Illustrated by Charlene Chua
3 stars
A lovely rhyming picture book highlighting the different ways of celebrating Diwali. In the story, the family prepares and celebrates by hanging mango leaf buntings, creating rangoli, singing hymns, telling stories, feasting, and joining together with their community.
The artwork is stunning. Beautiful use of color. It really captures the light, joy, and celebration.
The backmatter contains an Author’s Note with additional information about Diwali, a breakdown of the five days of Diwali, and a short glossary of terms. The breakdown is especially helpful as it discusses the focus of each day and their important historical and religious connections such as Lord Krishna vanquishing Naraka on the second day and returning home to his sister Subhadra on the fifth day.
Informational and entertaining. Perfect for both celebrating Diwali and learning more about it. A wonderful read.