sense of celebration surrounding Diwali, and the learning throughout the picture book, A must read for children, parents, and educators.

Nice intro to Diwali for kids! The festival of lights causes much aniety for Archie. She's invited some friends to her families celebration od Diwali and the power fails due to a storm. I thought the story was one kids could easily relate to. The illustrations were very nice. I don;t have coloron my Kindle, but am sure the book will be much enhanced by color! Great tale! Make a nice addition to a collection of holidays.

Archie Celebrates Diwali by Mitali Banerjee Ruths is a cute read about a young girl, Archie, that invites her friends to their first Diwali celebration. She’s nervous that her friends won’t like the food, her outfit, or the activities! This book would be great to read in a classroom during Diwali or even at home to introduce different celebrations and holidays to children. The pictures were very bright, fun, and flowed along with the story. The inclusion and representation in this book is very nice to see.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest Review.

Archie Celebrates Diwali, by Mitali Banerjee Ruths's is a beautiful illustrated and written story introducing Diwali to young readers in a relatable manner. Archie invites friends to participate in the Diwali celebration with her family. Great characterization, dialect, and colorful.

I highly recommend this book to introduce students to new cultural holidays

Review to come September 3rd to blog/goodreads.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

I am always interested in books about cultures and festivities. In this book we see Archie try to celebrate a festivity called Diwali. I have heard from it before, so I know some details, but I was eager to learn more and see her celebrate it. 

In this gorgeously drawn book we see how Archie tries to make her whole house beautiful for her friends, which had me wondering why she never checked the weather report? I mean, I wouldn't decorate the whole house if I knew a storm was coming, haha. I was a bit sad, because Archie kept worrying about her friends, who never experienced Diwali. Would they like it? Wouldn't they mind having so many adults around? What about the food? Isn't it too hot. She kept worrying about EVERYTHING. Girl, don't worry so much, is what I wanted to say to her. I am sure they will love it. Just give it a shot. 

It was great to see how Archie got totally in the story of Diwali, she is a great story-teller. And her friends agree with me as they are totally into the story. Totally love it!

I loved how the rest of the evening went and was just so delighted for Archie. It was truly a Diwali miracle. I loved seeing the party commence and see the adults and the kids have tons and tons of fun. Eating food, lighting fireworks, dancing, and more. It was a Diwali to remember.

All in all, a very heartwarming and sweet read! I am so happy I had the chance to read it. I am also happy to see some extra information + glossary near the end! That was a fun addition. I would recommend this one to all.

Before reading "Archie Celebrates Diwali" my Daughter and I did not know the history of Diwali. This book did a wonderful job of educating us through a fun, light-hearted story. Archie's favorite holiday is Diwali and this year she wants to invite some of her friends from school to celebrate with her family and share the fun. To welcome her guests she wants to make sure everything is perfect from the paper marigolds to the diyas lined up on the walkway. Her family is making food and her mother helps Archie get into her new lehenga but Archie can't help but worry, "What if the food is too spicy?" "What if my friends think I look weird dressed up like this?" Archie's family welcomes her friends and invites them to try everything and helps explain why they celebrate the Festival of Lights. We enjoyed learning more about the history and traditions of Diwali. I liked that the book spoke to friendship and diversity. A wonderful book with grand illustrations.

A great way for American kids to learn about the Indian culture! And especially for American Indians to learn and know that they shouldn’t be embarrassed about celebrating their culture or traditions, traditional clothing! I love that there’s a little dictionary at the end describing the Hindi words and instructions on how to make your own diya!

I also really loved the graphics, colors; how it looked when the lights went out! Will definitely buy this for my future Indian American babies!

First, I liked the female character with the male sounding nickname. Then, I liked how she had so many worries about what her friends would think of her family celebration. They were valid concerns. The explanation of why the different things are done in the religion made sense. I think this would be a great book for youngsters to read and understand a culture other than their own.

This book was sweet, about a girl spending Diwali with her friends and teaching them about the origins. My only problem was that the book was out of order and hard to read/understand in a page by page sense. Other than that, I really liked the book and totally recommend it for readers ages 5-8.

"I could eat this yummy pillow bread forever." Same, Virgil. Same.

A very sweet and happy story about a young girl who invites friends to celebrate Diwali with her family and worries about both typical party mishaps and that her friends won't enjoy or appreciate the celebration. Pleasantly, everyone is friendly and open to learning more and enjoying the occasion. It winds up being a great time for everyone and Archie feels more comfortable sharing her holiday and looks forward to an even bigger party next year.

The supplementary information included a description of Diwali and some stories surrounding the celebration, a glossary, and instructions for a craft. All were appreciated!

Just an FYI - the main character's name is Archana but she says "everyone calls me Archie". That could very easily be a self-chosen or family nickname, but it also faintly echoes the whitewashing of non-WASP names. The book doesn't mention this at all, but it does kind of normalize it.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

Loved this! I love how Archie wants to celebrate this holiday but Mother Nature gets in the way and Archie's family just goes with it! Books that bring together friendship and diversity and learning are SO my jam!

