Our Diwali

Discover the deeper meaning of Diwali through this beautiful new book by Aditi Wardhan Singh. It features beautiful illustrations (by Suja Dinesh) and is written in both Hindi and English. The story follows Taran and his family as they prepare for, and celebrate, Diwali.
Our Diwali also features a bonus activity at the back of the book to make little finger puppets, a cute little addition to the book.

This is an inclusive boon about Diwali, with the text written in Hindi and English. From this viewpoint, I think this boon would be great in dual-language households but as an English speaking teacher, the English sentence translations are clunky or hard to explain to younger children. This is a shame as the content is excellent for teaching children about how Diwali is celebrated, and the illustrations are lovely to look at.

I was really excited for a book about Diwali, especially since I could order it and have it here in time for some lessons this week. However, there was a barrier to entry for this book that I did not expect. Without a background knowledge of Diwali, I found myself lost and confused throughout the book.

I think this would be a fantastic book for children who have families that already celebrate Diwali but as that is not my school population, I do not think it is a good fit for me at this time.

I know that it has potential for others. I hope others enjoy it!

Thank you to Net Galley and Victory Editing Net Galley Co-op for the eARC!

I just love bilingual books, and this one has such gorgeous pictures. I also loved the explanation of Diwali, and it sounded really beautiful. The history was interesting and the family traditions were wonderful. Everyone was so happy to be celebrating together.

Thank you, Raising World Children LLC, for the ARC.

I really love the book written with two languages- in original Hindi script with English translation as well!

The book explains well the concept of Diwali, the story behind the festival and the celebrations.

The illustrations are amazing and really brings the spirit of the festival.

However, as much as I appreciate the book, I would not encourage the kids and the people to burst crackers, to buy things in excess as it happens during such festivals and as shown in the book.

I am teaching my kids about celebrations from around the world. This isn't a book you can just hand a kid - it must be enjoyed by the whole family! I loved the activities in the back and the bonus facts at the end. I would have liked to have seen even more bonus facts to help parents answer questions but this was a great introduction to Diwali.

Our Diwali (Humara Diwali) is a unique children’s book, written in both English and Hindi, as well as transliterated in English, to learn the language and about the information regarding why we celebrate Diwali—various reasons for different religions and land borders across the country.

Both the author and illustrator have done an exceptional job of putting out a book that is relevant to the current generation as well as adding fun elements and activities to keep the kids engaged—a nice attempt indeed.

Taran and Sejal are siblings. Their family is preparing for the festival of lights, cleaning up the entire home and making sweets, buying utensils and gold, etc.

However, Taran is restless, as his only motive is to burst crackers and have a good time with his friends. But the poor chap has to wait, as his mother explains the dos and don’ts of Diwali, spanning over five days (for North Indians).

The author, in her simple and lucid prose, explains how both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata play an important role and their significance in different parts of India.

One is about Ram returning to Ayodhya after 14 long years after triumphing over demon-king Ravana, while another is about how Krishna defeats Narakasura, a deadly rakshasa, and saves 16,000 women.

The stories may be different, the characters may be ancient or imaginative, but the ultimate truth about this festival is (which is now celebrated even by Western countries): light (good) prevailing (triumphing) over darkness (evil).

This will definitely make for a good read for kids. Give it a read this festive season.

Happy Diwali to all!