Such an adorable book. Archie wants to celebrate Diwali but the weather has other plans yet her family makes it happen. It was a quick and cute read

This lovely picture book with brightly coloured illustrations is a great way for younger children to learn about Diwali, and it’s got a great diverse & friendship theme. Archie is nervous about inviting her friends to her family’s celebration for the first time but they all have a wonderful time. Very useful & informative glossary explains terms readers may not have heard before and there’s a crafty make at the end that tells children how they can make their own diyas (oil lamps). Would be a fab addition to any primary school library.

I received an electronic ARC from Charlesbridge through NetGalley.
An OwnVoices story that explains Diwali. Archie is excited for the holiday and wants everything to be perfect as she has invited some school friends to join her family's celebration. She's nervous and worried and, unfortunately, several things do go wrong (rain, losing power). Archie discovers that everything does not have to be perfect to make a holiday special. She shares the tale about Rama and Sita defeating the demon, and the people lighting thousands of lights so they could find their way home. The colorful illustrations capture the vibrancy of the holiday and the joy and love shared by this family and friends. Banerjee Ruths uses language that elementary readers can follow. She also provides further information about the holiday at the end of the book.

"For your friends I only put one Chili." Hahahaha

This entire book is just so cute and funny! I could definitely relate to the anxiety of Archie's friends thinking all this cultural stuff is "weird" and I'm sure a lot of other people can too!

I really would have loved to have a book like this when I was a kid. It's also super educational for people who aren't familiar with Diwali (dhee-vah-lee) with the little guide at the end too.

I think these kinds of books are also so reassuring to younger kids in the same situation as Archie who maybe feel insecure about their friends judging their culture.

Representation is so important, and even though I'm much older than the target age group for this book haha this book made me feel seen. Archie even looks like me when I was tiny with her little lehenga which I love so much!!

I really hope it makes other little desi kids feel the same way too.

Archie's family celebrates Diwali with traditional decorations and feasting, but this year Archie invited friends from school to join them. She begins to look at the traditions with outsider eyes and wonders if they will be looked down on by the children of other cultures. As with most children's books, all turns out well when her friends are open and welcoming to the new experiences. A happy-feel-good book about sharing cultural traditions with those who were not raised with them.

This story celebrates Diwali, but also examines the way that Archie feels... She both loves her culture and her holiday -- and worries about how her friends will perceive her, when her traditions are different from theirs. I think this book does a beautiful job of connecting with both the person who may worry about being different and showcasing the beauty and fun of Diwali celebrations with family and friends. It also has some nice sections at the end that would help a teacher or parent talk more about Diwali -- and recipes to make your own diyas!

This picture book would be better geared towards K-2 audiences as it may be a little bit long for some preschoolers.

Love this book!

Growing up reading stories of Mahabharata or Ramayana, this one got my curiosity piqued. What is this Diwali the Indians celebrate about? So the simple explanation in the form of children book suits me well, moreover there are pictures and glossary to add my knowledge about Indian foods or dress.

Archie Celebrates Diwali shows the excitement of a little girl introducing her friends to a part of her culture: Diwali- the Celebration of Lights. Archana aka Archie helps her family to prepare for a special evening of fun, but things do not go as planned. It rains, the decorations are ruined and the electricity goes out!!! The family and friends end up having a candlelight dinner and enjoying delicious food. Archie's friends have a great time, as they are introduced to reason for celebrating Diwali.

Lovely book about Archana, called Archie, celebrating the Hindu festival Diwali with her friends. She prepares food and lights with her family, only to find out there´s no electricity. Will they be able to celebrate nonetheless?
I loved the (in the printed book probably bright) illustrations and the glossary for parents to learn more about the customs, food, clothing etc around Diwali.
The only problem was that the kindle edition is out of order, so not easy to understand.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Archie Celebrates Diwali is a really lovely holiday story about a girl sharing her favourite holiday with friends who have never celebrated it before. It does a really lovely job of showing what the holiday is all about while also showing how nervous Archie is to share it with her friends when she doesn't know what they will think. The illustrations are really bright and feel perfectly festive. All around a very enjoyable read and I would recommend it.

5+ stars! Go buy this book! This was a beautiful exploration of Diwali from the perspective of a young girl wanting to share her culture while fearing her friends will judge her. Any and all children (and adults too) can get something out of this gorgeous book. Highly recommend. If nothing else, check it out for the beautiful artwork.

Thank you to NetGalley and Charlesbridge for providing me with this temporary digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Even as an adult really enjoyed the book and the writing.The illustrator also did an amazing job representing the culture and bringing the heart of the story to life.

This book is a great introduction to the celebration of Diwali. Archie plans on inviting friends over to celebrate Diwali but is concerned what they will think of the new celebration. Plans don't quite work out perfectly but the friends are able to learn about Diwali in unexpected ways. A recommended purchase if your Diwali books circulate or if you need more Diwali books.

This is the perfect book for librarians and teachers looking to diversify their stacks.

Archie Celebrates Diwali, by Mitali Banerjee Ruth introduces young readers to the holiday festival, Diwali. When Archie invites her friends to participate in her family's Diwali celebration, she never predicted a thunderstorm and power outage. The festival of lights with no lights is definitely a problem. The book’s colorful illustrations match the spirit of the festival and the storyline is engaging and has a satisfying ending.

I highly recommend this book as an addition for classrooms PreK-2.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Charlesbridge for the ARC in exchange for an honest Review.